The analysis of the 'mobile footer menu' case study seems a bit misguided.
Sure, everything on that image looks about as clickable as everything else. But the user didn't click on everything -- he clicked on 'Shop', repeatedly.
Why?
The article mentions 'language' as a 'contextual clickability clue'... but language is much more powerful than the cues whose absence the page laments. The non-exist visual (un)clickability signifier doesn't help... but language is the overriding issue in that experience.
It's widely held that If something is clickable, it should have a clear & reliable 'information scent' -- it should tell you what clicking it will do. People don't click on things because they're clickable -- they click because they think it'll do what they want.
The converse is also true -- If something has a clear 'information scent', it should be clickable, and should do what it implies it will. Information scent makes people want to click on things -- and they'll be disappointed even if they immediately realise they can't click.
In the case study, the user clicks on 'SHOP' because 'SHOP' is where he wants to go. (there is a 'shop' page on the site, BTW). Clearer styling would make the experience less bad, but the only real solution is to make SHOP clickable.
Sure, everything on that image looks about as clickable as everything else. But the user didn't click on everything -- he clicked on 'Shop', repeatedly.
Why?
The article mentions 'language' as a 'contextual clickability clue'... but language is much more powerful than the cues whose absence the page laments. The non-exist visual (un)clickability signifier doesn't help... but language is the overriding issue in that experience.
It's widely held that If something is clickable, it should have a clear & reliable 'information scent' -- it should tell you what clicking it will do. People don't click on things because they're clickable -- they click because they think it'll do what they want.
The converse is also true -- If something has a clear 'information scent', it should be clickable, and should do what it implies it will. Information scent makes people want to click on things -- and they'll be disappointed even if they immediately realise they can't click.
In the case study, the user clicks on 'SHOP' because 'SHOP' is where he wants to go. (there is a 'shop' page on the site, BTW). Clearer styling would make the experience less bad, but the only real solution is to make SHOP clickable.