Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
- | Check that your content is easily comprehended by your target audience. | + | Check that your content is easily comprehended by your target audience. |
=== What Problem This Solves === | === What Problem This Solves === | ||
- | You don't know whether your content is written at the appropriate level for your target audience. | + | You don't know whether your content is written at the appropriate level for your target audience. |
=== When to Use This Pattern === | === When to Use This Pattern === | ||
- | Use this pattern when: | + | Use this pattern when: |
- | #it's imperative that your users can easily understand your content, e.g. product instructions, health information, government policy change, | + | #it's imperative that your users can easily understand your content, e.g. product instructions, health information, government policy change, |
- | #the content covers complex topics, | + | #the content covers complex topics, |
- | #your audience may have reading difficulties, or | + | #your audience may have reading difficulties, or |
#your content authors are inexperienced. | #your content authors are inexperienced. | ||
Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
Online tools - such as those by [http://juicystudio.com/services/readability.php Juicy Studios] or [http://www.addedbytes.com/code/readability-score/ Added Bytes] - use reading-level algorithms to automatically score the readability of your content. These give you a useful indication, especially for comparing relative scores for numerous content items (e.g. to identify the potential 'worst'), but shouldn't be relied on for critical content. | Online tools - such as those by [http://juicystudio.com/services/readability.php Juicy Studios] or [http://www.addedbytes.com/code/readability-score/ Added Bytes] - use reading-level algorithms to automatically score the readability of your content. These give you a useful indication, especially for comparing relative scores for numerous content items (e.g. to identify the potential 'worst'), but shouldn't be relied on for critical content. | ||
- | A more time-consuming but accurate solution is to perform a small usability test, by asking sample users to read your content and then quiz them with questions to test their comprehension. You could even integrate a survey module onto relevant pages to semi-automate this process. | + | A more time-consuming but accurate solution is to perform a small usability test, by asking sample users to read your content and then quiz them with questions to test their comprehension. You could even integrate a survey module onto relevant pages to semi-automate this process. |
- | You could also consider a Cloze test, which is an "''assessment consisting of a portion of text with certain words removed, where the participant is asked to replace the missing words''" ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloze_test source]). [http://www.alistapart.com/articles/testing-content/ Read more about how to conduct a cloze test for web content]. | + | You could also consider a Cloze test, which is an "''assessment consisting of a portion of text with certain words removed, where the participant is asked to replace the missing words''" ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloze_test source]). [http://www.alistapart.com/articles/testing-content/ Read more about how to conduct a cloze test for web content]. |
=== Why Use This Pattern === | === Why Use This Pattern === | ||
- | We're | + | We're frequently test the features and user experience of a website, but often assume that the content - often the primary component of a website - is correct. By testing only a small sample of your content, you can quickly adjust your writing style to better meet the needs of your users.<br> |
- | + | === Categories<br> === | |
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | + | ||
- | === Categories<br> === | + | |
[[Category:Editorial]] | [[Category:Editorial]] |