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  • 
    Letting Go of the Words:
    Writing Web Content that Works

    •  

      
      

      Janice (Ginny) Redish

      • @GinnyRedish
      • http://redish.net/content/about.html
    • http://www.redish.net/writingfortheweb/
    • http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/9780123694867
    • http://www.amazon.com/dp/0123694868
    • Steve Krug
      • author of the foreword

      • recommends it in
        Rocket Surgery Made Easy:
        The DIY Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems

    • -Xv
      • started reading 2010/04/20
        • homework for the
          UX Book Club Barcelona
          • I voted for it
          • nice link on wording
            sent by Silvia Calvet
      • pending Qs
        • Spanish / Catalan
          • what should we use instead of the English gerunds?
      •  
        • :-)
          • excellent!
          • very very clear structure
            • key messages ahead
            • summary
          • informative case studies/samples
        • :-(
          • bibliographical references on the text are uncomfortable
            (you have to go to the back of the book)
          • sections do not include numbering,
            making sometimes not obvious
            the hierarchy of topics
            • oh! got it!
              it's because lots
              of sections expand
              numbered lists
  • think of the web as
    a conversation with a busy web user
  • to have a successful experience people have to
    * find what they need
    * understand what they find
    * act appropriately on that understanding
  • 1. Content! Content! Content!
    (1-9)
    • web users skim and scan
      • average time spent before
        deciding to abandon a site
        • 2 minutes
      • busy people
        • that want to satisfy a goal
    • good web content
      • is like a conversation
      • answers people's questions
      • lets people grab and go
  • 2. People! People! People!
    (11-28)
    • successful writers focus on their audiences
      • who will (or should) come to your content?
      • what about them should you keep in mind when writing?
      • why do they come?
        • what are their
          • questions?
          • tasks?
          • stories?
          • scenarios?
    • steps to understand
      your audiences
      • 1. List your major audiences
        • how do people identify themselves
          with regard to my web content?
        • what about my visitors will help me know
          what content is needed and how to write it?
        • think people, never organizations!
      • 2. Gather information
        about your audiences
        • don't write based on your assumptions
        •  
          • think about your mission
          • read the mails that come from Contact Us forms
          • talk to marketing
          • talk to customer service
          • get people coming to fill a short questionnaire
          • watch and listen to people
            • in the real word!
          • interview people who use or might use your site
          • do usability testing of the current content
      • 3. List major characteristics
        for each audience
        • key phrases or quotes
        • experience, expertise
        • emotions
          • e.g people seeking help
            with a problem
            • angry
            • frustrated
            • anxious
        • values
          • what matters to your visitors?
        • technology
          • screen resolutions
          • connection speed
        • environment:
          where and when
          are people comming
          • alone or with someone else?
          • cubicle? home? public library?
          • will have to stay for a long time
            on your site?
          • likely to be interrupted?
          • answering questions
            for someone else?
        • demographics
      • 4. Gather your audiences' questions, tasks and stories
      • 5 Use your information
        to create personas
        • a persona is an individual with
          • a name
            • avoid funny/cute names
          • a picture
            • of people no one in the team knows
            • have permission
          • the major characteristics you've gathered
            
