Frames: Windows of Frustration

By Neal Thomas, updated by Duane Taylor
January 2001

One of the more contentious issues in web site design is the use of frames. The technology allows for the browser window to be split into multiple cells, or frames. Each frame can have HTML content streamed into it either from the author's Web site or from an external site. Frames can be resized by the user, thereby changing the layout of the page. Frames can interact with each other, so that an action that takes place in one frame can change others.

Frames also allow an easy way to have site navigation created as one HTML file that can be displayed in a frame on every page in the site. This would save an enormous amount of time and utilize basic HTML code, minimizing download time. When done properly, frames can have a very appealing impact on the overall design.

The problems with frames are numerous. For the user it means that content on framed sites cannot easily be bookmarked. Bookmarking is very common for sites that contain several important documents or for sites that update frequently. Navigation schemes are easily confused and the functionality of the browser's "Back" button is compromised. The set of frames, or framesets, also present challenges for printing. Whole framesets cannot be printed and it is challenging for a user to print individual frames. Anything that can frustrate a user should be avoided at all times.

Another thing to consider is that users with older browsers might not be able to view frames. A proper site has to provide an option to view a non-frames site. In this case, frames will just be an extra time consumer in production of the Web site.

Deciding against the use of frames is probably wise. The use of frames is generally appropriate in only a few situations. It might be useful to have a frame as a consistent menu with content loading into a separate frame on sites with only a few pages to access. Frames might also be appropriate for self-contained sites that do not link to external resources and when sites establish some kind of narrative flow. Generally speaking, though, the benefits of using frames are outweighed by the various ways that they can confound users.

Case studies

Framing your Web site: FARN's experience (28 February 2001)
FARN developed its Web site in 1997. Soon after, frames emerged as the new, innovative technique in Web design. Believing that frames were more user-friendly and better in general, FARN began converting its site into frames in 1998.