Scan-ability: Difference between revisions
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Scan-ability refers to the capacity text has to be scanned by readers. Writers of digital media must pay special attention to scan-ability because readers of digital writing are known to be easily distracted, impatient, and unwilling to read huge blocks of text. | Scan-ability refers to the capacity text has to be scanned by readers. Writers of digital media must pay special attention to scan-ability because readers of digital writing are known to be easily distracted, impatient, and unwilling to read huge blocks of text. | ||
Scan-ability is crucial for digital writing because, without maintaining a good level of it, readers will not pay attention to your work. | Scan-ability is crucial for digital writing because, without maintaining a good level of it, readers will not pay attention to your work. | ||
===Layering content=== | ===Layering content=== | ||
Revision as of 11:47, 4 April 2013
Scan-ability refers to the capacity text has to be scanned by readers. Writers of digital media must pay special attention to scan-ability because readers of digital writing are known to be easily distracted, impatient, and unwilling to read huge blocks of text. Scan-ability is crucial for digital writing because, without maintaining a good level of it, readers will not pay attention to your work.
Layering content
To make your blog scannable, layering content is a necessity. Brian Carroll says "layering is a response to the reality, the documented fact that Web users do not read." Layering content involves working with text, the visual qualities of text, multimedia, and linking.
How to layer the elements of your blog
Text
Headlines, subheads, and sub-subheads
Brief summary paragraphs
Digital writing needs to be concise to ensure that readers will read the entirety of the text. In addition to making sure you write with the inverted pyramid in mind, you should also stick to one idea per paragraph. Typically, users will move on from a paragraph if they are not impressed by the first few words. Using one idea per paragraph keeps your writing focused and maintains brevity.