Michael Bernard

Comparing the effects of text size and format on the readibility of computer-displayed Times New Roman and Arial text

Times New Roman and Arial typefaces in 10- and 12-point, dot-matrix and anti-aliased format conditions were compared for readability (accuracy, reading speed, and accuracy/ reading speed), as well as perceptions of typeface legibility, sharpness, ease of reading, and general preference. In assessing readability, the 10-point anti-aliased Arial typeface was read slower than the other type conditions. Examining perceptions of typeface legibility, sharpness, and ease of reading detected significant effects for typeface, size, and format. Overall, the 12- point dot-matrix Arial typeface was preferred to the other typefaces. Recommendations for appropriate typeface combinations for computer-displayed text are discussed.

The effects of font type and size on the legibility and reading time of online text by older adults

This study examined passages containing two serif and sans serif fonts at 12 and 14-point sizes for differences in legibility, reading time, and general preference when read by an older population. A significant main effect of size was found for font legibility in that 14-point fonts were more legible to read than 12-point fonts. A marginal interaction was also found for reading time in that participants read 12-point serif fonts significantly slower than 14-point serif or sans serif fonts. Moreover, participants significantly preferred the 14-point to the 12-point font size. Font recommendations are discussed.

Examining children's reading performance and preference for different computer-displayed text

This study investigated how common online text affects reading performance of elementary school-age children by examining the actual and perceived readability of four computer-displayed typefaces at 12- and 14-point sizes. Twenty-seven children, ages 9 to 11, were asked to read eight childrens passages and identify erroneous/substituted words while reading. Comic Sans MS, Arial and Times New Roman typefaces, regardless of size, were found to be more readable (as measured by a reading efficiency score) than Courier New. No differences in reading speed were found for any of the typeface combinations. In general, the 14-point size and the examined sans serif typefaces were perceived as being the easiest to read, fastest, most attractive, and most desirable for school-related material. In addition, participants significantly preferred Comic Sans MS and 14-point Arial to 12-point Courier. Recommendations for appropriate typeface combinations for children reading on computers are discussed.

User expectations for the location of web objects

This study examined where individuals expect specific web-related objects to be located on a typical web page. The web objects examined were: web page title, internal and external grouping of links, a link to the homepage, internal search engine, and advertisement banner(s). The results suggest that users do have definable expectations concerning the location of these web objects.

Examining Automatic Text Presentation for Small Screens

This exploratory study compared three types of automatic text presentation for small screen interfaces—rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), three lines, and ten-lines of text—at fast, medium and slow speeds for differences in reading comprehension, satisfaction, and preference. The results revealed a significant main effect of presentation speed, favoring the slowest speed. A marginal main effect of presentation method was also found, favoring RSVP and the ten-lines of text presentation. The readers were equally satisfied with all three methods of presentation.

Searching within Websites: A Comparison of Three Types of Sitemap Menu Structures

This study compared search performance and satisfaction with three types of sitemap menu structures. In one type (Index), the hyperlinks were organized alphabetically. Another type (Full) organized hyperlinks according to a specific category. The third type (Restricted) initially presented only category topics, and displayed the respective hyperlinks after the user clicked on that particular category. Results indicate that although users did not perform significantly better with any of the sitemaps, they were significantly more satisfied and found the searches to be easier with the Full and Restricted sitemaps than with the Index sitemap. In the ranking of the three sitemaps, the Full sitemap was most preferred,

Comparing Cascading and Indexed Menu Designs for Differences in Performance and Preference

Three menu layouts were compared for objective and subjective performance, as well as overall preference. The menus structures consisted of an index layout, a vertical cascading layout, and a horizontal cascading layout. Significant differences in search time were revealed between the three menu item layouts that favored the index menu layout. In addition, there was a non-reliable trend that favored the subjective opinion that the index layout was less disorientating than the other two layouts. Moreover, participants selected the index layout as their first preference choice more than the other two layouts. The poorest performer, both objectively and subjectively, was the horizontal layout. Possible reasons for these outcomes are discussed.

The Effects of Line Length on Children and Adults' Perceived and Actual Online Reading Performance

This study examined reading time, reading efficiency, perceived reading efficiency, and preference for three online-text length conditions, narrow, medium, and full, for both adults and children. No differences were found for either reading time or efficiency for either adults or children. However, adults preferred shorter line lengths to full-screen line lengths. In examining perception of reading efficiency, the results were mixed. For adults, the full text lengths were perceived as providing the optimal amount of scrolling in comparison to the two other narrower line length conditions. The narrowest line length condition was perceived as promoting the highest amount of reader concentration, while the medium line-length condition was considered to be the most optimally presented length for reading. Examining childrens perceptions of reading efficiency for each of the line lengths revealed no significant differences in perceived reading efficiency or preference.

Paging VS. Scrolling: Examining Ways to Present Search Results

This study examined the performance and preference of individuals searching for information presented within search results that were displayed in either mostly paging or mostly scrolling formats. The conditions were: ten links per page at ten pages, fifty links per page at two pages, and one hundred-links on one page. Overall, the fifty-link condition had the fastest search time and was the most preferred. Users perceived that the hundred-link condition was more difficult to find information, presented too many choices, and looked less professional than the ten-link condition. The results suggest that a moderate amount of paging and scrolling was optimal. However, when forced to choose between the two, users preferred paging, even though paging took more time to find information than did scrolling.