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Chunking the Content

Writing Guidelines

Design Hints

[Web Advisory Group]

Writing for the Web:
Guidelines for MIT Libraries

Writing Guidelines (useful for email & print as well)

1. Call attention with useful headings.
2. Catch the user in the first few words.
3. Use active voice, personal pronouns, action verbs.
   (what you would say to them if you were talking on the phone)
4. Set the context for users - the "given/new" principle.
5. Use lists. (numbered lists for instructions)
6. Give instructions with imperatives.
7. Use parallelisms.
8. Use words users know (simpler words).
9. Try fragments, but not telegraphic writing.
10. Make links descriptive.
11. Combine the guidelines.

Most of the content of this site is drawn from a workshop given by Janice (Ginny) Redish, Ph.D. at User Interface 2000 in November 1999.
http://www2.ari.net/redish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  hennig@mit.edu