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.