Web Con 2026 / TL;DR — How to Write When No One’s Reading

• Cognitive load
  Reading on screens causes faster eye fatigue. We must reduce mental effort.
• The F-shaped pattern
  Users scan down the left side and across the top, looking for keywords.
• Web style
  Built for distraction, non-linear, interactive, action-oriented content.

• The serial comma
  Web style requires the serial comma to clarify lists and minimize ambiguity. They eliminate the possibility of misinterpretation and improve usability.
• Numbers and symbols
  Use numerals (12) and symbols (%) instead of spelling them out (twelve, percent) to attract scanning eyes.
• Paragraphs
  • Short paragraphs create visual breathing room, making your content much easier to scan than heavy blocks of text.
  • Aim for sentences that average 15–20 words
  • 3-5 sentences max
  • Stick to 1 topic per paragraph.
  • Front-load paragraphs and sentences with keywords.
• Acronyms and abbreviations
  • Only use abbreviations if they are universally understood (internal department jargon doesn’t count).
  • Spell out the acronym or abbreviation the first time you use it within the content. Do not use them in headers.

Plain language is inclusive and accessible. It makes your content easier to find, read, and scan. It’s also easier to translate. 

• Write for a 7th to 8th-grade level
  • Even highly educated professionals prefer simple language when completing online tasks.
  • Use common, everyday words that your readers use in their own search queries.
• Drive action with active voice
  “Tim taught the class” vs. “The class was taught by Tim.”
• Be direct and concise
  • Reduce your word count. NN/g research shows that concise text and scannable layouts boost usability by over 120%.
  • Objective language also plays a key role.
• Avoid promotional “marketese,” humor, and jargon
  • Skip promotional jargon, buzzwords, and exaggerated claims. Users tune out promotional fluff.
  • Not everyone gets slang, humor, sarcasm, or cleverness. These styles don’t connect with all ways of thinking or backgrounds. 
  • Explain jargon and technical terms in simpler words when you must use them. 
• Tone matters
  • Match the tone to the user’s emotional state.
  • Be positive. 

Plain language guidelines

• U.S. General Services Administration plain language guide
• NNG on plain language
• The Conscious Style Guide

Tools to help with plain language

• Hemmingway editor
• Grammarly
• AI

TL;DR

• Talk to your users the way you converse with them.

• The “grab and go” approach
  Users come to your site with a question or a task. Give them the answer so they can move on.
• Write like you speak
  Use a friendly, informal tone with contractions (e.g., “you’ll,” “don’t”) and personal pronouns (e.g., “you,” “we”) to build a connection.
• Cut the pleasantries
  Users ignore “Welcome to our page!” filler text.
• Krug’s Third Law of Usability
  • “Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what’s left.”
  • PSA: Read Steve Krug’s book, Don’t Make Me Think
• Communication, not decoration:
  Jakob Nielsen, Ph.D., is a retired principal and co-founder (with Dr. Donald A. Norman) of the Nielsen Norman Group. 

“At its core, inclusive language is based on kindness and curiosity—learning and caring about others as individuals.”

— Dr. Michele Kerulis, Counseling@Northwestern

Cultivating respect, diversity, empathy, and understanding

• What is inclusive, conscious language?
  Language that values diversity, shows respect, and supports equal opportunities.
• Person-centered focus
  Put the person first, not their condition. Use “person with a disability” instead of “disabled person.”
• Recognizing intersectionality
  Understand how identities like race, class, and gender affect a person’s experience.
• Continuous evolution
  Language evolves. We must avoid words that marginalize or reinforce stereotypes.
• The 5 C’s of conscious language
  Guides word choices through Content, Context, Consequence, Complexity, and Compassion.
• Designing for equity
  Focuses on minimizing harm and building welcoming environments for historically excluded communities.
• A tool for self-awareness
  Encourages communicators to examine implicit biases and adapt as cultural norms naturally evolve.

PSA: Check out The Conscious Style Guide book and website, by Karen Yin.

