Maybe it’s just me, but so-called “half-page” web banners that accompany some news articles annoy me as a reader. I think the large banners are a fine idea, but it’s how news pages containing them are designed that I find a hindrance to reading. Here’s an example from NYTimes.com, a site that pioneered the half-page ads. The story text is set to the far left of the screen, about five words wide. To the right is a small photograph, and below that a series of links to related stories. Then to the right of that is the half-page banner. I find these really awkward to read. First, the animation of the ad makes it difficult to focus on the thin column of article text. And the column of type is too narrow and to the far left side of the screen, which to my eye makes it difficult to read.
A couple guidelines come to mind that might make this layout less annoying. (And no, I am not suggesting getting rid of the large ads.) First, limit sidebar and photo use on article pages with the large ads — so that text width isn’t too narrow. Second, center the entire page on the screen instead of having it flush left. The scrunched article text on the left makes for an unpleasant reading experience.
Better Design Needed for Web Articles With Big Ads
