Avoiding banner blindness: Designing for attention in UX

Banner blindness, a phenomenon where users subconsciously ignore page elements resembling advertisements, presents a major challenge for digital products reliant on advertising revenue. This selective attention bias leads users to overlook not only actual ads but also important elements like calls to action if they appear in typical ad locations or formats. Common causes include the predictable location, volume, format, and style of ads, which users have learned to filter out. To combat this, strategies such as using native ads that blend seamlessly with content, placing ads between native content, and offering rewards for ad engagement are suggested. Additionally, micro-tactics like altering ad positioning, making ads interactive, blending them with the surrounding content, and reducing their volume can help mitigate the effects of banner blindness. By understanding this behavior and adjusting design strategies, digital products can improve ad effectiveness and user engagement.