Week 7 : Information Design

Writing for the web is a challenge. There are usually word length restrictions, the fact that usescan rather than read every word, and sometimes style guides to adhere to.
There are enough writing tips online to keep you reading for longer than you probably desire.

Here are several tips that have been the most useful for write the content of website:

 

1. Know your audience

This sounds obvious but is often taken for granted. The only way we can write relevant copy that is targeted at the right audience in the right tone of voice, is to understand who that audience is. Depending on where our audience are located, we may have to include local expressions or if writing for a wide audience be specific with things such as dollars. If it is US dollars then say so. If it is Cardiff in Wales then say so as there is also a Cardiff in New Zealand and other countries.
 
2. Decide why we are writing?
Linked to the previous tip, as well as knowing who we are writing for our need to know why we are writing for them. Is it to get them to register, persuade them to buy something, deliver information to them or get them to subscribe to something?
Our answer to this question should determine what we write.
 
3. Headlines
A well thought of and clear headline can generate four times the interest of a poor one. Headlines shouldn't be longer than 7 words and should be written in the present tense.
 
4. Upper case
Avoid the use of ALL UPPER CASE in your copy as it takes 57% longer to read. Also avoid starting every word with a capital letter in our headings.
 
5. Choose the right words
Certain words can hold the reader's attention whilst others can turn them off. Words that people like include thoughtful, imagination, progress, and ambition. Less popular words include dispute, failure, weak, and extravagant.
Use contractions. That is, use 'you're' instead of 'you are' and 'doesn't' instead of 'does not'. Whilst some are of the opinion that the contractions are bad English, they do make the copy less formal and more conversational which is often the tone of voice and style that is required on the web.]
 
6. Acronyms
Avoid using these if possible. It would be careless to assume that everybody who visits your site will understand the meaning of any acronyms you use. However, this is linked to knowing your audience. The same rule here applies to jargon, avoid as best you can, cutting out any unnecessary complexities.

7. Punctuation
Minimise punctuation as best you can. Punctuation marks can be difficult to discern
on screens, especially semi-colons, so try using commas or shorter sentences
instead.

8.Effective Hyperlinks

Your hyperlinked words tend to stand out against standard copy so should be relevant and motivate the user into carrying out an action. I don’t like ‘click here’ but if this is used, it is more effective to use it along with some contextual information, so ‘click here to apply for a loan’. This way the user knows exactly where they will be led.

9.The right length

Keep your sentences short. If they are too long then reader’s interest will dip and your message will become muddled. One rule of thumb is that sentences should be between 15 and 20 words long. Please don’t count all my sentences in this article, just in case I broke the rule.

Paragraphs should be no more than 5 lines of type long, or in depth. Also, a good measure to abide by is that there should be no more than three sentences per paragraph.Make your copy digestible by using sub sections, headings and lists where appropriate. If you do use lists try not to have more than 6 items in each one.

10. Proof read

Another obvious point but not always one that is carried out. Proof reading and editing should be a matter of course when it comes to writing. If a user is deep in your text and spots an error it will immediately break the connection between them and your site.

11. Descriptive Titles
The title of your article should tell the reader what it’s about. Some people like to use humor, while others prefer to play it straight. It doesn’t matter, as long as readers know what to expect. Readers want to know what’s in it for them. A good title will tell them.
That’s one of the reasons that article titles with numbers in them tend to do well. If your article is called: ‘Seven Ways To Land Your Perfect Partner’, then readers know what they will get.

12. Direct Address
One of the things I love about writing web content is that you can address readers directly. It’s like having a conversation with someone who is in the same room. When writing web content, your writing voice is often like your speaking voice, and it’s a great idea to let your personality shine through.

13. Clear Language

With web content, you are writing for an international audience, and not everyone speaks the same first language as you do. That’s why it’s best to stay away from obscure expressions and jargon and use clear and simple language. You can also add examples to make it even easier for reader to understand.

 

14. Break It Up
If you want your web content to be user friendly, you have to make it digestible. That means breaking it into small chunks, usually with one main idea in a paragraph. It’s also a good idea to make the article scannable by adding a subheading for each main idea.That means that readers will be able to glance at the subheadings and pick out the main ideas.

Website Content Tips: 6 Ways to Grab Readers’ Attention :

1. Chunk content

Separate information into digestible "chunks" to facilitate scanning and reading.
According to Crawford Killian, author of Writing for the Web, 100 words in one solid block of text is a symptom of paragraphosis, in which the eye becomes unable to focus or track through a mass of type. Chunking content creates natural breaks and helps readers absorb information in manageable pieces. A chunk can have two or three short paragraphs, each with a subhead, all surrounded by lots of white space. Avoid transitional phrases so your content chunks can stand on their own. Information on the web in consumed in modular rather than linear style.

2. Use instructive headings

Heat maps and eye tracking studies repeatedly show that headings grab our eye.
To leverage their impact, use descriptive phrases that inform the reader what the content is about. Place information carrying words at the beginning of headings to quickly convey meaning and use language your readers understand.

3. Format for scannability

• Bold information-rich keywords to help symbolize what a paragraph is about. Be careful not to go overboard. Too many bolded words are distracting and hard to read.
• Use bulleted and numbered lists when appropriate. Bullet lists rank right next to headings as the most-scanned areas of a page. Bullets are a great place to convey key benefits.
• Consider tables for voluminous information. Tables or matrices can quickly convey and compare information that is easily lost in text.

4. Use anchor points

Effective anchor points help draw attention. Use product hero shots, photos, graphics, and captions to guide the eye and reinforce your message.

 

5. Be clear and concise

Write in the active voice, use strong verbs and simple sentence construction, and get to the point. Flowery or "marketing-oriented" prose does more than slow readers down – it annoys them.

6. Employ good design

Good design helps convey your message and instills confidence and trust.
Proper use of visual segmentation and hierarchy will do wonders for reader comfort and, ideally, help guide readers to take the next step – interact with you.

SELF REVIEW
There are several things we need to think about in the process of information design. This is very important in the information design part. Firstly we need to think what is message we want to share with the user, second who is our target audience, third, what is our purpose of the of website, whether it for share idea or knowledge or what. Other thing is background of intended audience, whether they already have some ideas about our topic in our website or they are very new. The last is structure of message be organized in most effectively.

When developing educational website, we must considered on learning theories, learning and teaching strategy and learning style for our website. This is important to make sure the user can gain the knowledge with the appropriate strategy that has been used.