The commonalities in design and writing
You know what’s fascinating?
The way design and writing have many similarities.
When I started writing online, I was frequently surprised by how often I could apply my design knowledge to writing.
Some things are so universal that you could easily apply the same principles to writing, but you think about the reader instead of the user.
The visual appeal of our content can make or break reader engagement.
Let’s provide the best reader experience (RX) possible.
In design, white space isn’t just an empty area. It’s a powerful tool that reduces cognitive load and enhances user experience (UX) because it provides the information in clearly separated chunks.
In writing, white space can make your content more digestible and less overwhelming.
When I see a big block of text, honestly, I just want to run away. It doesn’t matter how well the writer writes; it is difficult to read line by line when you have more than 5 lines in a paragraph. It’s even worse on mobile devices.
How to add white space to your articles?
So, the next time you’re tempted to write a wall of text, remember: less is more.
In design, bullet points help organize a bunch of information in a visually appealing way and make the content easy to scan.
Bullet points are one of my favourite tools to include in my writing because I can make complex information digestible.
When you want to add a list, instead of displaying the words in a block of text using commas to separate the words, let’s use bullet points for easy consumption.
But don’t just list them randomly!
Organize them to guide the reader through your article. Here’s some help on how to structure your writing.
In visual design, we carefully consider balance and proportion; the same goes for writing.
The length of your paragraphs can set the rhythm of your story.
Too long?
We lose the reader’s attention.
Too short?
Our article feels choppy or incomplete.
My favourite writing rhythms are
Where 1 means 1 line, 3 means 3 lines. These formats not only look good on the page but also create a rhythmic flow that’s hard to stop reading.
I also like to mix bullet points and lots of white space into my articles.
If you want your articles to look better, mix it up!
Use a variety of paragraph lengths to keep your readers engaged. Start with a punchy one-liner, follow it with a longer paragraph, and close with another impactful sentence.
In design, headings act as road signs that guide the user through the content.
In writing, headings and subheadings serve the same purpose. They break up our article into manageable sections, making it easier for readers to scan and find what interests them.
Be clear, not clever!
We want to guide our readers and certainly don’t want to confuse them. The best way we can do this is to use descriptive headings that give a snapshot of what each chunk is about.
Think about this as a ‘table of contents’ for your article, and apply H1 and H2 throughout your entire article.
Design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about creating an experience.
The same holds true for writing.
By borrowing principles from design, we can craft an article that’s informative and a joy to read, and your readers will thank you.