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Scanability: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Scannability.jpg|400px|thumb|right|This image shows how breaking up large amounts to text using headlines, subheads, and even a graphic can make writing more scannable.<ref>Butler </ref>]] | [[File:Scannability.jpg|400px|thumb|right|This image shows how breaking up large amounts to text using headlines, subheads, and even a graphic can make writing more scannable.<ref>Butler </ref>]] | ||
When writing an online it is a good idea to present the most important information first. When reading an outline vs. a full text article, the readability is better in an outline. The outline is easy to read and conveys all of the information the full text does except in a bulleted form. Readers can easily locate what they are looking for in an outline and when they find it, they can go to the full text for the details. Practice writing in headlines and subheads to make finding information easy, and link to other good sources to give what has been written more detail. [[Photos|Graphics]] can also be used for headlines if there is applicable text in the graphic. | "Students often judge sites on how they look. But they usually prefer sites that look clean and simple rather than flashy and busy." <ref> Nielsen </ref> When writing an online it is a good idea to present the most important information first. When reading an outline vs. a full text article, the readability is better in an outline. The outline is easy to read and conveys all of the information the full text does except in a bulleted form. Readers can easily locate what they are looking for in an outline and when they find it, they can go to the full text for the details. Practice writing in headlines and subheads to make finding information easy, and link to other good sources to give what has been written more detail. [[Photos|Graphics]] can also be used for headlines if there is applicable text in the graphic. | ||
Headlines <ref>Carroll,34 </ref> and subheads are a great way to: | Headlines <ref>Carroll,34 </ref> and subheads are a great way to: | ||
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== Links == | == Links == | ||
Adding links to online writing makes the work non-linear. If the writing is more like an outline than adding links can add more details without adding visual weight to what has been said. Links should not interrupt the text; they should go with the flow of the writing and unlike headlines should not break up what is being said. The links used on a page should only create [[Relevance and Support|relevant support]] not extra reading for the user to navigate through. | Adding links to online writing makes the work non-linear. If the writing is more like an outline than adding links can add more details without adding visual weight to what has been said."Students were frustrated by sites that provided shallow information. College students demand more evidence than teenagers do." <ref> Nielsen </ref> Links should not interrupt the text; they should go with the flow of the writing and unlike headlines should not break up what is being said. The links used on a page should only create [[Relevance and Support|relevant support]] not extra reading for the user to navigate through. | ||
When Linking <ref> Carroll,47 </ref> | When Linking <ref> Carroll,47 </ref> | ||
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*Fonts and colors should blend well together and should be consistent through out the writing. | *Fonts and colors should blend well together and should be consistent through out the writing. | ||
*Do not use to many colors and make sure the colors you choose go with the theme of the writing. | *Do not use to many colors and make sure the colors you choose go with the theme of the writing. | ||
:"There’s a distinction between typefaces that are expressive and stylish versus those that are useful and appropriate to many situations, and our job is to try to find the right balance for the occasion" <ref>Mayer </ref> | |||
The same applies with [[Photos|images]], make sure the images are of a similar quality and size. Make sure all of them are applicable to the writing and only add visual interest, not distract from the writing. | The same applies with [[Photos|images]], make sure the images are of a similar quality and size. Make sure all of them are applicable to the writing and only add visual interest, not distract from the writing. | ||
:"Notice the ways that the selection and placement of text and images, the typography and text size, the use of color, and other design elements help to set a mood and establish a rhythm for the magazine that affects how you react to and move through the content." <ref> Carroll</ref> | :"Notice the ways that the selection and placement of text and images, the typography and text size, the use of color, and other design elements help to set a mood and establish a rhythm for the magazine that affects how you react to and move through the content." <ref> Carroll, 62 </ref> | ||
== Notes == | == Notes == | ||
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#Carroll, Brian. ''[http://www.scribd.com/doc/64429015/Writing-for-Digital-Media Writing for Digital Media]''. Routledge; New York, 2010. Retrieved 2 Nov. 2012. | #Carroll, Brian. ''[http://www.scribd.com/doc/64429015/Writing-for-Digital-Media Writing for Digital Media]''. Routledge; New York, 2010. Retrieved 2 Nov. 2012. | ||
#Friedman, Vitaly . "[http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/11/08/40-excellent-freefonts-for-professional-design/ 40+ Excellent Freefonts For Professional Design]". (2007). Retrieved 26 Nov 2012. | #Friedman, Vitaly . "[http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/11/08/40-excellent-freefonts-for-professional-design/ 40+ Excellent Freefonts For Professional Design]". (2007). Retrieved 26 Nov 2012. | ||
#Mayer, Dan. "[http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/12/14/what-font-should-i-use-five-principles-for-choosing-and-using-typefaces/ What Font Should I Use?: Five Principles for Choosing and Using Typefaces]". (2010). Retrieved 3 Dec. 2012. | |||
#Neilsen, Jakob. "[http://www.nngroup.com/articles/college-students-on-the-web College Students on the Web]". Retrieved 3 Dec. 2012. | |||