Give footnotes the boot – alternatives to footnotes on the web
10 months ago
- #UX Design
- #Web Development
- #Content Strategy
- Footnotes in printed media disrupt reading flow by forcing readers to choose between staying engaged or diverting attention to supplementary content at the bottom of the page.
- On the web, footnotes are even more cumbersome, requiring scrolling to the end of the article and back, often without clear contextual links.
- Alternatives to footnotes on the web include using parentheses for short asides, `<section role='note'>` for longer content, and `<details>` elements for expandable sections.
- Modern CSS features allow for smooth animations when expanding or collapsing `<details>` elements, enhancing user experience without JavaScript.
- The article criticizes footnotes as outdated relics of print media limitations and advocates for more user-friendly web-native solutions.