2. Electronic Documents Should Be Top-heavy

The inverted pyramid writing style puts the important information at the top. People do judge books by their cover; and they will judge web pages by what they can see without scrolling.

• If your first few lines satisfy your reader's needs, you will have done your job well.
• Curious or skeptical readers can keep reading, perhaps following links deeper into your document.
• Bored or satisfied readers can move on.

Use the inverted pyramid on several levels, whether you are writing a paragraph, a single page, or a multi-page collection.

• Paragraph
• Begin with the conclusion. (It may be all your visitor has time to read.)
• Use subsequent sentences to support your conclusion.
• Use bulleted lists and highlighted keywords to break up long, boring blocks of text.
• Page
• Begin each page (or posting) with a table of contents, or a detailed abstract.
• The abstract should provide the Coles Notes version of your page:
• "This web page has some neat links and cool graphics."

(Vague and completely useless.)
• "This web page offers links to my favorite science fiction TV shows and some original computer graphics."

(Although slightly improved, this version still lacks any specific details.)
• "This web page has an annotated list of links to Canadian Star Trek and Babylon 5 web sites, and graphics that emulate their computer interfaces."
• (This more informative summary helps the reader evaluate a document without reading it to the end.)
• Collection
• Provide an informative overview, near the top of the first page (in order to minimize scrolling).
• Different kinds of electronic documents require slightly different overviews.  For example:
• A web home page should contain:
• a statement of purpose
• a table of contents
• An on-line manual, help file, or FAQ (list of "Frequently Asked Questions") should contain:
• a condensed, easily-accessible index or table of contents for those who want a quick overview
• items arranged so that the most common problems are the most easily solved.
• An archive or list of links should begin with:
• a clear description of the selection criteria
• a summary of contents (the better the summary, the more useful the collection)

  Next Page

Return to Top

Last modified . Site designed and maintained by Engineering Communication Centre Staff.