• Reported by Silus Grok

How many times have you heard a client say "but everyone does it that way. It's standard"? I've heard it plenty of times... but what is "standard", how would one know, and what's its value — is a practice's ubiquity a compelling argument for its adoption?

In a recent article over at Boxes and Arrows — a design resource worthy of its own post — Heidi Adkisson discusses her study of common design practices across a wide spectrum of important web sites... practices such as using a hot-linked logo to return to the home page, using horizontal header links for primary navigation, and the like.

Heidi then gilds the lily by announcing a new site that features a larger investigation of her findings, and an open call to the design community for new research topics.