Flashing or Scrolling Text

Text that moves so much you cannot read it, flashing text that distracts no matter where you look, ticker tapes that take forever to read, scrolling reader boards that give you a headache if you try to actually decipher the messages, and other moving text should be used in moderation!

There are rules about these things, and they are all so much based on common sense that anyone could figure them out if they gave a moment of thought to the matter. Unfortunately though, many web designers neglect to consult common sense when assembling their pages. They are more concerned with screaming "LOOK AT ME!!!" than they are with truly conveying an effective message once someone DOES look!

The rules are:

  • Flashing text should never flash so fast that it cannot be comfortably read, and it should not distract from the rest of the page. If you try to read the rest of the page and find it difficult to absorb the message, then the flashing text needs to go!
  • Flashing text messages should never be more than a word or two. Otherwise it can be nearly impossible to read the whole thing.
  • Scrolling text messages should be short. Reading scrolling text is irritating to the eyes, because it does not scroll perfectly smoothly. Long messages are annoying not only because of the strain on the eyes, but also because you are forcing the reader to absorb the message at the rate that you have dictated. This is also annoying, and half or more of the readers who visit the site will read at a HUGELY faster or slower rate than you have dictated.
  • Ticker tape scrolling messages also should be short, for the same reasons as for scrolling text. They are simply too difficult to read for more than a short sentence. Five words is comfortable. Three sentences is tiring and annoying.
  • Scrolling reader boards have the same issue as scrolling marquees, except that they go UP instead of across. This means that not only is it MOVING, but you always have to adjust your eyes UP and SIDEWAYS both as you read. Most move fairly slowly, but still, reading very much in one can be fatiguing and can end up being painful. Headlines only, is most appropriate. Unfortunately, most scrolling reader boards use a very tiny text size, which makes them even harder to read. A larger text size which allows the reader to absorb the message in a glance instead of having to peer closely at it can really help to make them less annoying.
  • You should never have more than one moving object visible on the page at one time, and then it should be something that does not cause a distraction when the visitor is trying to digest the content on the rest of the page.

All of these elements have been embraced for one of two purposes:

To catch attention. What good is it to catch attention if you annoy in the process, or if your message is either not delivered because it is too difficult to read, or if it is delivered in a manner which gives someone a bad attitude about it? And what good is it to catch the attention of the reader if they then cannot ignore it and move on?

To fit more content into less space. This is only effective if people can actually VIEW the content that is squeezed in. If this is the reason you use them, then do be sure that the content is actually readable, and that it is short enough to be grasped quickly before it annoys the visitor. To quote a truism: More is not always better. Sometimes it is just more.

Use these elements conservatively. Never use them just because you can. They are a passing fad, and use of them on your page will only help it to appear and function in a more contemporary manner if it also functions in an effective manner. When using text, it is important to realize that the purpose of text is for someone to READ it.

Anything which enhances the viewer's ability to read and appreciate the message is good. Anything which distracts from that purpose should be let go, without regret.

Written by Laura Wheeler