When paper copy is no longer the norm, take a moment to consider whether traditional standards for print continue to guide how we design content.
Most of the content we create is shared and consumed digitally.
We use devices like a PC, laptop, tablet, or smart phone to access this information. It’s time to review habits and reconsider how we create and present content.
Where you share
Think about your audience. If most of them access content online, design for digital first, not print.
Elements that feature in hard copy, like cover pages, create unnecessary scrolling in digital format.
Content should be designed to suit the sharing platforms you plan to use:
- website
- intranet
- social media
- video
IT Services has introduced the guidance: HTML documents as an accessible alternative to PDFs to help everyone access documents easier from the North Ayrshire website.
Readability
The average reading age for adults in Scotland is 9 to 11 years old. If you are using long paragraphs, sentences, and words, your content becomes too complex for many people to understand. Avoid jargon and service terminology. Write from the user’s perspective in language they will recognise and use themselves.
Cut the fluff
User experience research tells us that people have learned to scan page content rather than read every word on a page. Unless you are being paid per word its time to edit out the extras.
For example, we have:
- a wide variety of services
- a variety of services
- services
Filler words distract from your key message.
Why we are moving away from FAQs
Information should be written in plain English, using an active tone, and structured clearly and concisely to highlight important details. Supporting information, or troubling shooting solutions, should not be buried away in a document.
The Government Digital Service doesn’t recommend content formatted as frequently asked questions – FAQs: why we don’t have them.
Don’t duplicate
Keep content relevant. Unlike paper format, a digital consumer has the World Wide Web at their fingertips. There is no need to recreate content if you can hyperlink to it. The consumer may then choose whether to follow links based on interest, or need.
Think before you link
Only link to content that directly helps meet the user’s needs. Provide links in context, at the point in the content at which they’re useful. Don’t put all the links together at the bottom of a page.
Don’t be tempted to create unsorted lists of related links pointing users to content you think they might be interested in. Sometimes known as ‘further reading’, ‘more information’, or ‘useful links’.
Digital Carbon Footprint
Being able to communicate digitally saves paper and unnecessary journeys. However, every time we visit a website, send an email, or use social media, a small amount of carbon dioxide is emitted. Explore your digital carbon footprint.