reading beyondthe words using text formatting to increase persuasiveness and actionability of copy
TRANSCRIPT
1
Using text forma/ng to increase persuasiveness and ac5onability of copy
Kath Straub
Reading between the words...
Roadmap
1. The concept2. A few studies3. Why technical writers might care
TEXT FORMATTING MATTERS.
Text forma6ng ma7ers.
There are typographic formats that (some) people “like.”
There are typographic formats that help them perform better.
8/31/2009Governor Rendell orders state flags to fly at half-staff in honor of fallen soldier
Governor Rendell offers adult basic coverageto 35,000 uninsured pennsylvanians
8/30/2009Governor Rendell orders says largest solar power facility in eastern US will be built in Bucks County
8/31/2009Governor Rendell orders state flags to fly at half-staff in honor of fallen soldier
Governor Rendell offers adult basic coverageto 35,000 uninsured pennsylvanians
8/30/2009Governor Rendell orders says largest solar power facility in eastern US will be built in Bucks County
8/31/2009GOVERNOR RENDELL ORDERS STATE FLAGS TO FLY AT HALF_STAFF IN HONOR OF FALLEN SOLDIERS
8/31/2009GOVERNOR RENDELL OFFERS ADULT BASIC COVERAGE TO 35,000 UNINSURED PENSYLVANIANS
8/30/2009GOVERNOR RENDELL ORDERS LARGEST SOLAR POWER FACILITY IN EASTERN US WILL BE IN BUCKS COUNTY
To tech writers forma6ng means typography.
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Lorem ipsum, Dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis
autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut
aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Wassanus plebus deploribus unix.
Lorem ipsum, Dolor sit amet consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam
nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci
tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis
autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel
illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue
duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci
tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Wassanus
plebus deploribus unix.
To tech writers forma6ng means jus<fica<on.
To tech writers forma6ng can mean layout.
When I say forma6ng (for the next 30 minutes), I meanthe size of spaces between words and le7ers.
Eye movements during reading
Corrective movements
The cogni*ve burden of reading1. Track to the right next line.2. Keep track of who is doing what to whom.
We recognize this cost as complexity of language.
We typically don’t even think about this cost.
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The horse raced past the barn fell.
,Some*mes ,commas can solve the problem.
The horse, raced past the barn, fell.
The horse, raced past the barn, fell.
OK, some*mes,commas can solve the problem. Note to self: This example serves only to distract Bri8sh Technical Writers ....
The chauffeur annoyed the man with the cigar. The chauffeur annoyed the man with the cigar.
Who has the cigar?
The task of reading1. Find the right next line.2. Keep track of who is doing what to whom.3. Sort out (syntac*c) ambigui*es.
16
Processing spaceis limited ... like thetop of a workbench.If we format textso that it take less(mental) space to sort out who is doing what to whom ... we have more space to understand what we are reading.”
The chauffeur annoyed the man with the cigar.
The chauffeur annoyed the man with the cigar.
For example, when can vary space size between words to reflect their (syntac*c) grouping.
The horse raced past the barn fell.
The horse raced past the barn fell.
It may not always work ....
? ?
Readsmart is a patented text forma6ng algorithm that uses linguis<cally informed, psychologically validated rules to vary the size of spaces between words and le7ers. Read smart does not alter your font, typography, jus<fica<on or layout.
Example rule
Example rule
!"#$%#&'()"*
Reading Short Essays
Study 1:ReadingComprehension
People read fasterand remember morewhen they are readingtext that is forma7edusing ReadSmart.
!"#$%&$'()*
Direct Mail Donor Acquisition
Study 2a-‐e:Direct maildonor acquisi<on4 studies~390,000 households
People read respond morefrequently and give morewhen they read solicita<onle7ers that are forma7ed with ReadSmart.
People can’t tell that text has been ReadSmart forma7ed.
Study3: Email Newsle7er 380 par<cipantsw. opt-‐in post exposure survey
People who read ReadSmarted Essays answered comprehension ques8onsmore accurately than people who read text that was not ReadSmarted... on 7 out of 7 ques8ons.
People who read ReadSmarted essays reported that they were 10% more likely to send the essay on to a friend.
This work was done while I was s8ll @ HFI. A more complete descrip8on of this study can be found here: hRp://www.slideshare.net/guest5e65b4/straub-‐read-‐smart-‐findings-‐plus-‐example-‐text
Most adult Americans read at about an 8th grade level or below
Many read BELOW the 5th grade level•1 out of 5 adults•2 out of 5 older adults or minorities
Most websites are written at the 12th grade level or above (AAAS report)
Why should tech writers care?
ReadSmart formatting helps readersto get past the reading process and to get to the content.
Tech writers expend a lotof time and effort tocommunicate just the right content.
Find out more about readsmart at www.readsmart.com.
Contact Tom Bever [email protected] or Lee Berendt [email protected]
More about ReadSmart: www.readsmart.com