Writing for the web

Martin Bazley

Highpoint, Leicester20 May 2010

Martin BazleyPreviously• Teaching (7 yrs)• Science Museum, London,

Internet Projects (7yrs)• E-Learning Officer, MLA South East

(3yrs)

Currently• Chair of DLNet (formerly E-

Learning Group for Museums, Lib, Archives)

• Consultancy, websites, training, user testing, evaluation …Martin Bazley & Associateswww.martinbazley.com

•Slides and notes available afterwards

http://www.digitallearningnetwork.net/

www.martinbazley.com

Note to self: check stats tomorrow to see if anyone looked up the website

Users don’t always ‘get’ what we are offering:

a real–world analogy

Even a slight difference in viewpoints…

…can cause real problems for users

In a conflict between visual affordance…

…and written instructions

visual affordance almost always wins

Another example

Hmm… the button is really small…

And it’s not green…

You can’t push it in…

Just push the big green

button by the gate

Huge green button

So what is the point of all this?

The web is different

People use the web differently…

… from the way they use books, object labels, magazines, newspapers,

information screens, etc

For most people the web is a

predominantly visual

medium

We are all different and some people like to

read all the text on a web page before

deciding what to do next, even though a lot of

it might be pretty redundant but most people – or at least most regular users of

the web – scan (as opposed to reading

through them in detail) the web pages they are using, or at least the

ones where they are still trying to work out

where to go next

• Users won't read your text thoroughly word-by-word. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when browsing. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't.

• The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material – though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.

• Start subheadings, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behaviour. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.

If they have to work at it for example if they

cannot see what they are looking for, or if it doesn’t make sense to

them at first glance then most people – or at least many

people who do a lot of searching or browsing on the web just

decide that this particular site is not for them, and anyway they

have a long list of other search results or ideas to try and so they go elsewhere

Exercise: Make this web page Exercise: Make this web page betterbetter

http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/index.cfm

About website structure, About website structure, ways people use the web and ways people use the web and implications for writing for the implications for writing for the

webweb

Certain types of websites impose linear user journeys:

TheTrainline.comCinema ticket bookings

Self assessment tax return online

In most websites, although there are some linear elements …

http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/journey.php?Title=Quarry+Bank+Mill+learning+journey&step=4&theme=places

… people like to have other pathways available to them…

… and most journeys are very non-linear

Also, most people reach your website via Google

Only 20% arrive at your website on the home page

Most may not have had your site in mind when searching

30% of them go to home page to ‘try and work out what this site is about’

So each page on the site must quickly: (a)engage users and (b)give sense of what site is about –

otherwise most will leave

‘Writing for the web’ is not just about text…

… but also choosing the right images… layouts

… graphical look and feel…website structure

etc etc

Key point of paragraph/

section

Image clearly related to text

Broken into short paras

Short video guides

• http://www.mediabistro.com/guidelines-for-writing-online-12-ondemandvideo.html (sample)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoU2yANNxRs&eurl=http://inside.123-reg.co.uk/archives/video-writing-your-web-copy

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3lDeY6uWc&feature=related (good advice but v slow)

• Writing web headlines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBg7dJIfHM0

Home page: key functions

• Offer overview: – Show user what the site offers them– Show user what is in the site:

• The structure at a glance• Content highlights or samples

• Engagement:– make user want to continue browsing

Article page: key functions

• Engage the user – make them want to consume the article

• Signposting: – Show user what else is nearby in the site

• The structure at a glance

– Show user what else the site offers them

– www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=73

– www.manchestergalleries.org/

Short writing exercisesShort writing exercises

Decide where in the site this will be

Add a title Short, clear summary Write a few

sentences. Add subheading

Few more sentences

Banner

TitleAdd a summary?

Each ‘promo’ needs Title Image?One-line descn

Links to related points elsewhere in this site

Where in the site is this?

Creating resources for Creating resources for use on whiteboardsuse on whiteboards

Using whiteboards

• http://www.teachers.tv/ict/whiteboardtips

• http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/tutorials.asp#

• http://www.prometheanplanet.com

Roles of IWB

… at different points in the lesson / learning cycle

– Starter

– Main

– Plenary

Interactive” means

• “lots of things moving on screen, clickable, automatic response, quizzes etc

• interaction between students, teacher and screen – activities, conversation, cognitive engagement, etc

first meaning used mainly by companies trying to market whiteboards, software etcas ‘interactive’

second used mainly by educators

Resources for use on whiteboards - examples

• Ford Madox Brown MAG• Tate Tools• Museum Network Artworks• Museum Network Myths• National Portrait Gallery Mary Seacol

e• National Gallery• Museum of London Fire of London

Resources for use on whiteboards - examples

• Britons at War• Wartime in Bedford • http://www.movinghere.org.uk/school

s/default.htm

• www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=409

• www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=441

Some examples

– http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/index.html

– http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/highlights-of-the-collection/narrativeobject.php?irn=876

– www.seayourhistory.org.uk/content/view/39/77/

– http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/business/2781.html

http://www.museumeducation.bedford.gov.uk/bedford_in_wartime/index.asp

Resources for use on whiteboards - examples

• Britons at War• Wartime in Bedford • http://www.movinghere.org.uk/school

s/default.htm

• www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=409

• www.mylearning.org/overview.asp?journeyid=441

Examples

• http://collections.lancsmuseums.gov.uk/narratives/

• Peoples Hist http://82.71.77.169/introcollections.htm

• http://www.tameside.gov.uk/archives • http://www.sthelens.gov.uk/category.do?

parent=100009&itemid=200070

• http://www.lapworth.bham.ac.uk/visiting.htm

Using whiteboards

• http://www.teachers.tv/ict/whiteboardtips

• http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/tutorials.asp#

• http://www.prometheanplanet.com

Resources for use on whiteboards - examples

• Ford Madox Brown MAG• Tate Tools• Museum Network Artworks• Museum Network Myths• National Portrait Gallery Mary Seacol

e• National Gallery• Museum of London Fire of London

Website usersWebsite users

Website users• Who uses your website?

