> If you were physically browsing a library shelf, and each book was in a
> uniform archival box with a title/author/year label, how would this
> change your experience and your success?
I think that would hinder the process when browsing. Seeing different
sizes and colors makes it easier to keep track of where you are (plus
it tells you a little about the contents).
The question is whether people are browsing in the catalog. The size
of the book (useful to know and obvious when browsing shelves) isn't
immediately obvious when browsing jacket images. On the other hand, we
all know that tables are easier to read if every row is not exactly
the same.
I'm not sure if the same dynamic applies when adding images to the
catalog, but it suggests that jacket images may perform a function
that goes beyond simple eye candy (though this navigational function
could probably be performed by random images).
kyle
Received on Mon Jun 30 2008 - 12:20:41 EDT