Which practice should be avoided to maintain information scent?

Which practice should be avoided to maintain information scent?

• A. Avoid changing the layout or positions of on-screen elements
• B. Maintain constant navigation
• C. Use consistent fonts
• D. Align all CTAs to the same color

Answer: (A)

Information scent is about the cues that help users predict where to find information on a page. When the layout stays stable, people form a reliable mental map of where things belong, so they can scan and navigate quickly. The practice to avoid is changing the layout or positions of on-screen elements. If you move a menu, search bar, or content blocks, the cues users rely on disappear, making it harder to locate information and increasing search time and frustration. Keeping the layout consistent preserves that mental map. The other practices support information scent: maintaining constant navigation helps users know where to go next; using consistent fonts reduces visual noise and cognitive load; aligning CTAs to the same color creates predictable visual cues around actions.

Information scent is about the cues that help users predict where to find information on a page. When the layout stays stable, people form a reliable mental map of where things belong, so they can scan and navigate quickly.

The practice to avoid is changing the layout or positions of on-screen elements. If you move a menu, search bar, or content blocks, the cues users rely on disappear, making it harder to locate information and increasing search time and frustration. Keeping the layout consistent preserves that mental map.

The other practices support information scent: maintaining constant navigation helps users know where to go next; using consistent fonts reduces visual noise and cognitive load; aligning CTAs to the same color creates predictable visual cues around actions.