Jared Spool has brought up the good old question about whether links need to be underlined.
He doubts that users are less likely to find what they are looking for at sites where links aren't underlined. People will quickly learn how to spot non-standard links by waving their mouse around to see where the browser gives them "the finger."
But users are trained to click on underlined text. Eyetracking studies show that people dart from underlined text to underlined text in their initial exploration of a page.
If sites have some links underlined and others not, people get confused. Jared concludes:
"We think the visual design element of the underline is not required, but it is cruel to make users work extra hard because you can't decide."
Links:
- Do Links Need Underlines?
Henrik Olsen
- July 06, 2006
See also: Tips and guidelines (72) Links (14)