Visibility


 * Visibility**

Visibility is commonly defined as being able to see or be seen. In the design field, it is the visible element of something (as opposed to readabiltiy which is the state of being able to read). In other words, It is the degree to which letters or words can be identified and discriminated, without regard to the speed of reading. Visability is very important for things such as road/highway signs as a driver must able to quickly see the sign and the letters written on that sign (and finally read it).

- Visibility is important (especially for company website and interactive design) because it will not allow a user to skip over important information. It must be clear and "visibie" so that it can even be spotted.

- Interactivity's visibility is also important for navigation (such as buttons, for example). Buttons must be visible so that a user knows to press the button. Naviation is very importatnt to interactivity as it is the one thing that allows the viewer to actually "interact" with a design.

- Visibility also influences interactivity through the use of visual contrasts since visibility depends on the difference between the letterforms and the white spaces surrounding it. If there is a lack of visual contrasts, the reader will see a wall of text and turn down the information. However, simply making all the text larger or making bold all the text does not help visual contrasts as it still makes everything look similar and thus visibility is poor in this situation. For there to be visual contrasts there must be hierarchy. And thus, visibility (and in turn visual contrats) ultimately affects interface design.

AN INTERESTING CONCEPT TO THINK ABOUT: It is interesting to note that the internet could magnify one's "visiblity" because of search engines and links. The internet (or search engines such as google) allows one more room to look and see things. For example, if a user types in a word such as "cookies" into a search engine, it will bring up several resources. "Cookies" could bring up recipes or it could bring up computer cookies and thus the internet maximizes one's "visiblity".

sources: Cornett, Brandon. "In Web Design, Usability Equals Visibility." //ITtoolbox Web Design//. January 25/2007 Rubin, Charles. "Visibility, Credibility and Relations". 2007. Guerilla Marketing. January 12, 2008.  "Visibility". March 5, 2004. Web Style Guide. January 12, 2008 < http://webstyleguide.com/type/legible.html>

added by manwaiw