Resources

• APA Inclusive Language Guide
  • PDF download
• W3C Inclusive Terminology Guide
• National Council of Teachers of English Statement on Gender Language
• Diversity Style Guide
• Northwestern’s Inclusive Language blog
• Conscious Style Guide book

Sources

• https://counseling.northwestern.edu/blog/inclusive-language-guide/
• https://consciousstyleguide.com/

Make web pages easier to scan by breaking long paragraphs into shorter segments with descriptive subheadings.

Because screen space is limited, use more subheadings, lists, and other semantic structures to prevent walls of text.

• Assume users are scanning
  The average user only reads about 20% of the content on a page.
• Chunk your content
  Stick to one topic per paragraph. Cap paragraphs at 70 words or 1-3 sentences.
• Choose lists over text
  Break up dense blocks with bulleted lists.

Resources

• https://digitalaccessibility.illinois.edu/getting-started/accessibility-fundamentals/lists

• Introductory sentences
  Your landing page intros are prime real estate.
• Lead with the value
  Put your most critical message at the very top of the page.
• Respect the scroll
  Content that requires vertical scrolling loses up to 80% of its readership.
• Layer the details
  Save highly specialized or lengthy information for deeper, linked pages.

Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/inverted-pyramid/

• Incorporate keywords
  Include keywords or search terms in your headings.
• Use action phrases
  For instructions, choose verbs instead of static nouns.
• Format for accessibility
  • Ensure web editors know the correct heading levels for HTML (H1, H2, H3). This creates a clear, semantic structure.
  • Use CamelCase for H1s. Capitalize the first letter of each word.
  • Use sentence case for H2-H6. Capitalize the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns.
• Be direct
  Keep information short, clear, and free of acronyms or jargon.

Pro tips:

• And ensure your HTML heading levels (H1, H2, H3) are semantically correct to support screen readers.
• Outline your content to visualize headings
• If you’re having trouble writing a heading, your content is probably isn’t clear enough or covers too many points. Rewrite!

• Never use “click here”
  Link text should be clear and relevant. For example, use “View the University Print Policy” to tell the users what action they’re taking.
• Front-load the action
  Start button/link text with strong verbs (Submit, Buy, Learn).
• Optimize length
  Aim for descriptive links that are 4 to 8 words long.
• Think of screen reader users
  • Screen readers can list all hyperlinks on a page. A list of “click here” and “read more” links provides zero context.
  • Do not use the same link text for more than one link unless they have the same url.

Resources

• https://digitalaccessibility.illinois.edu/getting-started/accessibility-fundamentals/links

• Determine the purpose
  Is the image Informative, Functional, or Decorative?
• Inform
  Explain what the image really means, not just its appearance. Keep it short.
• Functional (buttons)
  Describe the action (e.g., “search” instead of “magnifying glass”).
• Decorative
  Use the decorative attribute (alt=”decorative”) so screen readers can safely skip it.
• Skip redundancy
  Never start with “image of…” screen readers announce this automatically.
• For infographics or images with a lot of text, spell out the text elsewhere in the communication.

Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/write-alt-text/

Resources

• Campus Digital Accessibility website
• NNG

• Move from implicit to explicit
  Make the distinctions between options immediately obvious.
• Reduce cognitive load
  Don’t force users to hold info in their working memory to play “spot the difference.”
• Highlight differences, not similarities
  Use visual layouts (comparison tables) to draw the eye to what is unique.
• Focus on what matters
  Emphasize the specific features or requirements that drive decision-making.

Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/explicit-differences/

• Microcopy matters
  These tiny words on forms, buttons, and tooltips have a massive impact on user success. Be very intentional and direct.
• Blame the system, not the user
  When writing error messages, avoid aggressive or blaming language. For example, don’t say, “You entered the wrong password.” Instead, be helpful and clear (e.g., “That password doesn’t match our records. Please try again.”).
• Tell them how to fix it
  A good error message tells the user what went wrong and exactly what they need to do to proceed.

• SEO Canvas training
• Campus SEO Figma board
• Campus Editorial Style Guide
• Using On-Brand Language for SEO: Keywords, Meta Descriptions, Headers, Alt Text and Schema