When Left Might Not Be Right

Journal of Usability Studies, Volume 6, Issue 4, August 2011, pp. 245 - 256

Article Contents

The following are our recommendations based on this study:

Given the small differences in both performance and preference, the placement of a menu should not be dictated by convention.
There might be good reasons for placing the menu on the right-hand side of the screen. For example, if the site has no alternative but to expect the user to scroll, then right-hand placement is preferable because the user will then have the mouse placed close to the scroll bar and this should speed up performance times.
Where a novel solution is needed then a right-hand menu system might keep the user sufficiently interested in the design, which might keep them on the page for longer.
Because users readily adapt when convention is flouted, designers should not feel constrained to the use of the traditional left-hand placement of the navigational panel.