Strategies for Print and Web Development Cathy Hogan NIP Web Team Leader Using the Web to Communicate about Immunization Maggie Reilly Content & Usability Specialist Design Tips for Print Materials National Immunization Program (NIP)

Introduction Cathy Hogan, Web Team Leader NIP Web team lead Overall NIP web site design Content, structure, and functions Maggie Reilly, Content & Usability Spec. Specialized content Applications & user interfaces Usability assessments

What you can learn today Why information needs to be written specifically for the web How to make web pages easy to scan and read When and how to include print materials

Strengths of the Web Create, publish, and distribute quickly Modify and update content easily Keep production costs low Tailor information to suit multiple audiences Link to additional resources Incorporate tools and programs

Why not just copy content to the Web? Print materials self-contained, stand-alone unchanging or “static”; a revised document is a new document Web content viewed in sections or “chunks” scanned rather than read updated regularly—can change day to day

Why develop content explicitly for Web? Because Web readers Ignore what is “not interesting” or audience-specific Lose interest and move rapidly among topics or pages Find pages confusing and resist scrolling Avoid wall-to-wall text and instead print it Appreciate and expect links to related or archived materials

Structure web pages to facilitate scanning How? Provide clear links and headings. Keep sentences and paragraphs short. Why? Because readers prefer to scan, stopping only when they find something interesting. (Reading online is hard on the eyes.)

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Writing for the Web

Link or provide more details Writing for the Web Key message Organization Sub-categories Link or provide more details

What’s different? Writing for the Web Smaller “chunks” of content Lots of labels 50% fewer words More bullets What’s different?

What’s similar? Writing for the Web Choose the reading level No jargon Clear sentence structure Active voice (action words) What’s similar?

Writing for the Web Immunization is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. Immunization is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. One of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century is immunization. One of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century is immunization.

Page Layout, Page Titles, and Links

Key to placement of content “Above the fold” is prime real estate. Readers scan from top to bottom, then look at the sides of a web page. Page title, summary, and table of contents should be introduced first.

Key to placement of content

Titles and link labels help direct readers Page titles and link labels are signposts for readers. Titles are printed by browsers and used by search engines.

Why descriptive link labels? Good descriptions help readers distinguish between similar links. Short or cryptic link labels slow readers down.

Which link is clearest? Communicating with patients or Tell patients about vaccine benefits and risks www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/patients/ribene.htm

Example

Examples of link styles Sources for Further Information: Autism research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Clearinghouse, call 1-800-370-2943, or visit the NICHD web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/autims1 Other Organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics – www.aap.org Autism Society of America – www.autism-society.org Supporting Information: Medical Research Council Media Release: No New Evidence of a Link Between MMR and Autism www.mrc.ac,uk/news/press_rel/PR_2000/mrc_18_00.html

Print Materials on the Web

Should I put a print document on my website? NO Present a key message YES Supply detailed support material for a key message YES Include in a library of other print material

Links that support the key message

Print libraries on the Web Create relevant categories for content.

Print libraries on the Web Give a short summary. Provide multiple file formats with links for downloading. Provide printing tips.

For more information Web articles and resources (handout) NIP Web Site Comment and Suggestion form (handout) Copy of presentation & speaker notes (email Cathy Hogan at zfu4@cdc.gov)     

Design Tips for Print Materials Maggie T. Reilly National Immunization Program Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start with a “Creative Brief”. Work with team members to Define your goal. Identify the target audience. Choose the best media. Include important details & action steps. Posters, flyers and buttons are the preferred health communication media. The primary audience is adults who are at high risk of having complications from the flu or who have children at high risk. The high risk group are the first to get their flu shots. Summary

Strategies for Effective Design Work backwards – start with the result you want. Stick to one key message, and keep it simple. Provide the next step.

Work backwards – think of results. Determine the target audience

Work backwards – think of results. Determine the target audience Choose best media Posters Flyers Buttons

Work backwards – think of results. Prepare a budget. Time and materials More color = more money

Work backwards – think of results.

Work backwards – think of results. Prepare a budget. Time and materials More color = more money Consider time. Work backwards from your deadline.

Work backwards – think of results. (Create a Timeline) Date Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. 5/6-5/10 Get creative brief from content specialist Find images to use on poster Do research on people at high risk Draw thumbnails of design ideas Find the key message 5/13-5/17 Layout key message on poster Layout other text & images First draft due Final draft due Send to printer

Stick to a simple message. Develop variations on a phrase. Match text and images. Repeat key words and images.

Stick to a simple message. Find the key message. Use a phrase or short sentence.

Stick to a simple message. Find the key message. Work from your creative brief. Use a phrase or short sentence to get started. Posters, flyers and buttons are the preferred health communication media. The primary audience is adults who are at high risk of having complications from the flu or who have children at high risk. The high risk group are the first to get their flu shots. Summary

Stick to a simple message. Make the message easy to read & understand. Use only a few words on a poster. Limit graphics. Put details on flyers. Put white space to work.

Stick to a simple message. Make the message easy to read & understand. Use only a few words on a poster. Limit graphics. Put details on flyers. Put white space to work.

Stick to a simple message. Relate to the target audience. Text Language Images

Stick to a simple message. Use consistent elements to tie media together. Color Fonts Logos Black Orange Teal

Stick to a simple message. Keep the media simple. Color Fonts Logos                          

Stick to a simple message. Font families offer many choices while providing consistency. Get your flu shot today!

Provide the next step. Clearly state the message, then make the next step obvious.

Use an action term: “call”, “ask”, “get”. Provide the next step. Use an action term: “call”, “ask”, “get”. Include contact information.

Develop a creative brief. Work backwards – plan for your results. Summary Develop a creative brief. Work backwards – plan for your results. Stick to a simple message. Provide the next step.

Questions? More Info? Cathy Hogan, NIP Web Team Leader zfu4@cdc.gov Susie Seiscio, NIP Graphic Designer zyq0@cdc.gov Maggie Reilly, NIP Content Specialist uzr9@cdc.gov