Formatting 101
Image Alignment By Kari Barton and Tricia Mieden Images are a great resource to add to any page, but some things should be considered when placing the image. The way an image is used on a page can either distract the user from the page’s content or enhance what is already there. Here are a…
Writing For The User
Taking out the “we” word. Not too long ago, my mother stopped going to the hairdresser she had been using for years. Telling me about it, she said that her decision had nothing to do with the woman’s abilities. “She just talks about herself all the time,” my mother said. “She never asks me about…
Page Titles And Headers
Web page titles and headers have a simple but important function. They tell readers and search engines what the page or section is about. That part’s pretty simple, but there are a few tips that will make your page titles and headings better. Page Titles The page title should briefly and accurately describe the purpose…
Understanding Keywords
To make your web page more findable, it’s important to understand how and where to use keywords. A keyword is simply a word or phrase that describes your website, web page, or document. It’s what someone would type in a search box if they were looking for your content. You can make your page more…
Headings
Part 2 in the series: Making Stuff Better We’ve all used the heading styles in the toolbar editor. But I thought I’d tell you a little more about them so you know how to use them effectively. Headings are great for communicating to the user. Not only do they describe a section of content, but…
Links Matter
I was reading an article this morning by usability expert Jakob Nielsen, which discusses the importance of being careful and intentional about what your links say. You can read the full post (First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye), but I’ll also sum up here: If there is one principle that’s the most…
Images and Page Design
At times, flipping through the pages of a magazine and browsing through the pages of a website can seem pretty similar. Both have text punctuated by attention-grabbing images. But the differences between print and web dictate that we must approach the two differently. For example, people read print and web pieces differently, and the wise…