How people actually read.
WHAT PEOPLE DO
Scan for relevance, then read selectively.
WHAT THEY LOOK AT
Headings The beginnings of paragraphs Emphasised words Lists Anything visually distinct
WHAT THEY SKIP
Long paragraphs Introductions Anything resembling marketing
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Put the conclusion first Keep paragraphs short Use descriptive headings Use lists where the content is a list
WHAT NOT TO DO
Bury the important point in the middle Use emphasis so widely that it stops working Write long blocks with no structure
THE EMPHASIS POINT
Emphasis works by contrast. Emphasising a lot emphasises nothing.
WHAT TO PUT IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF EACH SECTION
What that section says.
WHAT LINE LENGTH SUITS READING
Moderate. Very long lines make it hard to find the next line.
WHAT TO TEST
Whether the page makes sense when only the headings are read.
