Create
effective headings and place important information first
By using headings that quickly
communicate the contents of sections, you will enable users
to quickly scan through information to find what they want.
Similarly, for body text, if you follow the inverted pyramid
strategy used in newspaper writing, users can read salient
information immediately and then read additional information
if they want more detail.
Keep
links separate from narrative text blocks
Links can add to the depth of information
in your site. However, too many links within a block of text
can disrupt continuity and understanding. Where possible and
appropriate, place links at the beginning or end of
paragraphs or sections of narrative text.
Design
for default browser fonts
Browsers display different default font
types and sizes, depending on the type of browser, browser
version, and operating system the browser runs on. Make sure
your text looks good when displayed in the client
environment. The default fonts for PC computers are Times
New Roman and Arial. For MacIntosh, the default fonts are
Times and Helvetica. You should at least check that your
design succeeds using these fonts. Some users modify their
browser preferences to display font types and sizes of their
own choosing, and these choices are not possible to
anticipate. If your design looks good with the default fonts
displayed by your users' browsers, you have maximized your
control over the appearance of text.
Make
paragraph text flush left
Text which is flush left is easier to
read than text which is either flush right or centered (this
also aids reflow if the user resizes their browser window
frame).
Test
for readability
The readability of online text is
affected by a variety of factors including font type and
size, and color contrast between the text and background.
Since color appearance varies between different monitor
types, you should test for readability using a variety of
monitors.
To learn more about designing readable
type, refer to Stop Stealing Sheep by Erik
Spiekerman.
Provide a means for users to print groups of related pages
Since some users prefer to read hardcopy,
provide an easy way for users to print related sets of
pages. If your site is divided into sections, you may want
to give users controls so they can print these sections as
well as individual pages. In this site, we have provided a
way for you to print the entire set of guidelines as well as
particular pages.