Applying Writing Guidelines & Formats

Users rarely read web pages word by word. Instead they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences: "Skimming instead of reading is a fact of the Web and has been confirmed by countless usability studies. Web writers have to acknowledge this fact" (Nielsen, "How Users Read"). Online documents must be concise and structured for quick scanning. Headings, bulleted lists, and typographical emphasis should be used to highlight sections and grab readers' attention. (8.2)



8.2 Headings

Heading not only help organize the content of the site but also grab readers' attention.

 
     
 

 

Nielsen reported that reading from a computer monitor is twenty-five percent slower than reading from printed material.