//snackable
Documents for the age of inattention
The changing way in which information is consumed presents communication experts and marketers with new requirements and challenges. To make a document interesting for readers, we need to leave paper-based thinking behind and use digital opportunities to create added value.
Analog zu lesen ist etwas völlig anderes als digital zu lesen. Nicht nur, weil wir keine Seiten zum Umblättern haben, sondern vor allem, weil wir in anderen Situationen und mit einer anderen Aufmerksamkeit rezipieren: Manchmal am Laptop, oft unterwegs mit dem Smartphone – und meist mit wenig Zeit oder sogar nebenher.
At a glance
Very few people read a digital document from cover to cover. When it comes to a document with a high density of information, readers may only be interested in one aspect of the e-paper, while the rest is simply skimmed over. A document must therefore be designed in such a way that even quick or skimming readers can easily get an overview. Navigation elements and anchor points can help here. With a single click, readers can go directly to the content that is of particular interest to them. Increasingly important: optimization for mobile use. This is because more and more people are getting their information on the go via their cell phones.
Illustrations
Graphics
Photo
Information that's fun
Reading analog is completely different from reading digitally. Not only because we don't have pages to turn, but above all because we read in different situations and with a different level of attention: sometimes on a laptop, often on the go with a smartphone—and usually with little time or even while doing something else.
At a glance
Very few people read a digital document from cover to cover. When it comes to a document with a high density of information, readers may only be interested in one aspect of the e-paper, while the rest is simply skimmed over. A document must therefore be designed in such a way that even quick or skimming readers can easily get an overview. Navigation elements and anchor points can help here. With a single click, readers can go directly to the content that is of particular interest to them. Increasingly important: optimization for mobile use. This is because more and more people are getting their information on the go via their cell phones.
Illustrations
Graphics
Photo
Infographic
Moving image
There are different types of visuals that can be used to make reading easier for the recipient. Each visual content format has its own specific characteristics and effects.
Information that's fun
Reducing and compressing information units is hard work. After all, getting to the point is rarely easy. But plowing through long pages of text is no fun for readers either. That's why design exists — and why it's so important. Images, graphic elements, color fields, and icons can reinforce messages, charge them with emotion, make them easier to understand, or reduce their complexity.
During the design process, information is broken down into digestible “portions.”
This not only aids comprehension, but also makes reading more enjoyable.
By the way, longer in your mind
Oh, and visual content can do even more. Information enriched with visuals stays in the brain longer than purely textual information. So it's a win-win situation, so to speak. Good design and carefully measured chunks of information keep readers engaged with the e-paper for longer, and (!) at the same time, what they read sticks in their minds better and for longer. That's how reading works today.
Checklist for
digital documents
// Better orientation possible thanks to menu structure and navigation elements
// Interactivity ensures a pleasant reading experience and intuitive handling
// Optimization for mobile use is important
// Different types of readers have different needs
// Smaller units of information created through graphic elements
// Good design encourages readers to “stick with it”
// ... and promotes understanding
// Combination of text and visual stimuli ensures variety and interest
// Information paired with visual stimuli stays in the mind longer
