Above the Fold

This term describes a graphic design concept that became a standard for guiding a reader’s attention to the important details of a printed communication. Originally, this concept referred to placing important news stories or appealing photographs on the upper half of the front page of a newspaper. Items included above the fold were those that the writers and editors felt more likely to entice people to purchase the day’s paper. This space is preferred for not only important news, but also for advertisements as it is the first impression that a viewer will have of a layout.

In today’s heavy technology environment, “above the fold” has been used to discuss not only newspapers and physical documents, but also soft copy such as web pages. This terminology now refers to elements placed and viewed on a web page or email newsletter without scrolling. “Above the fold” – or “above the scroll” – is used more generally to refer to elements that are prominently displayed or given a visually high-priority placement.

First, and perhaps more important, is branding. Viewers should be able to quickly identify whose content they are viewing. Along these same lines, email marketing newsletters also benefit from a positioning statement to identify the following content or subject matter. This positioning statement works very much like the masthead from the original newspaper design. Navigation elements are also key to direct readers forward. Navigation may include menus, search tools, or hyperlinks within the body text.

Once, placing important information above the fold, or above the scroll, was necessary. Users were often thought reluctant to scroll through a web page or newsletter. However, today this reluctance is no longer assumed. However, this design concept is still instrumental for prioritizing information, highlighting calls to action, and directives, along with optimizing web page and email newsletter user design.