Web Content Design for Writers and Editors

This five-session class covered Web site development from a content perspective. Topics included

• Defining the site: goals, audience and content
• Information design
• Navigation and visual design
• Writing for the Web: page organization and Web style
• Maintaining and promoting content

Web Writing Project

Readers tend to skim online documents, rather than reading them closely. A document intended for the Web, then, should: present information in an "inverted pyramid," with an overview at the beginning of a document followed by successive levels of detail; employ headings and highlighting to guide readers to the information they want; and write concise text.

Assignment: “Edit an existing article for the Web; assume it will be skimmed.”

• Original document (Microsoft Word document provided by the instructor)
• Edited document (Web page)
• Instructor comments (Microsoft Word document)

Navigation and Visual Design Exercise

A usable site structure and navigation scheme derives from analysis of the site’s goals, intended audience, and the content necessary to meet audience needs. As an illustration of this analysis, we worked in-class to develop a Web site content plan for the BCC Technical Communications program.

Assignment: “Based on the content plan developed in class, create a home page layout for BCC Technical Communications Program.”

• Class-developed content plan (Microsoft Word document)
• Home page design (graphic)