A Spatial Dimension to Infinite Scrolling
Google Reader is widely credited for popularising the now familiar pattern of infinite scrolling. This means not having to click through an endless series of “More / Next / Page x” links to view more content. The problem is particularly acute on long search results and Google has started to rectify this, with the introduction of infinite scrolling to their Image Search.
What sets Google Images apart is how they’ve retained the concept of pages and page numbers, while also presenting content on a single, infinitely long page. These page number headings provide a spatial dimension to an otherwise endless list, enabling the user to visualise and quantify how far down the page they are.
Page number headings are a great visual aid, but they can be much more. Google Images should present these headings as anchor points that can linked, bookmarked and revisited. This will provide a spatial dimension akin to the old paginated links at the bottom of a page, while not compromising the obvious benefits of a bottomless page. Worth trying, in my opinion.
