Lack of explicit links and Learned Helplessness, or, “Can Designers Think”
This is a classic case study in how NOT to hyperlink – and amazingly so coming from a great thinker in the field of Information Design.
The label says “For interesting details, click on areas where the cursor arrow changes to pointed finger.”
OK, so I float my mouse around seeking out the illusive hot spot(s). After about 20 minutes I find one… are there more? Do I want to invest the time to find out? Am I waring out the tendons in my wrist doing this finely dexterousness searching?
Most importantly, if I hunt for x seconds and don’t find anything, does my mind assume that there is nothing to be found and I move on, missing the real communication objective? That’s the key: don’t let implicit links lead your viewer to a place of learned helplessness.
CCT Map 1