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The scannable document

On websites, people don't read word for word: they scan for what interests them. There's anecdotal evidence that the same is true of documents such as magazines and reports.

That has implications for the way documents are written and designed. It means that text should be broken up with some or all of the following:

• headings and subheadings
• breakout quotes
• narrative headings (i.e. headings or sections of highlighted text that tell a story, in the way a newspaper headline does)
• keylines (brief summaries of the key points at the side of the page)
• graphics that help to tell your story
• bullet points.

As well as breaking up text, headings, breakouts etc allow you to focus readers' attention on the most important points - so that if the reader does nothing but skim through the headings they will get a good idea of the report's key points.

For examples, see our reports for the Wellington City Council and Asia New Zealand Foundation.