Kress and van Leeuwen (1998) points out that modern newspapers and magazines are no longer just written, but 'designed'. Even so, there are still elements that distinguish between designing for online and print media.
The Star - Malaysian print newspaper
Screenshot of The Star news website
Nielson (1997) says that people scan web pages for information rather than read them word for word. To have scannable text, he suggests highlighting keywords by using different typefaces or colors, and having a shorter word count compared to print publications. He found that having concise text improved usability for online readers (or readability) by 58%.
Another difference is that in the print version of The Star newspaper, there is a column on the right giving readers a preview of what other content might be of interest in the paper. In the online version however, the preview links are on the right, below the main headline. According to Nielson (2006), this is because online readers scan the site in an F-shaped pattern, and the preview links are placed strategically so as to grab reader's attention.
Weixel (2004) also points out that serif fonts are generally easy to read and are used for lengthy paragraphs such as in print publications. Sans serif fonts however, are used more often online as it is easier to read off a brightly lit computer screen.
These points are always useful to take into consideration the next time you design any document; be it print or online.
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, Chapter 6: Front pages : (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford
Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read On The Web, Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, Useit.com, viewed 6 November 2008, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
Another difference is that in the print version of The Star newspaper, there is a column on the right giving readers a preview of what other content might be of interest in the paper. In the online version however, the preview links are on the right, below the main headline. According to Nielson (2006), this is because online readers scan the site in an F-shaped pattern, and the preview links are placed strategically so as to grab reader's attention.
Weixel (2004) also points out that serif fonts are generally easy to read and are used for lengthy paragraphs such as in print publications. Sans serif fonts however, are used more often online as it is easier to read off a brightly lit computer screen.
These points are always useful to take into consideration the next time you design any document; be it print or online.
Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, Chapter 6: Front pages : (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford
Nielsen, J 1997, How Users Read On The Web, Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, Useit.com, viewed 6 November 2008, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
Nielsen, J 2006, F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content, Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox, Useit.com, viewed 9 November 2008, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html.
Weixel, S 2004 Desktop Publishing BASICS, Thomson Learning Massachussetts
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