Designing for print and designing for web is as different as black and white. Designing for web is based in accordance to the audience, purpose and context. These guidelines should be made as a priority to create good document design that not only attract readers but also engage readers to get involved with the organization itself (Walsh, 2006). Online media (websites, weblogs, e-browse) and print media (fact sheets, magazines, newspapers) alter different design layouts to accommodate their own purpose and space.
Print media asserts a linear and sequential way reading pathway as readers do not have a choice but to read it in order (Walsh, 2006), that is, from left to right (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Therefore, sub-headings and typography would help reflect and develop the meaning of words as mentioned by Putnis & Petelin (1996), that “optimum legibility for paper documents as the product of the relationship between the style of the letter form (the typeface or font), the size of the letters, the length of the line and the amount of white space between the lines”.
Print media asserts a linear and sequential way reading pathway as readers do not have a choice but to read it in order (Walsh, 2006), that is, from left to right (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006). Therefore, sub-headings and typography would help reflect and develop the meaning of words as mentioned by Putnis & Petelin (1996), that “optimum legibility for paper documents as the product of the relationship between the style of the letter form (the typeface or font), the size of the letters, the length of the line and the amount of white space between the lines”.
(Example of Print Media – Seventeen Magazine)
On the other hand, designing for web provides a non-linear reading pathway which allows readers freedom to choose and encourage interactivity (Walsh, 2006) through external links to other websites. As Nielson (2006) explains, web page users read ‘in a horizontal movement… Next, users move down the page a bit and then read across in a second horizontal movement… Finally, users scan the content’s left side in a vertical movement’ – the F-pattern. Therefore, when designing for web, contents should not be overpowered with information as Nielson (1997) said that
‘People rarely read web pages word by word while reading from the computer screen is about 25% slower compares to reading from print’.
References
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, Reading Images: Grammar of Visual Design, Routledge, London.
Nielsen, J 2006, ‘F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content’, Useit.com, viewed on 12 November 2008, < http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html>.
Nielsen, J 1997, ‘Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web’), Useit.com, viewed 12 November 2008, <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703b.html>.
Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read on the Web, Useit.com, viewed 12 November 2008, < http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html>.
Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication: principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.
Walsh, M 2006, The ‘textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24-37.
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, Reading Images: Grammar of Visual Design, Routledge, London.
Nielsen, J 2006, ‘F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content’, Useit.com, viewed on 12 November 2008, < http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html>.
Nielsen, J 1997, ‘Be Succinct! (Writing for the Web’), Useit.com, viewed 12 November 2008, <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703b.html>.
Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read on the Web, Useit.com, viewed 12 November 2008, < http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html>.
Putnis, P & Petelin, R 1996, Professional communication: principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.
Walsh, M 2006, The ‘textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24-37.
No comments:
Post a Comment