The effects of parallax scrolling on user experience in web design
Dede M Frederick, James Lloyd Mohler, Mihaela Vorvoreanu, Ronald J. Glotzbach · Journal of Usability Studies archive · 2015
Parallax scrolling is becoming an increasingly popular strategy in web design. This scrolling technique creates the illusion of depth on a webpage by making the background images move slower than the foreground images. In addition to its ability to engage users with a website, advocates of parallax scrolling claim that it improves user experience. Researchers attribute this pleasurable user experience to the fulfillment of the following variables: usability, satisfaction, enjoyment, fun, and visual appeal. We hypothesized that parallax scrolling would positively influence each of these five variables and subsequently the overall user experience. Eighty-six individuals from a large Midwestern university participated in the research. One group of participants (N = 43) interacted with the parallax scrolling website, whereas the second group (N = 43) interacted with the non-parallax scrolling website. An independent samples t-test revealed significant differences between the two groups in regards to perceived fun. Participants believed that the parallax scrolling website was more fun than the non-parallax scrolling website. The results of the study also showed parallax scrolling to be more effective when used in a hedonic and fun context. In spite of these benefits two of the participants suffered motion sickness and experienced significant usability issues while interacting with the parallax scrolling website. As a result, this potential risk to participants raises some ethical issues that UX practitioners and web designers should consider when planning to implement parallax scrolling.