Carousels

Carousels are interactive design elements that display a set of content, such as images, cards, or text, within a rotating or sliding frame. They are commonly used on websites and apps to feature multiple items in the same space, offering a way to save screen real estate while still highlighting diverse content. Designers often use them for promotions, featured products, or storytelling sequences that users can swipe or click through.

In UX and UI design, carousels are a double-edged tool. When designed well, they allow for efficient storytelling or product showcasing without overwhelming the user with too much information at once. For example, an e-commerce homepage might use a carousel to cycle through seasonal offers, new arrivals, and bestsellers, ensuring users see a variety of content without requiring long scrolling.

Real-world examples highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of carousels. Amazon uses them extensively to display product recommendations, while Netflix applies horizontal carousels to organize categories like trending shows or personalized lists. In contrast, many corporate websites abandoned autoplay carousels after usability studies showed that users often ignored rotating slides or struggled to control them.

Accessibility is another crucial factor. Carousels that auto-rotate without pause controls can make navigation difficult for users with mobility or cognitive challenges. Screen readers may also struggle with dynamically changing content. Designers must provide manual controls, ensure proper labeling, and allow users enough time to interact with each element for carousels to remain inclusive.

Mobile design brings additional considerations. Swiping gestures on smartphones make carousels more natural, but they also require clear indicators, such as dots or arrows, to show how many slides remain. Without these signals, users may feel lost or fail to engage with the full content. This makes careful balance between aesthetics and usability essential.

Learn more about this in the Carousels Exercise from the Mobile Information & Container Components Course, a part of the Mobile Design Course.

Key Takeaways

• Carousels display multiple items in a limited space through rotation or sliding.
• Effective in storytelling, promotions, or product showcases.
• Poorly designed carousels can frustrate or confuse users.
• Accessibility requires manual controls and screen reader support.
• Alternatives like grids often outperform carousels in usability.