In Defense of Readers #
In the most recent A List Apart, Mandy Brown says many of the things I’ve been thinking about reading on the internet over the last few months. If you’re interested in design, or the problems of reading on the internet, I’d strongly recommend it.
There are many dogged readers who will make this commitment whether or not the design of the page makes it easy on them, but as designers, there are a number of ways we can assist readers in the transition. Consider all of the elements that accompany an article and organize those that are most useful for gauging interest at the top. Summaries or pull quotes, as well as illustrations, allow the reader to quickly assess what the article is about. Categories and links to related content provide context. The name and affiliation of the author communicate the authority of a text. All of these elements combine to create an entryway into reading.