        • brings together in one example the facts you've gathered
        • make sure they represent web users, not you
        • personas become members of you web team
          • life-size carboard cutouts can come to meetings
          • emails from them and about them circulate in the team
          • their pictures and info hang on the wall
      • 6. Include the persona's goals and tasks
      • 7. Use your information
        to write scenarios for your site
        • scenarios tell you the conversations people want to start
        • scenarios help you understand all types of users
          • mini-personas with scenarios
            for secondary personas
        • everything on your site should fulfill a scenario
        • scenarios can help you to
          • focus on what is important to your site visitors
          • write with their words
          • realize how goal-oriented most web users are
  • 3. Starting well: home pages
    (29-51)
    • home page
      goals
      • Identifying the site,
        establishing the brand
        • mission
          • avoid paragrahp-long mission statements:
            they won't be read
          • encapsulate it in a memorable tag line
      • setting the tone and personality of the site
      • helping people get
        a sense of what the site is all about
        • make it instantly clear
          what the site is about
          • even for people that don't know you
        • mostly links and short descriptions
      • letting people start key tasks immediately
        • put forms people want right away
          • e.g book flight
        • make sure forma are high on the page
        • put search near the top
          • it's expected at
            • top right
            • top of left
              navigation
              column
        • don't make people fill out forms they don't want
      • sending each person on the right way,
        effectively and efficiently
        • average time on home page
          • 25-35 seconds
        • use your visitors' words
        • don't make people which link to click on
    • build your site from
      the bottom up as well as from the top down
      • http://usability.gov/methods/design_site/inventory.html
      • http://usability.gov/methods/design_site/cardsort.html
  • 4. Getting there:
    pathway pages
    (53-68)
    • "informavores" are on a hunt
      • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_foraging
        • information scent
        • information snacking
    • people don't want to read lot while hunting
    • a pathway page is like a table of contents
    • sometimes, short descriptions help
    • marketing is likely to be ignores on a pathway page
    • the smoothness of the path is more important
      than the number of clicks (within reason)
      • the three click rule isn't a rule
      • don't make people think
      • keep people from needing the back button
    • many people choose the first option that looks plausible
    • many site visitors are landing inside your site
      • every page
        on a site has to have
        • the site's
          • consistent masthead
            (logo, name, tag)
          • search box
          • global navigation
        • links to relevant info within the same part of the site
        • a clear link to the home page
          • even for those that
            don't expect the logo
            to be such a link
  • 5. Writing information,
    not documents
    (69-92)
    • think "topic", not "book"
      • break into
        topics and subtopics
        • by
          • time or sequence
          • task
          • people
            • 
              only if people can
              clearly self-identify
              into the right group
            • 
              avoid having some people
              feel excluded
            • make it easy to move
              from group to group
          • type of info
            • sets of questions
              • How do I ...?
              • Can I ...?
              • Must I ... ?
              • Why should I ... ?
              • What do I need to know about ... ?
          • questions
            people ask
            • match the way people
              would ask the question
    • how much into a single page?
      • consider
        • how much people want in one visit
        • how connected the info is
        • how long the web page is
        • download time
        • printing
          • everything?
          • chuncks?
    • PDFs
      • suck on several levels
      • only for paper docs
      • provide both PDF and HTML versions if suitable
  • 6. Focusing on your
    essential messages
    (93-125)
    • 1. Give people
      only what they need
      • less is more
      • checklist
        • 1. Put aside any previous version
          that you have
        • 2. Think from your
          visitors' point of view
        • 3. List the questions
          you visitors ask about the topic
        • 4. Sort in the logical order
          of asking for your visitors
          
        • 5. Answer the questions
        • 6. If using a previous version,
          check what's left
          • write another question
          • or throw it away
        • 7. Read. Does it flow logically?
    • 2. Cut! Cut! Cut!
      And cut again!
      • checklist
        • 1. previous checklist
          
