Digital Library Seminar Series November 3, 2006 Joanna DiPasquale

1. Digital Library Seminar Series November 3, 2006 Joanna DiPasquale Libraries Digital Program Division

2. WARNING This is a hands-on, participatory seminar!

3. Agenda • What is “Writing for the Web?” • Why writing for the web? • Why still writing for the web? • Guiding principles • Some notes on design • Questions and comments

4. What is ? ...with illustrated examples

5. What is writing for the web? “17. Omit needless words. Vigorous writing is concise” Strunk, William Jr., and E.B. White, The Elements of Style (Allyn and Bacon, 1979). An example of effective web writing: Charlotte saves Wilbur with her clear, concise writing. White, E.B., Charlotte’s Web (HarperCollins, 1952).

6. What is writing for the web? A balance between: • being clear • beingconcise

7. Be the user

8. My Eureka moment United Technology’s new ad campaign: “You don’t have to understand everything we do to profit from it.” http://www.utc.com/curious/index.html

9. Be the user… – INSTRUCTION DIAGRAM – Be the user… you are now on the other side of the vast array of information that most users are forced to digest. • What do you need from the diagram? • What is useful/ not useful?

10. Be the writer

11. The Canterbury Tales:Prologue(translation) When April with his showers sweet with fruitThe drought of March has pierced unto the rootAnd bathed each vein with liquor that has powerTo generate therein and sire the flower;When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath,Quickened again, in every holt and heath,The tender shoots and buds, and the young sunInto the Ram one half his course has run,And many little birds make melodyThat sleep through all the night with open eye(So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)-Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,And palmers to go seeking out strange strands,To distant shrines well known in sundry lands.And specially from every shire's endOf England they to Canterbury wend,The holy blessed martyr there to seek… http://pages.towson.edu/duncan/chaucer/duallang1.htm Wow!

12. The Canterbury Tales Prologue:Net version I Prologue: • After cold and rainy weather, nice weather. • Spring symbolizes an awakening and rebirth in ourselves and in the seasons. • Spring makes English people go on pilgrimage to Thomas Becket’s grave. • The grave is in Canterbury.

13. The Canterbury Tales Prologue:Net version II Spring: • Makes everyone feel good • Prompts pilgrims to go to Canterbury

14. Why ?

15. Why writing for the web? Web reading ≠ print reading [more on this later] • Users scanrather than read • Users jump around a lot • Users enter and exit unpredictably LESSON: Be clear!

16. Why writing for the web? Things aren’t linear on the ’net. • Users can’t easily tell the scope of your site • Lots of demands for user’s attention LESSON: Each page must be able to stand alone Dream: Reality:

17. Why writing for the web? It makes users happy. • Users make snap judgmentsabout a site’s quality. • Economy of time – need to see what site’s all about before you’ll invest time navigating it LESSON: “Don’t make me think.” Don’t erect barriers to convey information. Make it easy for the users to find what they need.

18. Why writing for the web? Results: • “We can trust you!” • “You give us good information!” • “We’re coming back to your site!”

19. Why still writing for the web? [“Didn’t we already take this a few years ago?”]

20. Why still writing for the web? • New studies and analyses suggest we’re on the right track • Still some mistakes out there • Lessons that can be used for other things (e.g., newsletters and email) • Lessons from other areas (especially newspapers) show the infancy of the web

21. Writing for “Web 2.0” Jakob Nielsen study: “F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content,” 17 April 2006 • Users still scan. They’re just faster and more savvy about it. • Reinforces keyword notions. LESSON: Keep writing for the web. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html

22. Writing for “Web 2.0” Jeffrey Veen, Keynote address, Web Design World, 30 Jan 2006. The hype has missed the basics: • Desire to tailor own experience • Convey information  create simple tools LESSONS: • Make clear ≠ dumb down • Trust the user

23. Engaging the web • Users scan and select • Even on content pages, users skim, scan, and select • Not reading makes sense • Not reading is not new to the Web • Reading on the Web may be more difficult than on paper http://www.usability.gov/design/easycontent.html

24. Scanning demo • Hilton Hotels website: http://www.hilton.com • Q: What is the purpose of this site – from the user’s perspective? • A: To make a reservation

25. Exercise 1: Scanning Place page about 3 feet from eyes. Allow eyes to relax. What do you see? Report back. TIME: 5 MINUTES

26. Scanning content • What areas of the page did you see at first? • Did this change when you relaxed your eyes? • Is the general purpose of the site obvious at this level?

