Writing For the Web

1
Writing For the Web

• How It LooksWhat It Says

2
Web Readers

• Changing
• Monitor size, resolution, quality
• Comfort Level
• General Patterns
• Scan web text
• Print long documents
• Value credibility
• Detest marcomm

3
Visual Design Fonts

• Fonts depend on users machine
• Designers slowly gaining more control
• Reading Pattern Recognition
• Readable legible (much-debated)
• Verdana (designed for screen), Arial, Helvetic,
  san-serif fonts headings, on-screen
• Serif fonts (Times NR) crisp in print, can be
  poor on screen
• Avoid Bold, ALL CAPS, Italics, cool-but-illegible

4
Visual Design Page Layout

• Alignment, Proximity, Contrast
• Shorter Lines (but not too short)
• Font size big enough, but not too big (10-14 pt)
• Printability

• Scannability
• Organization
• Headings
• Bullets
• Highlights
• Less text
• 1 idea 1 paragraph

5
Writing Style

• The Good
• Inverted pyramids
• Personal/informal
• Direct
• Concrete
• Concise
• Short sentences
• Strong verbs
• Clear antecedents

• Avoid
• Marcomm
• Passive voice
• Jargon
• Clichés
• Dialect
• Extended metaphors comparisons

6
Group Planning

• Major content areas
• Interview subjects
• Interview questions
• Turn those ? 3 items in before you leave
• Major design elements
• E.g. Body text, navigation region(s), titles, etc.