        • 2.
          • shortest clearest questions and answers?
          • essential messages stand out?
        • 3. Focus on the facts.
        • 4. Focus on your visitors and
          what they want to know.
          • cut out words that talk
            about you and your organization
        • 5. Put away for a day or two. Try to cut some more.
        • 6. Read it aloud. Have someone read it aloud
      • leave enough to be clear!
        • understand what your visitors
          know and don't know
    • 3. Start with the key point
      • inverted pyramid
        style
        •  
          • main point
          • supporting info in order that
            is relevant to readers
          • history, background
            (if needed)
      • vs
        • narrative
          style
          •  
            • history,
              background,
              rationale
            • what happened, or information
              in the order that the author thinks of it
            • main point as as conclusion
          • that's how we
            do it at school!
            • difficult
              transition
    • 4. Break down walls of words
      • short paragraphs
      • bulleted lists
    • 5. Market by giving
      useful information
      • take advantage of "marketing moments"
    • 6. Layer for
      different needs
      •  
        • keep users from being overwhelmed by too much
        • enable getting the amount of info each user wants
      • from a brief description to the full article
      • from an info page to more on other pages
      • from part of the page to a short explanation
  • 7. Designing your web
    pages for easy of use
    (127-162)
    •  
      • 1. Make the page elements obvious,
        using patterns and alignment
      • 2. Consider the entire site
        when planning the design
        • plan a consistent design
          across the web site
          • checklist
            • 1. List all types of pages the site
              will have, including all the different
              types of information pages and forms
            • 2. Minimize the number of page types.
            • 3. Give each page type an informative
              name that the whole team can use
            • 4. For each type, list all the elements
              that will appear
            • 5. Check with people that will
              contribute to or use the pages
              that all elements are included
            • 6. Plan the entire
              set of page types together
            • 7. Where pages need different patterns
              or alignment, make those
              as compatible as possible
        • understand the process that
          moves from plan to launch
        • integrate content and design
          from the beginning
      • 3. Work with templates
      • 4. Use space effectively.
        Keep active space in your content
        • space
          • inside/outside the main content area
          •  
            • passive
              • outside
            • active
              • inside
        •  
          • break text into small chunks
          • use lots of headings
          • keep paragraphs short
          • put space between paragraphs
          • turn sentences into more visual forms
            • lists
            • tables
          • put space into lists
          • include pictures and other graphics
            with a little space around them
      • 5. Beware of false bottoms
        • people don't check scroll bars
        • don't put a horizontal line
          or large blocks of space
          across the page
      • 6. Don't let headings float
        • active space above the heading,
          not between it and the text it goes with
      • 7. Don't center text
      • 8. Set a sans serif font as the default
        • people prefer sans serif
        • use a font likely to be
          available in your visitors' computers
      • 9. Think broadly about users
        and their situations when
        setting type size
        • on paper 12-point type is the standard
        • age
          • younger
            • 10-point
          • older
            • 14-point
        • provide buttons to change size
          • change everything,
            not just the main content area
      • 10. Use a fluid layout
        with a medium line length
        as the default
        • too long
          • tiring
          • when going back to the left,
            you often start in the wrong line
        • too short
          • hard to understand
      • 11. Don't write in all capitals
        • 30% more space
        • 15% slower to read
        • people tend to skip them
      • 12. Don't underline anything but links.
        Use italics sparingly
      • 13. Provide good contrast between
        text and background
        • keep the background clear
        • keep the background light and the text dark
        • use reverse text sparingly
      • 14. Think about all your site
        visitors when you choose colors
        • never let color be the only indicator
          of a feature, function or information
        • make sure the page works in monochrome
        • think about the cultural meaning of colors
        • 5-8% of males have some form of color deficiency
        •  
          • http://colorfilter.wickline.org/
          • http://www.vischeck.com
  • 8. Tuning up your sentences
    (171-204)
    •  
      • good web writing...
        • is like a conversation
        • answers people's questions
        • lets people grab and go
      • as you write...
        • picture the people you are talking to
          • think of personas
            if you have them
        • ask yourself: what would people ask me
          about this topic on the phone?
        • reply to them as if they were on the phone
    • 1. Talk to your site visitors.
      Use "you"
      • be consistent: don't mix nouns and "you"
        when talking about the same person
      • use appropriate nouns to talk about others
      • use the imperative in instructions
      • be gender-neutral
        • use "you" rather
          than "he or she"
        • use the plural (they/their)
        • use "a" or "the" instead of a pronoun
        • turn a noun phrase
          into a verb phrase
          • eg
            • student must turn in
              his or her application
            • student must apply
    • 2. Show that you are
      person and that your
      organization includes people
      • blogging
        or writing articles
        • I
      • writing for an organization
        • we
          • conversational!
        • org name may
          be appropriate
      • Q&A
        • "I" and "you" for the visitor
        • "we" for the organization
    • 3. Write in the active voice
      (most of the time)
      • people need to translate internally
        passive voice into active voice
    • 4. Write simple, short,
      straightforward sentences
      • 10-20 words
      •  
        • cut the fluff
        • say it once clearly
        • keep each sentence to one thought
          (or two tightly connected thoughts)
      • ok too
        • very short sentences
        • fragments
    • 5. Cut unnecessary words
    • 6. Give extra information its own place
      • don't put extra stuff between
        the subject and the verb
      • many commas may be a warning sign
    • 7. Keep paragraphs short
      • on the web, a one-sentence paragraph is fine
      • list and tables may be better
    • 8. Start with the context;
      first things first,
      second things second
      • put the "if" clauses first
      • people jump to act as soon as they see
        something that tells them to act
        • they may skip
          additional info that
          restricts the action
    • 9. Put the actions in the
      verbs, not in the nouns
      • nouns hiding verbs: weak sentences

