RISKVUE ARCHIVE | WRITING TIPS

Writing for the Web, Part 3: Writing Visually

Here are six keys to writing visually:

1. Use bulleted lists.
2. Use numbered lists for steps in a procedure.
3. Use tables.
4. Use blank space effectively.
5. Meet users' expectations for presentation.
6. Include pictures and other graphics, when appropriate.

Use bulleted lists

Bulleted lists are an excellent way to break up text. They enhance a reader's ability to "scan," which is the way most people read on the Web. Bulleted lists help readers access and understand information more quickly.

Use numbered lists for steps in a procedure

Recognize when you are telling people how to do something. If it is a procedure, it has steps. If it has steps, set them out in a numbered list.

A numbered list has many advantages. Users can easily

• See how many steps they have to do
• Do one step at a time and know where to come back to
• Start in the middle if they had done some steps earlier
• Use the list to check that they have done it all

Use tables

A table is a visual way of representing a series of "if, then" sentences. We use a table by scanning down the first column to find the place that fits our situation. Then we look across that row to find the information we are seeking for our situation.

For example:

Each of these rows is says, "If the value of the order is this amount, then this is how much you pay for shipping." The above table shows the essential information without all the little words that you would have to repeat in each sentence if you wrote it out.

A table can be words as well as numbers. In putting together a table, always make the left-most column the one that has what people know when they come to the table -- what you would put in the "if" clause of an "if, then" sentence.

Use blank space effectively

Space is at a premium on Web pages. Large amounts of blank space are a waste of screen "real estate" and can fool people into thinking there is nothing further down the page.

If you have no blank space, however, users won't find the different pieces of information. They won't see your "chunks."

Fragments, examples, lists, and tables all put space on the page because they are shorter lines of text.

Meet users' expectations for presentation

For example, if you are giving an address, write it on separate lines like an address.

If you are giving prices or hours, list them as you would see them in a store.

Include pictures and other graphics, when appropriate

Pictures, line art, charts, and other graphics should contribute to the message, not just look pretty. Even a small icon, like the symbols for "printer-friendly version" and "e-mail this page to a friend" can help users find and understand the information quickly.

Be sure, however, that your icon or picture is recognizable and appropriate for your audience.

Sources: www.plainlanguage.gov and www.usability.gov

riskVue | The webzine for risk management professionals
August 2007

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