27. Guiding Principles Our strategies for effective web writing

28. Guiding Principles overview • Point users in the right direction • Do not compromise your style when you can’t! • Code of conduct • Privacy notices • Legal disclaimers

29. Be succinct Be direct Be structured You can do this when you: Eliminate wordiness Use effective titles Use active voice “Block” or “chunk” content Use bullets Guiding Principles

30. Be succinct

31. Be succinct: eliminate wordiness • What this really means: eliminate words • Cut your words by half, and then half again • Write in a clear, concise manner

32. Be succinct: use active voice • Less overall words • Easier to read • More on this later [‘Be direct’]

33. Be succinct: make one point per paragraph • Inverted pyramid – put your conclusion / main point first • Helps users that don’tread in sequence • Maximize information, minimize time Conclusion More info finer points etc.

34. Be succinct: results • Reduces page length – ergo, reduces scrolling • Allows users to pick out important words • Easier to read We use a technique that works with the user’s method of scanning.

35. Be succinct: “Plain English” demo Before • High-quality learning environments are a necessary precondition for facilitation and enhancement of the ongoing learning process. After • Children need good schools if they are to learn properly. http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/beforeandafter.htm

36. Sometimes, it’s not that easy • Mission statements • Pamphlets • Texts … all don’t scale well when migrating to the web. Use extra caution when migrating these! [They weren’t written for the web!]

37. Be succinct: LITAhttp://www.lita.org/ala/lita/aboutlita/whatlita.htm What is LITA? The Library and Information Technology Association is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership. The membership includes new professionals, systems librarians, library administrators, library schools, vendors and anyone else interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. Programs are offered for everyone from absolute beginners to hi-tech professionals. Continuing education is provided through workshops, institutes, and an annual National Forum. Guidelines offering practical experience with various technologies are published regularly. The Information Technology and Libraries journal provides peer reviewed articles assuring the quality of this member benefit. Through LITA’s Web presence you will discover a variety of services addressing trends and practical applications. [118 words] (deep breath)

38. What did LITA do incorrectly? • Too wordy! • Passive voice • Assumed users came to site through home page • Didn’t rework text for the web (e.g., see last sentence)

39. Be succinct: LITA 1 What is LITA? LITA is the Library and Information Technology Association, a division of the American Library Association. We provide education and services to a broad group of members in all types of libraries. LITA emphasizes high-tech solutions to every member, from novice to expert. We publish guidebooks and journals, and hold an annual conference. [52 words]

40. Exercise 2:Be succinct Eliminate half of the words in the text. Be merciless! Extra credit: eliminate even more than half the text, while delicately balancing clarity and conciseness. TIME: 10 MINUTES

41. Be direct

42. Be direct: Not reading makes sense [Does this title make any sense?] User behavior: • Users seek specific bits of information and will skim to find them

43. Be direct:Not reading makes sense Our techniques: • Use familiar key words • Avoid jargon unless necessary • Use active voice

44. Be direct: Not reading makes sense Our techniques: • DON’T use keywords that the user wouldn’t use • DON’T use jargon to explain things that don’t need jargon (very few things need jargon) • DON’T use passive voice

45. Be direct: use active voice • Facilitates succinct writing • Easier to understand • Easier to pick out keywords

46. Be direct: keywords and jargon • Use consistent language • Use consistent style and tone [more on this later] • Speak the user’s language • Speak with the user: use “us” and “we” • Use analogy if possible (“files” and “folders”)

47. Be direct: speak user’s language HFI suggested list: Some library ones (John Kupersmith):

48. Be direct: ILL example Sample paragraph: “Interlibrary Loan allows borrowers to obtain books from institutions or repositories that own these items when the patron’s home library does not.” We know better: Book not available? You can borrow it from another library and have it sent here through Interlibrary Loan! Common problem in familiar terms Active voice Helpful jargon

49. Spotted on the web: The Library's Digital Collections, available via a browser, are listed below. Internet Explorer is the preferred browser for accessing these collections. New! The XYZ Digital Collections, ABC Collection, 123 Collection and the QRS Collection can be searched simultaneously using the Digital Library Cross-Collection Search. Collection A Collection B Collection C Be direct: DL example “ Too much passive voice! Huh? We know they’re below. More passive voice! Hmm, this could be handy… ” Finally, the point!

50. Be direct: DL example Digital Library Cross-Collection Search Search XYZ, ABC, 123, and QRS collections simultaneously. Looking for non-Internet collections? View our other digital collections. • Collection A • Collection B • Collection C