Writing for Content Modes
May 2001
Content for a Web site takes on numerous forms. In mapping out your complete content, you have many options for what form this information can take:
Visible content
- Dynamic screen text– live, html text, easily updated and modular
- Static content– downloadable, pdf articles originally published elsewhere
- Hypertext – selected embedded links to enhance content depth
- Buttons – have to be named consistently
- Alt tags – bonus copy space, but not always accessible by audience
- Core body – your intended message for each screen
- Pull quotes – highlights and special tips graphically treated to break up long articles and scroll windows
Invisible content
Scripts for
- Voice over/narration
- Dialogue
- Interactivity/story flow
- Diagrams, charts, illustrations
These are all modes of delivery. The intent of your content and the needs of your audience will direct what modes to use, which will then inform your information architecture, navigation and interactivity strategy.
Guidelines/Tips
Visible text links as navigation
- Links embedded in your copy can be a useful tool to visually break up the text, and provide an alternate navigation mechanism.
- Choose a particular type of content for embedded links—support documents, links to external resources, case studies or bibliographies.
- Let your audience know where the links will take them. It should be obvious.
Core body and pull quotes: screen shot example
- Test your layout and use pull quotes and subheadings to break up your copy on screen. The eye can become incredibly tired tracing a monotonous channel of copy.
- Pull quotes and subheads can "chunk" your text to ease eye tracking and scanability.
Audio/video scripting
Content that is read is very different in pace and tone than content that is heard, watched or observed.
When scripting audio or video:
- Read it out loud. Does it sound natural?
- Avoid alliteration, and try to find a balance of soft and hard sounding words. The usual poor quality of downloaded audio will "squish" your sounds.
- Vary sentence length from medium to very short.
- Map your script on a storyboard that you can share with your designer so that your visuals match the progress of your audio.
- Be aware of timing your audio. Will it wait to be triggered by the next click of the user, or will it play straight through?
- Will transcripts of the audio- or video-text be available for download?
Charts, diagrams, illustrations
- Lighten up your text. Heavy descriptions of how-to steps, processes, relationships and comparisons can often be more quickly described and better understood with charts, diagrams and illustrations.
- Comparisons: in charts (e.g., Yes/No; Before/After; With/Without).
- Diagrams: flowcharts, relationship networks, how-to steps.
- Illustrations: of objects, mechanics, visible results of actions.
- For easy download: .gif only, limited number of flat colours.
Dynamic vs. static content Deciding what content will be dynamic and what will be static can be helpful in creating your site architecture and the style approach.
Dynamic content:
- updated or changed regularly (even if only once per year);
- may use content management software;
- style sheets can break down templates of components, subsections and key concepts for future contributors;
- style may be more personal and informal.
Static Content:
- produced only once and available online as training material or guidelines;
- downloadable to print or pdf;
- more formal style and structure guidelines;
- often longer narratives or articles that aren't broken up into several screens.
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