Content structure

Consider the user in the structure of the page. How will people move through the content? Where do they need to go next?

Examples

If the data tells you that lots of people search for ‘symptoms of chickenpox’, add a subheading that says ‘Chickenpox symptoms’.

If you can see that lots of users go from your page to page x, offer a clear link to page x.

Use the ‘inverted pyramid’ model. Start with the content that is most important to your audience, and then provide additional details. ‘Front-load’ copy (especially headings, links, bullets and captions) - put the most important information first.

Examples

Good: Canteen menu

Bad: What’s on the menu at the canteen today?

People don’t read content online - they scan it. That means they don’t read top to bottom, or even from word to word. They will scan in an F-shape, looking for something relevant to grab their attention. So, we structure content to help people scan.

Think about the structure of content from the point of view of someone who’s scanning it quickly. They are checking to see if this is the right page for them. What elements on the page or signposts will readers be drawn to?

The most attention-grabbing structural elements are:

• headings and subheadings
• bulleted lists
• images and captions
• links

We take extra care with these.

Break content into short, easily digestible chunks. Each chunk is a short paragraph - no more than 5 lines long.

It can be difficult to deliver a clear message when your paragraphs are very long. People might not be able to find the key point of your argument among all the words and you might include more text.

Headings and lists can help you break up your text. They add space to the page and invite the reader in. They also help your reader quickly find what they want.

Why chunk content

Short, easily digestible sections help you to deliver a clear message. They help the reader to take in the information.

Use headings

Headings add space to the page and space invites the reader in. They break the page up into sections and help the reader quickly find what they want.

Use lists

Lists achieve the same goal as headings when they are structured properly. This means the list items are parallel with correct punctuation.

We use consistent patterns (that is, the same words and structure) for some elements on our site. That means that they always look the same, wherever people come across them on our site.