Transcript Writing for the web - Friends of the Earth

Writing for the web
Aims
By the end of this workshop you should
be able to say• why reading on screen is more difficult
than on paper
• produce text for the screen that is easy
and interesting to read
What’s different about
reading on the web?
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Reading conditions not as good as the printed
page :
screen flicker - causing eye strain
lower resolution - less text can be seen
monitors aren’t as portable or flexible as
paper – can’t read sitting on the sofa or on the
tube.
text in a book is 277 times sharper
What’s different about
reading on the web?
This means users –
• read 25% slower than in print
• scan text rather than read from beginning to
end (79% of web users scan pages)
• have short attention spans
• easily become impatient if they can’t find
what they are looking for.
So what do you need to do?
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Plan - What are you hoping to achieve?
Style - conversational
Help them scan
Check your words
Paragraphs
Be concise - every word has to fight for it’s
life
Always aim for the message to be understood
without word for word reading
Be concise
• “Get rid of half the words on each
page, then get rid of half of
what’s left.”
• Most important information at the
top.
• Avoid scrolling
• Use contractions
Avoid unnecessary
content
Most web users won’t bother reading 'welcome'
messages like :
“Welcome to this great new area of the web site. These
fascinating pages are designed to show you all the
really interesting and important work that Friends of
the Earth local groups are doing all around England,
Wales and Northern Ireland (and also the Channel
Islands and Isle of Man)”
Size matters
Words
• Don’t use words over 10 letters long.
• Avoid using more than one long word in
any sentence.
Size matters
Sentences
• Try to have no more than 20
words in one sentence.
• Don’t let a sentence run over 2
lines.
• Try to vary sentence length.
Size matters
Paragraphs
• Try to vary paragraph length.
• Avoid having more than 3
sentences in any one paragraph.
• Never have more than 30 or 40
words in one paragraph.
• Use one idea per paragraph
Other useful tips
Lists
Bad headlines
Headings
Prince Charles launches International Sustainability Unit Marine Programme
report into sustainable fishing
From tomorrow, high pressure and freezing conditions will return to Britain
According to research, two-thirds of environmentalists think Chris Huhne has
done his job well
Lib Dem minister Ed Davey named the new energy and climate change
secretary
Better headlines
Royal approval for sustainable fish
Temperatures set to plunge again
Chris Huhne: most greens ‘think he has done well’
Ed Davey is new energy secretary
Images
Bad images
Better images
Numbers
• Use % not percent.
• Use numbers instead of words
e.g. 10%
• Don’t use numbers if you don’t
have to
e.g. use half instead of 50% )
Useful tips
• Avoid jargon
• Explain acronyms
• Avoid puns
• Search Engine Optimization
Links
• doesn’t work with screen readers
• helps scanning
• don’t need to tell people what to
do
Links
So instead of :
To find out more about the Final Demand
campaign, click here,
Find out more about the Final Demand campaign
or even just
More about the Final Demand campaign
Bolding
• Use to help scanning
• Don’t overuse
Italics, underlining and
CAPITALS
• Italic is difficult to read on screen.
• CAPITALS MAKE IT LOOK LIKE
YOU’RE SHOUTING.
• Underlining is confusing
Example
During the last five years it has been revealed through
surveys that the number of Americans killed annually in car
accidents has climbed to more than 55,000. This needless
slaughter on streets and highways can be attributed to three
general causes. Mechanical failures, especially those related
to faulty brakes and bald tyres, account for a significant
number of fatal accidents. Environmental conditions such as
blind corners, narrow streets, heavy fog, intermittent rain or
snow resulting in slippery roads also contribute to the grisly
accident statistics. But without doubt the most frequently
reported factors in car accidents are errors of human
judgement - all the way from such follies as excessive speed
and drunken driving to such momentary lapses as failure to
signal a turn or a change from one lane to another. The man
behind the wheel is often his own worst enemy.
Example
Rise in road deaths
Over 55,000 Americans are killed in car accidents each
year, according to surveys carried out in the last five
years.
The main cause is error of judgement - from excessive
speed and drunken driving to failure to signal.
Other causes are
• Mechanical failure - especially faulty brakes and bald
tyres
• Environmental conditions - blind corners, narrow
streets, heavy fog and slippery roads