Writing for the Wired World Skolen på internettet, Nyborg April 24, 2003 Darlene Fichter University of Saskatchewan library.usask.ca/~fichter/

Overview Writing & Reading for the Web Do’s & Don’ts Format Scanning Style Language Jargon

Reading & Writing Goal is to communicate Strategy Key messages Your audience

School Web Site Audience Focused on getting the job done Diverse Experience Novice to expert Usage patterns Occasional to daily Tasks & domain knowledge Teachers & staff Parents Students

How Users Read on Screens How do people read on the screen? Top to bottom Left to right Focus first on the micro-content Scroll to the bottom Only after failing - side menu - top menu

People Read: 25% slower on the screen Find Arial or Times Roman fonts at 12 pt the most legible

Research Shows: DON’T Read People who are looking for information don't READ, they scan. If they have to read a help page, most won’t. Readers understand more when reading less.

“Scanability” Create headings and subheadings Be consistent use font and/or color to emphasize headings

Reading Slower: Implications for Style Be succinct Pyramid style (newspaper) Scanning – lists, lists and more lists

5 Tips Strike out useless words. Avoid noun sandwiches. Use “you.” Adjectives and superlatives Avoid noun sandwiches. Targeted budget planning committee proposal Use “you.” Cut out redundancies. Use simple, short words.

Short Form Long Form concerning about forward send in order to to facilitate help strategy plan access (as a verb) get, assist assistance help, aid construct build in the event of if

Pyramid Style Write like a newspaper article Start with the conclusion Have a good headline

Rule of Thumb: 50% ½ the word count of conventional writing

Headings & Subheadings Rule of Thumb Emphasis – “rule of thumb” one at a time. Bold or size. Eyes are tuned to small differences. No need to SHOUT at users.

Punch Up Headlines Make every heading word meaningful Make sure the 1st headline or title on page summarizes the content Separate sections with 2nd level headings 3 levels on one page is about all the reader can grasp

Use Lists Use lists or tables Use bullets when sequence doesn’t matter, and use numbers when it does Lists speed up scanning but slow down reading Use lists when you have key concepts, not full sentences

Which is easiest to read? Research says… Anatomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Microbiology Physics Zoology Anatomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Microbiology Physics Zoology Anatomy Biology Biotechnology Chemistry Microbiology Physics Zoology 1. White space 2. Bullets & white 3. No space space & no bullets

Which is faster? Why? Subjects Types Books Art Journals Biology Mathematics Newspapers Subjects Types Art Books Biology Journals Mathematics Newspapers 1 2 Art Biology Mathematics Books Journals Newspapers 3

Organizing Content for Viewing In columns, not rows Categorical, not alphabetical Subjects Type Art Books Biology Journals History Maps Mathematics Newspapers

Scan for Links Make the links in your text meaningful. Make visited and unvisited links contrast with the base font color.

Example of Scanning Staff Directory Search Search by last name. Browse staff by school. List all by classes taught, click here.

Scanning a Home Page

Hypertext: Classic Mistakes Overused – everything is a link. Used for key concepts instead of lists or headings based on the belief. Often the link is referenced itself interrupting the reader’s thoughts. To start the tour, click here.

Use Links Wisely Hypertext is powerful but can also be distracting Links can help reduce clutter by moving information to separate Web pages But when concentrating on content, people often ignore embedded links TIP: Don’t use embedded links for important navigational choices.

Create Links That Don’t Need To Be Followed Use long descriptive links, captions, or headings so users can eliminate choices UIE’s research shows that links with 4 to 9 words are more effective

Tour 5 sites Jot down notes / opinions about the ability to scan and find words quickly Which sites work best? Why? Which sites don’t work as well? Why?

1. Woodmoor Elementary

2. North Beach Elementary School

3. University Library

4. Ysgol Llandrillo-yn-Rhos

Which Site Worked Best? 2 1 3 4

Language Use the language of your users Ambiguity is a problem Provide context

Classic Mistakes on School & Library Sites School sites are full of jargon. SATS Curriculum WinSPIRS EbscoHost Access Diary Prospectus Gateway Services Grassroots

Example

Labels are Challenging Testing helps Use a “cookie test” Create a list of possible labels: Staff Teachers Instructors Classroom Teachers

Go Where Your Users Are Your lunch room or hallways for students Aim for cross-section Ask which they prefer Different Approach: Take a few concepts and ask them what they would call the item or group of items?

Other Important Writing Tasks Errors Should stand out from other text Should be comprehensible 404 not found ?

Errors – Make Them Visible

Things to Avoid ““Marketese” Anything that sounds like “advertising” is a complete turn off … the best, the biggest … Be objective and factual.

Secret to Good Wired Writing Write often Revise, revise and revise Recognize good writing and copy the style Read the usability studies and research reports

Good News for Teachers & Librarians Some of it comes naturally Work with words Think about how to communicate information all the time Competent at organizing information for learning in the classroom or in a library Service oriented

Books, Columns & Reference Sites Writing http://library.usask.ca/~fichter/writing/

Thank you! Questions? Darlene Fichter University of Saskatchewan Libraries library.usask.ca/~fichter/