      • Look for this	As in this example	Which should be this verb
        -al	denial	deny
        -ance	maintenance	maintain
        -ence	concurrence	concur
        -ment	assignment	assign
        -sion	transmission	transmit
        -tion	recommendation	recommend
        -ure	failure	fail

    • 10. Use your web user's words
      • everyone reads simple, short,
        common words faster
        • e.g

          • obtain	get
            prior to	before
            purchase	buy
            request	ask for
            subsequent	next
            terminate	end
            utilize	use

      • consider your broad
        web audience
        • specialized terminology
          may not be common across
          all the field
        • you reach a broader audience
          than when you are communicating
          with paper
  • 9. Using lists and tables
    (205-234)
    • lists
      • bulleted
        • 1. Use lists to make info easy to grab
          • we mentally make lists
          • easy to skim and scan
        • 2. Keep most lists short
          • 5-10 items
            for unfamiliar lists
            • make several lists,
              giving each a heading/intro
            • separate the list
              with a space
              or a short line
              • after 5 items
              • after a logical group
          • long OK
            for very familiar lists
            • avoid drop-downs
              if some users
              may want to print the list
              • two columns
            • group items like an index,
              with a letter heading
        • 3. Format lists to
          make them work well
          • eliminate the space between
            the intro and the list
            • unlike plain HTML
          • put a space between long items
            • break walls of words
          • wrap lines under each other,
            not under the bullet
        • 4. Match bullets to
          your site's personality
          • don't make people wonder if the bullets
            have more meaning than they do
      • numbered
        • 1. Use numbered lists for instructions
        • 2. Turn paragraphs into steps
        • 3. Give even complex instructions as steps
        • 4. Keep the sentence structure in lists parallel
        • 5. Don't number list items if they are not steps
          and people might confuse them with steps
    • tables
      • 1. Use tables when you have numbers to compare
      • 2. Use tables for a series of "if, then" sentences
      • 3. Think about tables as answers to questions
      • 4. Think carefully about what to put
        in the left column of a table
        • when the answer to
          a user's question is
          "it depends"
          • use a table
            • if it doesn't depend
              on many things
              
