15

There is a UX anti-pattern in which important information is hidden behind some user initiated function.

For example: You have a menu with only images on the items and only on mouseover do you see the whole name. It's poor usability because you can't see all menu items at once and you don't know what the images mean until you hover.

I know I have read about it somewhere and there is an entry on Wikpedia that uses a photograph of the Moon as an example.

1 Answer 1

21

One common name for this anti-pattern is Mystery Meat. As described in Designing Web Interfaces:

Have you ever found a can in the back of the pantry whose label has long since fallen off? The only way to identify this mystery meat is to open it. Unidentifiable icons are pretty much the same as a row of unlabeled cans. You have to hover over each icon and hope for a tool tip to label it. Even worse is when no tool tip is available. The easiest way to avoid this predicament is to use either a text label or combine an icon with a text label. Mystery Meat is a common anti-pattern that occurs when you have to hover over an item to understand how to use it.

This is the Wikipedia article that you're thinking of (with the Moon example):

Mystery meat navigation (also known as MMN) is a disparaging term coined in 1998 by Vincent Flanders, author and designer of the website Web Pages That Suck, to describe a web page where the destination of the link is not visible until the user points their cursor at it. Such interfaces lack a user-centered design, emphasizing aesthetic appearance, white space, and the concealment of relevant information over basic practicality and functionality.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.