SV: [Sigia-l] logo as link to home

[Trina Lindal]

Richard, et al: (snipped post follows)

I have been involved in the analysis of usability studies for newspapers.
When I say "involved," I mean I did not conduct the tests, I only reviewed
the results, and built a case for my recommendations around them. The user
group was mixed between primarily print readers, primarily online readers,
and people who read both.

In one particular study, the following "task" was assigned:
Without using the back button, return to the home page of [newspaper].

Users had previously been instructed to complete other tasks that took them
deep-and-wide throughout the site, so this was designed to find out if the
user even knew they were still on the same site...

I digress. The "quantifiable" results of this test (of 15 users) were:
8 used the logo
7 used the "HOME" link

In observation, it was noted that 3 of the seven "HOME" link users had
previously (in completing other tasks) used the logo to return to the home
page.

There are many more cross-referenced numbers I can supply, but these are the
main elements that could support the argument that "most users now
instinctively click on the logo to go home."

I'm never content with pat evidence, but I thought I'd share my
experience -- in a newspaper setting.

/Trina

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Wiggins
<snip>
Has anyone done any testing to verify the proposition that most users
understand that the corporate logo is a link back to the home page...?

Today when I'm at, say,
a newspaper site, I find myself rolling over each element (section name,
headline, photos, callout heads, etc.) to find out if it's a hyperlink or
not... .

I'd want to see a usability study (real user observation, not just analysis)
before concluding that most users now instinctively click on the logo to go
home.

/rich
</snip>