Transcript large blocks of text are ignored Clean, clear faces in images attract

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION
Web It!
Writing for the Web
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Teasers vs leads
Know your audience!
Tease and link
Best bits
http://cahnrs.wsu.edu/
http://academic.cahnrs.wsu.ed
u/
Photos and Images on Web Sites
• Resolution: pixels and dots
• Standard: 72 ppi
• Resize images before you place
them on a Web page
• Use an image editor to resize
images and optimize them for
Web
• What is the result if you take a
big image and squish it down in
Dreamweaver?
Static vs. Dynamic Web Pages
• The old look: static and
graphically intense
• Loaded slow, was a pain in the
$#% to update
• The new look: CSS is text!
• Just type, and your page is
updated
• Down with graphics, up with text
The Hot Zone
• Text attracts attention before graphics
• Initial eye movement focuses on the upper left
corner of the page before moving down and to
the right
• Fancy formatting and fonts are ignored
• Type size influences viewing behavior
• Shorter paragraphs perform better than long
ones – large blocks of text are ignored
• Clean, clear faces in images attract more eye
fixation
• Headings draw the eye
• Lists hold reader attention longer
• White space is good
• Navigation tools work better when placed at
the top of the page
The Importance of Being Navigable
• From a user’s perspective:
• Your site’s navigation is the most
visible element
• Navigation can make or break
the site
• Best practices:
• Navigation should be
comprehensive and consistent
The Importance of Being Navigable
The Importance of Being Navigable
The Importance of Being Navigable: Link Naming
• It’s the same as writing well
anywhere else
• No jargon!
• Short, simple words
• If you can’t say it in two words,
use three
• Think like your audience
• If unsure how your audience
thinks, ask them
• Usability testing