Content design helps create a frictionless user experience by presenting the right information in the right way and at the right time. This is an application of design thinking principles, improving the ways you structure and present user-oriented content. Effective content leads to better:
- Clarity and comprehension
- User experience, engagement, and satisfaction
- Consistency
- Conversion optimization
- Accessibility
In today's fast-paced world, lengthy emails, web content, and instant messages can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.
When writing any content it is vital you cut unnecessary words to keep the reader interested and focused. This is especially important for dense or technical documentation. Your writing can be less wordy and still get the message across.
People rarely read word by word. Instead they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences that seem more relevant.
The English language can be complex, and often the context of a message isn't clear until halfway through or even at the very end. Using prefixes helps surface that context right away.
The F-shape is a behavioral pattern describing the way users consume web content. Understanding common reading habits is essential for anyone writing content on the web. We can intentionally organize information to create friendly products aligned with natural user behavior.
Write in a way that is compelling, engaging, and direct to get the most out of your content. The secret to this is using an active voice.
Web content should be written in 3rd person language, as if read by a newsreader. It is objective and describes its content professionally. A good example of this is Wikipedia.
How you or your product speaks to users is integral to their experience and has notable impact. Tone dictates how your content feels in digital spaces that lack face-to-face communication.
The Hemmingway Editor is a tool that analyzes content and highlights problematic areas. This process reveals common writing issues that impact readers. Lean on this tool to internalize good writing practices.
Historically, it’s been the convention to refer to users as ‘he’ in technical documentation. This is obviously outdated and sexist – users may not be a "he". It’s more common now to see "he/she" used, but this is clunky and could also still be considered as misgendering non-binary people.
The best pronoun to use is "they". It’s simple and elegant and doesn't exclude anyone.
- Do you keep your writing short and concise?
- Do you avoid using unnecessary words?
- Do you know users skim rather than read?
- Prefixes - Do you know why they are awesome?
- Do you know users scan web content in an F-shaped pattern?
- Do you write content using active voice?
- Do you write in the newsreader and eyewitness style?
- Do you use an appropriate and consistent tone of voice?
- Do you use the Hemmingway Editor to improve your writing?
- Do you avoid using gendered pronouns?
- Do you know how to capitalize titles and headings?
- Do you avoid common spelling and syntax mistakes?
- Do you avoid uncommon acronyms in your writing?
- Do you know when to use the ampersand?
- Do you know how to use the Oxford comma?
- Do you distinguish keywords from surrounding content?
- Do you follow DRY and avoid repeated elements in content?
- Do you avoid full stops in lists, captions, and immediately after a URL?
- Do you make data fields obvious in automated and template-based emails?