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Writing for the Web and Effective Web Design

Writing for the Web and Effective Web Design. IEEE Panel of Conference Organizers 26 July 2008 Seattle, WA. A Little Bit About Myself. Dan Bocchino Web Content and Information Architecture Manager, IEEE Corporate Strategy and Communications (CSC) B.A./M.A. in English/Writing Studies

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Writing for the Web and Effective Web Design

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  1. Writing for the Web and Effective Web Design IEEE Panel of Conference Organizers 26 July 2008 Seattle, WA

  2. A Little Bit About Myself • Dan Bocchino • Web Content and Information Architecture Manager, IEEE Corporate Strategy and Communications (CSC) • B.A./M.A. in English/Writing Studies • 9 years experience at IEEE (Publications and CSC) • Web Editor, Writer, Information Architect

  3. The Universe TheUser IEEE IEEE

  4. From the mouths of our users… “Getting to information does not appear to be the main focus.” “Not really built to be a site for the general public.” “I would expect that the IEEE would be at the top of the game, because that’s what we do.” “It appears that either I don’t think the way it does, or it’s not friendly to me.” “Seems like information for members of IEEE, not a resource for technicians.” “Too much information – too busy. Need to get more organized. Too many words.” “There are more steps than you need.” So what?

  5. The IEEE Web Presence IEEE.org About Conferences Education Membership Standardsand more… IEEE Societies IEEE Xplore IEEE Sections IEEE Student Branches IEEE Conferences IEEE Job Site IEEE Spectrum Wikipedia Second Life You Tube

  6. The problem Our 1st Site

  7. The problem 1999

  8. The problem 2002

  9. Today

  10. How many Web sites are on the ieee.org domain? 1

  11. One Web site – One Voice There is only one Web site on the ieee.org domain. • Within that Web site, there are: • sections; • subsections; • pages; • content elements.

  12. section subsection page content element

  13. Web site Purpose • To help visitors to the site accomplish their tasks • To help the organization achieve its strategic goals • New members • Conference attendees • Revenue, etc.

  14. Usability • The ease with which people can employ a tool or object in order to achieve a particular goal. • Sites designed with the users' psychology and physiology in mind are highly usable: • Takes less time for users to accomplish a particular task • Easier for users to learn • More satisfying to use • How do we measure usability?

  15. Usability Review • Usable Times 5™ is the proprietary metric of Interface Guru, based on hundreds of hours of usability lab testing • Orientation“Where am I?” • Permission“Did I ask for that system response/popup/new screen?” • Interactivity“What can I do here?” • Relevance“Does this information matter to me?” • Speed“How long will this take?” What can I do here?”

  16. What is User Experience?

  17. How do I create Web content? • How long does it take? • It depends • Do you want good content or bad content? • Remember: A Web site is a publication • Not a junkyard

  18. Variables in estimating time: • Amount of content • Complexity of content • Functionality requirements • Scheduling & planning • Preparation • Human resources

  19. Many steps to creating content Defining your Strategy -Objectives -Users -User needs Defining the scope -Functionality and content requirements -Prioritizing the requirements Defining the structure -Understanding & creating task paths -Planning your directory structure and information architecture Defining your Skeleton -Wireframing And that’s all before you even start to write your content

  20. Killer Web Content By: Gerry McGovern

  21. Killer content vs. filler content • 90% of all content produced is “filler”. • Focus on quality not quantity. • Your challenge will be at least 50% easier if you get rid of 80-90% of your content. • Everything you publish, needs to be maintained

  22. Killer Web Content’s Six C’s

  23. Who Cares? • People are overloaded with information • They won’t waste time reading content they don’t care about • Don’t assume that because you care, your readers will too • Think before you write – will my readers care about this?

  24. Is it Compelling? • People may care, but are they paying attention? • You need to identify with your readers • Use your users’ words, not internal lingo or acronyms • talk to them, read their e-mails, use Google Trends

  25. Is it Clear? • Be simple when you write – if your content is not clear, you will lose readers. • All acronyms should be spelled out upon first use • Content should be internationally friendly • People on your Web pages are scanning – make it easy for them to find what they want. • “An innovation must be truly useful, otherwise it’s just eye candy.”

