Make It Shine: Focus on Format and Layout

In this module, you’ll get answers to questions like:

• How does the layout of a document or webpage affect your reader’s understanding of it?
• What do readers see first when they look at a document?
• How can layout help hook your audience and keep them reading?

After this course, you’ll be better able to:

• Organize your work so readers will understand it quickly
• “Chunk” information, so it’s easier for readers to process
• Make documents clearer with headers, bullets, and white space

Health information can be hard to understand — even if it’s in plain language. That’s why good organization and layout is so crucial. Good design eases the burden on your readers by:

• Presenting information in a familiar, predictable way
• Distinguishing key ideas visually — with short chunks of text
• Showing your reader what to expect at a glance

When you’re planning the layout of your piece, consider how people first approach a webpage or material.

They won’t read it — at least not methodically. Instead, they’ll quickly scan the whole document. We know this from eye-tracking studies, which record where a reader looks on a screen or page.

What Your Reader Will See

Want to see what your readers will take in (roughly) when they first scan a new page?

Take a look at this image from an eye tracking study conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group. Those sections in red are what readers focus on first. Based on what they find there, they’ll decide whether to read the whole thing or not.

Source: Nielsen, J. (2006, April 17). F-shaped pattern for reading web content. Retrieved November 4, 2014, from http://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/

Nobody can scan a big block of text like this. It’s uninviting and intimidating. The wall of words can scare your readers off — before they have a chance to understand what you’re trying to tell them. If you bury an important point in the center of a block of text, your reader will probably never see it. The following section will show you ways to avoid the wall of words.

Chunking is an important way to create a clear, clean look — and avoid a wall of words. It just means splitting up content in to smaller, sensible sections, like a short paragraph or a few bullets. It’s a way of visually showing a single main message along with a few details to support it.

Source: Simply Put: A guide for creating easy-to-understand materials. (2009, April 1). Retrieved November 4, 2014 from https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/pdf/simply_put.pdf [PDF – 1.86 MB]

Add White Space

Notice how the page uses white space to set apart chunks. White space is just that — blank, empty space. It’s essential for a good layout.

You can say a lot with nothing. White space gives your words some breathing room. An uncluttered layout is inviting — it pulls your readers in.

Source: Simply Put: A guide for creating easy-to-understand materials. (2009, April 1). Retrieved November 4, 2014 from https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/pdf/simply_put.pdf [PDF – 1.86 MB]

Good headers are key to effective chunking. They’re like a map for your readers. At a glance, people will see what’s coming up and know where to find what they need.

But confusing, bland headers can give the wrong impression — or be so boring that they don’t draw a reader in.

Source: McGee, J. (n.d.). Toolkit for making written material clear and effective. Part 4, 29. Retrieved November 13, 2014 from https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/WrittenMaterialsToolkit/ToolkitPart04.html

Source: Simply Put: A guide for creating easy-to-understand materials. (2009, April 1). Retrieved November 4, 2014 from https://www.cdc.gov/healthliteracy/pdf/simply_put.pdf

Use Numbers

Using a numbered list is good too. But only use numbers if you’re trying to imply

• Sequence (like steps you should take or the order of items on an agenda)
• Ranking (like a top 10 list)
• Emphasis (like 2 goals you want to call out)

Otherwise, use bullets.

Source: Use lists. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2014 from http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/FederalPLGuidelines/writeLists.cfm

Help Your Reader Understand

Chunking your text — and using clear headers, bullets, and white space effectively — will not only make your layout look good, they’ll improve your reader’s understanding as well.

Why? Because our brains can only process a small amount of information at a time.

Chunking helps by doing some of your readers’ work for them — presenting information so it’s already logically grouped (and distinguished from other chunks).

WHEN YOU WRITE IN ALL CAPS, IT TAKES MORE WORK FOR YOUR READER TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS BECAUSE THEY’RE ALL IN THE SAME BOXY SHAPE.

And in email, all caps makes it seem like you’re SCREAMING. Don’t scream at your colleagues.

There’s no best font. The most important thing is to use a font your reader’s familiar with. Unusual fonts will distract your reader and slow down their reading.

Studies show that sans-serif fonts — ones without a serif (the little line coming off the ends of the letter) — are easier to read on the web.

The CDC website users Lato font, and Arial and Calibri are other good options.

Consider 12 point as a minimum font size and 16 point for web, although the best size can vary depending on the font.

While loud colors get attention, they can be a lot harder to read. Use colors strategically, but don’t go overboard. In printed documents, color can seem noisy but unimportant — like junk mail or the leaflets that people leave on your car’s windshield.

Sometimes, the constraints of your material’s layout can make it hard for you to state everything you want to say. What can you do?

Well, you could cram in that point if you:

• Reduce your margins
• Squeezeyourtexttogether
• Shrink your font

But often, the best move is to leave it out. If you squeeze in too much, your document will look less inviting, and that means people may not want to read it at all.

Good format and layout are essential. But to make your work even more effective, consider the overall design — using images, infographics, and other design elements to reinforce your message.

Remember that design is a key component of any health material. It’s not something to save for the end, like a spellcheck. Format and layout need to be a key consideration as you write. The better your layout and design, the more likely your audience will read, understand, and remember what you wrote.