• Why would they want to use it?

• How would they find it?

• What do they get out of it?

• What do they dislike about it?

How do you get it right for everyone?

• Answer:• You can’t get it right for everyone.

• You have to make choices, and stick to them:

• Who is it for? • What..• How…

Who for…?Who for…?What for?What for?

How will they use it?How will they use it?

Who for what for ...• Who for? (audience)

Need to be clear from start• mum + 2 children looking for something to do

this weekend• teachers of yr5/6 in local area with whiteboards• men interested in gadgets

Who for what for ...• What ‘real-world’ outcomes?

What will they do as a result of using the site?

• make a donation• plan a visit to a museum• buy a train ticket• think differently about learning disability

Who for what for ...• How will they use it? (user experience)

What do they actually do on the site? • browse and read articles

• working alone or in pairs? (learning resources)• lean forward or sit back?• Browsing, following, searching…

• Also Where, When and Why?

Who for what for ...• Website appraisal

– For each example note first impressions

•Who is it for?•What does it offer them?•How will they use it?

Websites for different Websites for different audiencesaudiences

Websites for different audiences

The following tips are based on • numerous evaluation sessions• numerous user testing sessions• talking to other people who use

websites• talking to other people who make

websites

‘General users’There is no such thing as a general

user

Are you a general user?

Adults/families with general interest

• What does the site tell me at a glance?

• genuine enthusiasts = interested whatever the website looks like, and will spend some time looking around it or phone up for more information if required.

Adults/families with general interest

• But most will not bother unless something engages them within a few seconds

• The questions people might like answered within a few seconds of arriving on a museum site probably include:

Adults/families with general interest

• Where is it? Further down the home page it says ‘alongside Middle Wallop airfield’ but I have no idea where that is.

• a schematic map on every page, or at least on the home page and visit info, would really help in attracting visitors who don’t know the area

Adults/families with general interest

• What’s the rough cost and roughly how long might I/we want to spend there?This would give me an idea of whether to view it as a place to pop into on the way somewhere or combine it with another attraction; or whether it requires more serious investment of time or money

Adults/families with general interest

• What kind of experience will I get?I know there will be ‘displays’ – it is a museum!

• but will there be people around to help bring the place alive for me, my spouse, my children or friends?

• – or are there events, or things to do like dressing up in a pilot’s uniform, or games to play, etc?

Websites for schools‘Serve the National Curriculum’ or ‘extend or

enhance’?‘enhance’ sounds good but most teachers want:

1.curriculum specific – by all means cross-curricular but with one scheme of work or topic as ‘headline’ (think ‘product byline’)

2.ready-to-use – teachers may want to adapt to their own situation (esp second time round), but most will not have time – offer at least one ready to use version

3.minimal preparation and with time commitment (preparation time and class time) clearly specified

4.flexible/adaptable/extensible where possible

Foundation and KS1 (3-7yrs)

Production of materials for this age range is particularly tricky:

• aim at teachers not children, so…• good bank of images, videos or other

mainly visual assets • think of interactive whiteboards

Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 years old)

• keep no of words on each page to a minimum, say 50 in total

• illustrate key ideas visually as well as verbally and use audio if possible

• do not assume that the teacher can be over their shoulder at all points – so keep the instructions and processes simple

• try to use language, images, ideas, and settings that will appeal to the target audience

Key Stage 3 (11 to 14 years old)

• For KS2 a cross-curricular approach is OK (for example they may use the same site for Geography and Science) but:

• At KS3 cater for a single subject (and scheme of work)

• (Can offer suggestions for cross-curricular working, but remember generally each teacher teachers only one subject each.)

‘Lifelong learners’

• for (non-specialist) interest level think of 12 yr olds

• Identify a particular audience with specific interests/motivations for using your site

• then focus on constraints to allow successful design to proceed. (In a formal learning setting constraints often implicit in the course, physical set up etc.)

Specialist researchers

• Fact-oriented, less graphics and design, more text and specifically relevant images, with good search facility

• Examples of specialist researchers: – HE students and staff– experts or enthusiasts in this subject

area

Short video guides

• http://www.mediabistro.com/guidelines-for-writing-online-12-ondemandvideo.html (sample)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoU2yANNxRs&eurl=http://inside.123-reg.co.uk/archives/video-writing-your-web-copy

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C3lDeY6uWc&feature=related (good advice but v slow)

• Writing web headlines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBg7dJIfHM0

Whiteboard resource exercise

• We are using Powerpoint (or Word if you prefer) just to summarise your ideas on the board.

• Don’t spend too long formatting / designing – just focus on – what items, text and links would be on screen,

and– What teacher / pupils would do with them

‘templates’

• The following slide (Britons at War) is a sample web page – think about how people would get to your whiteboard page(s)

• The next slide is an outline template for a whiteboard page – edit or ignore this completely.

• Make sure you have at least something to show on screen

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Martin Bazley0780 3580 737

www.martinbazley.com