During the last year, javascript effects have become more and more used on various websites. Though the effects look nice and make the website feel more responsive (just like AJAX – the greatest buzzword in the world), they have to be used with care. In my opinion, the effects may steal focus from the most important part of the website – the content. Content is the absolutely most important factor in the success of any website – it is the content which makes the visitors visit the website again and again, but access to the content – also known as usability – is the second most important factor for success.
Javascript effects are able to improve usability if used wisely, but if used too extensively and in improper places, the effects may also make the user confused – which is very bad in terms of usability. I think that javascript effects (and also AJAX) should only be used (in commercial applications that is – I also like browsing personal home pages to see what can be achieved with the new technologies) if it is of direct benefit to the user.
Well – it was quite an obvious statement, but the one thing which must be considered when designing applications is the user – what do the user expect, want and/or appreciate? That really is the questions one must ask in any design phase.