  26. Is it Complete? • Essence of any site is to help people complete a task • If a call to action is made, be clear what steps should be taken • Write great links to keep your readers moving from step to step so they can complete their tasks

  27. Is it Concise? • “Your Web site is not a murder mystery.” • “Tell them ‘who did it’ in the first paragraph.” • Help people quickly understand your content. • Use bullets instead of paragraphs when possible.

  28. Is it Correct? • It’s easy to pull together content from other sources. • “Editing is quality control for writing.” • Check your facts, verify your numbers, make sure the content you provide is up-to-date.

  29. Web Writing vs. Print Writing • When developing new Web content, you cannot simply migrate your old print content. • Developing Web content often means writing completely new material.

  30. Know Your Audience Web readers generally do not read a page from start to finish. • They scan sites for relevant information. Don’t overload your readers with too much content, or else you’ll lose them. • Word count for the Web should be about half of that for print.

  31. Six Elements of Good Web Writing • Use titles, headings, subheadings, and summaries. • Use lists. • Be concise but make sure to provide details. • Write newspaper style. • Write links that don’t have to be followed. • Provide guidance on where to go/know your audience and its needs.

  32. Titles, Headings, and Summaries • Titles and headings (often in bold) help your readers see your point without having to read the entire page. • Summaries should alert your readers to the type of information and where it can be found. • Be specific when creating titles; no two pages should be titled alike.

  33. Using Lists Make sure your lists: • are easy to skim; • utilize short lines of text; • organize related links; • use proper punctuation; • make sense contextually.

  34. Be Concise but Detailed Make your writing short and concise – save the details for those who want to “learn more.” • Don’t slow down the readers who just want to skim. • One main point per paragraph/section. • Links to more details as needed.

  35. Write “Newspaper Style” • Use the “inverted pyramid” style when writing for the Web. • Basic facts and conclusion should come first. • Provide more details as you continue. • Write your beginning last; details first, then intro.

  36. Links Shouldn’t Have to be Followed to be Understood Let your readers decide whether or not to follow your links. • Links serve as signposts; make your links informational. • Avoid “teaser” links with vague wording. Example: “Connect with your local IEEE section” not “Click herefor more information”.

  37. Guide Your Readers Web content has no page numbers – show your reader where to go next. • Provide guidance using links. • Write in a style that leads your reader to the next logical page. • Don’t make your readers think.

  38. Web Accessibility http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/glance/ Ongoing process to make sure all sites in the IEEE Web presence adhere to accessibility rules Alt text Use of table Logical IA Usability tested

  39. Web Writing and Usability Resources • Jakob Nielsen's AlertboxTo subscribe, send blank e-mail to join-alertbox@laser.sparklist.com • Gerry McGovern New Thinking NewsletterTo subscribe, send e-mail to: subscribe@gerrymcgovern.mailer1.net • Adaptive Path NewsletterSubscribe at: www.adaptivepath.com/publications/subscribe/ • Jared Spool's User Interface Engineering TipsSign up at: www.uie.com/uietips/ • Web Style Guide, 2nd Edition, by Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton: http://webstyleguide.com/ • Usable Web, 786 Links About Web Usability: www.usableweb.com/ • Usability.gov, Guide for Developing Usable and Useful Web Sites: www.usability.gov/

  40. IEEE Identity Standards • Newly developed set of guidelines. • Use of the standards is encouraged to help build consistent visual alignment among IEEE-related sites. • Brand identity guidelines, color palette, look and feel, best practices, etc. • Online soon, contact me for more information.

  41. IEEE Web Presence Style Guide • http://www.ieee.org/go/web_presence_styleguide

  42. Questions?Comments?

  43. Thank You! Dan Bocchino d.bocchino@ieee.org

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