That can make a big difference, especially since psychologists' recommendations often counter the conventional wisdom. Although Web site designers have long assumed that the most important element on a page should stand out in some way, psychologist David M. Lane, PhD, of Houston's Rice University, has shown that that approach actually backfires. Lane and co-author Jan Panero Benway, PhD, found that users looking for a specific piece of information tended to overlook a large button at the top of the page offering just that information. Instead, they searched the options available in the standard navigation menu at the center of the page. Although some designers speculate that users have simply learned to ignore elements that resemble ads, Lane points out that the original finding occurred among Internet novices using an ad-free company intranet.
Psychologists have a good feel for how hard human behavior is to predict.
Psychologists are also getting involved in actually building sites, although it's their expertise rather than their degree that attracts customers. Drawing on her training in experimental psychology, Gaddy then creates task-flow diagrams. A big part of Gaddy's job is wrestling with graphic designers, who are sometimes more excited about multimedia film clips and other technological innovations than usability. When designers lobby for the use of animation, for instance, Gaddy has to point out the human performance data proving that there will always be some part of the eye and brain paying attention to these elements rather than the site's message. Of course, psychologists sometimes get called in after the fact.