          • what it depends on
            is the left column
      • 5. Keep tables simple
        • width
          • people doesn't notice horizontal scroll bars
        • length
          • people needs to remembre the headings
        • for complex situations,
          consider asking some questions
          instead of displaying all the information
      • 6. Format tables so that people focus
        on the information and not on the lines
        • don't put thick lines
          between columns/rows
          • make lines between columns
            lighter than lines between rows
          • eliminate lines and use shading
            on alternate rows
        • don't center text
          • align numbers on a decimal tab
  • 10. Breaking up your
    text with headings
    (235-262)
    • headers help
      • readers
        • get them interested
        • provide a quick overview
        • set context for sections
        • help scanning
        • make information seem less dense
      • writers
        • form an outline
        • planning headers is a way to...
          • analyze
          • group info
          • order logically
        • fix old content
          • by adding headers as
            a first step in a revision
    •  
      • 1. Start by outlining your content with headings
        • think questions!
      • 2. Ask questions as headings
        when people come with questions
        • questions from people
          • not from the organization
        • think conversation
        • keep the
          questions short
          • long Qs may
            point to...
            • more than one section?
            • am I putting info in the
              Q that should go in the
              answer
        • consider starting with a key word
      • 3. Give statement headings
        to convey key messages
      • 4. Use action phrase headings for instructions
        • if you have lots of "how do I ... ?"
      • 5. Use noun and noun phrase headings sparingly
        • nouns
          • label things
          • are not conversational
      • 6. Put your site visitors' words in the headings
      • 7. Exploit the power of parallelism
        • be consistent in
          the same level of heading
          • e.g. all questions
            or all action phrases
      • 8. Don't dive deep; keep to no more than two levels of headings (below the title page)
      • 9. Make the heading levels obvious
        • by
          • heading type (question, statement, action phrase)
          • type size
            • at least 2 points of type size
          • placement
        • make sure their size changes when people changes the
          sieze of the font for the whole pages
      • 10. Distinguish headings from text
        with type size and bold or color
        • avoid blue
          • it is for links
        • don't make bold vs color the only difference
        • avoid italics
        • avoid underlines
        • avoid all capitals
      • 11. Help people jump to
        the topic they need with same-page links
        • a short table of contents
          • provides an overview
          • allows to jump to a specific section
        • place it right under the page title
          • never on the
            left navigation column!
        • don't put off-page links where
          people expect same-page links
      • 12. Evaluate! Read the headings
        to see what you have done
        • read just the headings
        •  
          • do you understand what each heading means by itself?
          • do the headings tell a coherent story?
          • do they flow logically from one to the next?
          • do they successfully give you a "big picture"?
          • do they distinguish different sections?
  • Legal information can be
    understandable, too
    (263-271)
    • make the information legible
      • use a full page instead of a scrollable box
      • do not use small type
    • make sure it prints well
    • use the site visitors' words in your headings
      • their questions!
    • avoid technical language
    • avoid archaic legal language
      • http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/legal-docs
    • apply all the clear writing techniques to your legal information!
  • 11. Using illustrations
    effectively
    (273-306)
    • Purpose
      •  
        • from representational...
        • ...to emotional
      • picture of exact item
        • think about what
          aspects people want to see
          • e.g shoe soles for
            experienced hikers
        • make sure words
          match what happens
          • "larger view" does enlarge
          • "more views" offers more views
        • make sure larger pictures are clear
        • as support for forms
          • e.g. sec code in credit cards
      • picture to illustrate
        concept or process
        • compare sizes
        • understand
          • dimensions
          • quantities
          • ratios
        • understand processes
      • chart, graph, map
        • consider combining maps with lists
        • keep it simple; let users choose how much to see
        • write key messages for charts and graphs
        • follow principles of good data reporting
      • mood picture
        • make sure the photos evoke the mood you want
        • think of your global audience
    • Guidelines
      • 1. Don't make people wonder what or why
      • 2. Choose an appropriate size
        • make sure small pictures are clear
        • don't use so much space that critical
          content gets shoved down or aside
      • 3. Use illustrations to support, not hide, content
