Photo credit by Joe Philipson
Awhile back a client asked me why the featured area at the top of a webpage is called “the hero” spot. I had to admit that I didn’t really know. How did it happen that most of the designers that I know use this term?
I asked around and got a few suggestions. Some suggested the term came from the advertising aphorism “make the product the hero.” Others, with a more literary background, suggested that the hero was the main actor or protagonist. Kristy LaFollette, a producer here at Hot, suggested the hero is so-called because it “wins the eye.” Whatever the etymology, I have to say “hero” has a nice ring to it–much nicer than say, “featured homepage module.”
Do you know how the “hero” spot got its name?
I don’t know about the Hero Spot, but the “Hero Shot” is that image from ground plane or below of a consumer product that makes it appear like you’re looking up at a statue or “Super Hero. Here’s some more definitions:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/y8kjd5x
I don’t know the origins of the term, but I really dislike the term “hero spot” used in design. It makes design seem prescriptive; does every home page require a “hero spot” or is it better to describe page elements using terms like hierarchy and depth?