Letting Go of the Words

Information = content

• answer a question or help complete a task
• easy to find and understand
• accurate, up to date, and credible

• too busy
• trying to answer a question
• trying to do a task
• there is so much on the web that we only have time to be quick

• Put important forms on the home page.
• Put the forms high up on the page.
• Put your search box at the top of your page.
• A well-designed page should tell you what to do without reading.
• Divide web content by task; by questions, people ask; type of info.
• Writing in inverted pyramid style - most important at the top.
• Reloading a page is hard for screen readers. Show/hide is better because there is no reload.
• Make page elements obvious using patterns and alignment.
• Keep headings from floating; put headings close to the text
• People prefer sans serif on the web.
• Always provide good contrast between text and background colour
• Links can be embedded in the text but if you want people to finish reading, put the links at the end.
• Make visited links change colour.
• Read the writing. Check your links. Check your facts.
• Use a consistent set of words (don't overuse the thesaurus).
• Get feedback or have someone else read it.
• Use style guide for consistency.

Why use lists?

• Lists put active space around each item so people can skim.
• Tables take away words that are not necessary so people can easily scan.
• Use bullets that match the site but don't make people wonder if bullets have more meaning than they do.

• Keep same sentence structure for list items

Present instructions as steps (even complex instructions)

• Headings are the outline of your page
• Headings can be the questions visitors ask..
• Use action phrases in headings for instructions.
• Use parallelism in your head. i.e. be consistent in your wording style
• Use illustrations/pictures to help people visualize quantities and dimensions.

Tables

• Use tables for comparing numbers
• Use tables for series, of if, then sentences (left column)
• Do not put same page links in left column navigation.
• Same page links belong under the page title.

Let your writing rest before posting.