        • don't hide navigation
          under pictures
      • 4. In pictures of people, show diversity
        • do user testing!
      • 5. Don't make content look like ads
        • many users have "ad blindness"
      • 6. No blinking, rolling, waving
        or wandering texts or pictures
        • most people is annoyed by them
        • don't change content while people are on the page
      • 7. Use animation where it helps, not just for show
      • 8. Don't make people wait through a splash or flash
      • 9. Make illustrations accessible
        • make the alt text meaningful
          • think about why you are
            using the illustration
        • for purely decorative graphics, alt=""
  • 12. Writing meaningful links
    (307-328)
    •  
      • 1. Don't make new program and product names
        into links by themselves
        • same with acronyms
      • 2. Rethink document titles and headings
        that turn into links
      • 3. Think ahead. Match links and page titles
        • plan them in both directions
          • difficult!
        •  
          • where will the link show up?
          • what other links will go with it?
          • what type of page is this title on?
          • what other pages make a consistent
            set with this one?
      • 4. Be as explicit as you can in the space
        you have, and make more space if you need it
      • 5. Use action phrases for action links
      • 6. Use single nouns sparingly;
        longer, more descriptive links often work better
        • 7-12 words ideal
      • 7. Add a short description if people need it,
        or rewrite the link
      • 8. Make the link meaningful,
        not "click here", not just "more"
        • people tends to focus on links
          • use it!
        • "more"
          • add alt text for screen readers
          • specify what "more" of the click will get you
          • change them to informative words
      • 9. Coordinate when you have multiple,
        similar links
      • 10. Don't embed links if you want people
        to stay with your information
      • 11. If you use bullets with links,
        make them active, too
      • 12. Make both unvisited
        and visited links obvious
        • use your unvisited link color only for links
        • show visited links by changing the color
  • 13. Getting from draft
    to final web pages
    (329-344)
    • think of writing as revising drafts
      • writers block?
        • remember that you can fix later!
    • review and edit your won work
      • read what you wrote
      • check your links
      • check your facts
      • put your web draft away;
        don't post it yet
        • more chances to
          • notice flaws in logic
          • gaps in info
          • notice typos
      • read it out loud
      • use
        • dictionaries
          • but be careful
            with thesaurus
            • stay with a consistent
              set of words
        • grammar handbooks
        • style guide
        • spell checker
          • but don't rely on it
    • ask colleagues and others
      to read and comment
      • ask a few people what your key message is
      • have someone else read it out loud to you
      • share partial drafts
      • get feedback online
      • pay attention to the feedback
      • work with colleagues to get a uniform style and tone
    • put your ego in the drawer, cheerfully
      • don't be defensive about your writing
      • in organizational settings
        • its not about you
    • work with a writing specialist or editor
      • have someone
        focus on the big picture for you
        • will need to know
          • what are you trying to achieve?
          • who are your audiences?
          • how will these people use
            what you are writing?
          • what are they coming to your site to do?
          • what are their scenarios?
      • have someone
        copy edit for you
    • make reviews work for you
      and your web site visitors
      • 3 steps
        • 1. Setup
          • meet reviewers
            when you start the project
            • agree on
              • roles and responsibilities
              • schedule for drafts
              • plasn for the contents
            • work with them before
              you deliver the first draft
              • avoid nasty surprises
            • help reviewers
              understand good web writing
        • 2. Get useful information
          from reviewers
          • schedule
            • notify about changes
            • give "heads up" a few days in advance
          • make
            expectations clear
            • tell each
              reviewer
              • what stage the draft is at
              • what specific help you need
                from that reviewer
              • when you must have the review back
              • to contact you if
                • questions
                • need to renegotiate dates
        • 3. Make good use of reviews
          • don't nmake you ego get in the way
          • don't automatically accept changes
          • rewrite to avoid misunderstandings
          • persuade, if you can
          • negotiate, if necessary
          • let reviewers know what
            you did and did not
            • avoid reviewers feeling ignored
            • summarize changes
              you did and did not make
  • $Id: letting_go_of_the_words.mm 78 2011-05-20 13:25:46Z xverges@gmail.com $
    • mindmap.py:title=Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works - Ginny Redish
    • mindmap.py:add_to_s3_index