Content Usability

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Content Usability

• A presentation on creating usable content for the
  online environment.
• By John Stubbe

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Content Usability

• An anecdote about car seats
• Such manuals are written at a tenth-grade
  reading level on average, according to a new
  study, while data suggest that nearly a quarter
  of U.S. adults read at or below a fifth-grade
  level, and at least 25 percent read at about an
  eighth-grade level.San Francisco Chronicle,
  March 2003

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Content Usability--Readability

• How we read
• Components of readability
• Legibility
• Sentence and paragraph structure
• Reading level
• Layout and white space
• Consistency

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Content Usability--Readability

• How we read
• Reading vs. Scanning
• Online readers are content gatherers
• Reading online is more physically taxing on your
  eyes
• Information overload

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Content Usability--Readability

• Components of Readability
• Legibility
• Strong contrast and distinctive pattern attract
  the eye
• Use of color (black/dark on white/light)
• Fonts (typeface, size, style, and case)
• Sans-serif fonts such as Arial, Verdana, and
  Helvetica
• Clear Type and True Type

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Content Usability--Readability

• A word about word recognition

• Patterns of ascending and descending characters
• The envelope around the word

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Content Usability--Readability

• Sentence and paragraph structure
• Keep sentences and paragraphs short
• Use subject-verb-object construction when
  possible
• Jack hit the ball.
• The ball was hit by Jack.
• Limit line length to 50-70 characters

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Content UsabilityReadability

• Write to the users reading level
• Average American reads at a 10th-grade reading
  level
• Learn who your target audience is and write
  appropriately
• Readability tools
• SMOG Readability
• Microsoft Word readability tools

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Content Usability--Readability

• Layout and white space
• Use ample white space, particularly when setting
  line heights
• Create enough space for ascenders and descenders,
  but not so much that the flow of the text is
  disrupted
• To indent or not to indent
• White space can be used to break up paragraphs

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Content Usability--Readability

• Consistency
• Extends from design to content development
• Use a style guide
• The Web Content Style Guide
• Web Style Guide, 2nd Edition
• Develop your own style guide

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Content Usability

• Improve content readability
• Keep it simple shorter is better
• Use powerful language (active voice and verbs)
• Write for the reader
• Be direct avoid fluff
• Use headings and subheadings
• Use cascading style sheets
• Dont be afraid of giving readers what they expect

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Content Usability

• Content developers Another important team member
• Information architect
• Graphic designer
• Database designer
• Usability engineer
• Content developer

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Content Usability

• Benefits
• Greater authority and credibility
• Users/readers will return to your site
• Users/readers will stay longer

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Content Usability

• Sources
• Larson, Kevin. (2004). The science of word
  recognition. Advanced reading technology,
  Microsoft Corporation.
• Lynch, Patrick J. and Horton, Sarah. (2002). Web
  style guide, 2nd edition.
• McGovern, Gerry. (2002). Content critical.
• McGovern, Gerry et al. (2002). Web content style
  guide.
• Tanner, Lindsey. (2003). Study Infant car seat
  instructions too difficult for many adults. San
  Francisco Chronicle.