[Infographic] What makes something readable?

I can be a little obsessive when it comes to formatting and readability. Why? Because good writing is like a good meal. If it looks nice, people will want to read it. Words matter. But if your text isn’t readable, there’s no point in writing it. Remember, you write to be read!

Occupying the space between copy and design, readability is a complex subject. It’s easy to get lost in metrics and formulas, Gutenberg diagrams, golden triangles, ‘z’ and ‘f’ patterns. That’s great if you have time. If you haven’t, I wanted to take this chance to share some of the points I think all writers should know.

"There are three sides to readability. The words you choose. The layout and design you use."

Marketing

Posted 09/06/2020

Think words

One half of readability is all about the mechanics of your writing. It’s assessed on your choice of words and the structure of your sentences. It will look at the complexity of your language, tenses (remember, active or passive?) and sentence length. If you have five minutes, copy a piece of writing into the Hemingway app. It’s fascinating, and highlights some of the common errors writers make. It’s not law of course. But yes, this piece passed!

Think layout

Then there’s the design element. Or elements. I am not a designer, but I think it’s essential to understand some of the basics. Copy and design are like peas and carrots. Always together. Personally, I find it easier to write with a basic layout in mind. When most people read, they scan. So think about the hierarchy of information and plan for accessibility. What do people need to know? What do you want them to know? Think headings and sub-headings, bullet points, pull-out text, quotes and visual aids. Short(er) sentences also help. You should also avoid using too many capital letters, splitting words across lines (hyphens are a big no), or leaving a single word alone on a line by itself. Oh, and it’s official. Use one space after a full stop.

Think design

Having an information hierarchy and basic layout in mind will give you an idea of how much to write. That’s important. Don’t squash 500 words into a space that can only take half that amount! Of course, a good designer will help remedy this. But try and work out a sample page, or at least get a sense of the design (even if it’s your own) before you go too far. It’s surprising how different words look on a poster, leaflet or web page. If you can, build in some time for post-design editing (or if you’re doing web copy, type straight into the CMS). Chances are you’ll want to make changes!

If you’re a writer, you probably won’t be designing the piece. But you should still be aware of the pitfalls – particularly as they relate to your copy. Some things to look out for:

The choice and size of font. Keep it readable and it will read!
Line and paragraph length. Remember, shorter is generally better.
White space isn’t empty space. Make sure your text has room to breathe.
We read from left to right so be sparing with central and right justifications!
Contrast is good. Clashing is bad.

There is nothing better than seeing your words become part of a polished design. There is nothing worse than seeing your hard work lost in a bad one. To make your words sing, each element – copy, layout and design - needs to harmonise. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a newsletter, website copy or grant application.

Keep it readable and your words will be rewarded.

Infographic

Download our 'What makes something readable?' infographic to ensure your content consistently pops!

If you like what you’ve read here, why not download my full ‘Expert guide to great fundraising copy’ – it’s got everything you need to write words that WOW!