It’s not often that a 70-year-old piece of technology finds new life in our ever evolving world. Parallax Scrolling, created in the 1940s to create an illusion of depth on two-dimensional screens, found full expression in the 1980s with the rise of arcade games, and today more and more designers are dusting off the concept and adapting it to their web pages.
The Parallax effect is part of the scrolling feature of a site, where the background image moves slower than the foreground images. With images moving around the site at different speeds and perspectives, a faux three-dimensional effect is created, much like a site built in layers where every element fits together piece by piece. As the viewers focus remains on a center point, the feature creates an entirely different and infinitely memorable browsing experience, engaging viewers and adding a wholly unique entertainment aspect.
Companies and brands are quickly amping up their sites for the Parallax technique, encouraging a more interactive experience during the exploration of products and services. And with a host of plug-ins and third-party tools available, there’s no doubt more and more web designers will take advantage of this decades-old art form.
