perception
F-pattern / Z-pattern
The two dominant paths eyes take across a page – F for text-dense pages (down the left edge), Z for sparse marketing layouts (corner to corner).
Eye-tracking research (Nielsen Norman Group is the standard citation) finds two recurring shapes. On text-dense pages, people read the first line or two fully, then scan down the left edge picking up less as they go – an F. On sparse, marketing-style pages, the eye sweeps top-left → top-right → diagonally down → bottom-right – a Z, which is why hero sections put the logo top-left and the call-to-action at the end of the sweep.
One caution the researchers themselves make: these are averages describing what eyes do when a page hasn’t steered them. They’re a reason to front-load your first lines and left edges – not a template to trace.