Neil James!Plain English Foundation!Sydney, NSW, Australia!!!!

 

Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobiles:  Plain  language  in  a  mobile  world  !

Janice (Ginny) Redish!Redish & Associates, Inc.!Bethesda, MD, USA!!!!

 

1.  Setting the context!2.  Understanding mobile growth!3.  Critiquing an example!4.  Developing guidelines!

Topics for the session!Topics for our session!

1. Setting the context!

Photos © iStockphoto.com�except where we cite another source

What do you use?!

How many of these did you use 5 years ago?

Share a small screen story!

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2. Understanding mobile growth!

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1.  Growth of mobile devices!2.  Mobile Internet use!3.  The mobile context!4.  Mobile user experience!

Some killer facts  

Photo: animalstime.com

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Worldwide shipment by unit!

1. The growth of devices  

Source: www.gartner.com, June 2013

Device type (000s)

2012 2013 2014

PC 341,273 305,178 289,239

Ultramobile 9,787 20,301 39,824

Tablet 120,203 201,825 276,178

Mobile phone 1,746,177 1,821,193 1,901,188

Totals 2,217,440 2,348,497 2,506,429

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N  Mobiles in 2013  

Source: International Telecommunications Union

In 2013, mobile cellular subscriptions are almost equal to the number of people on earth.!

6.8 billion mobiles for 7.1 billion people!

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•  In 2013, around half of mobile users go online via mobile !

•  By 2014, mobiles overtake PC net use !•  By 2017, the mobile web will use 3

times today’s entire Internet data, and mobile data traffic will rise 13-fold!

•  In 10 years, 2-3 billion people will come online globally through mobile!

2. Mobile Internet use  

Sources: Karen McGrane, Pew Research, Cisco, McKinsey N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

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N  How do you use mobiles?  

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•  90% start task on one device and finish on another (browse phone/ buy tablet)!

•  44% look at mobile first and last thing!•  36% shoppers use mobiles to compare

prices while in a store!

3. The mobile context  

Sources: Karen McGrane, Google, MS Tag, Qualcomm

•  80%+ use a mobile while watching the television!

N  3. The mobile context  

Sources: McGrane, Google, Yahoo, Comscore, MS Tag

N  User priorities  

•  Find mobile friendly sites!

•  Move seamlessly between devices!

•  Reach goals with minimum clicks!

•  Choose between mobile, full site or app !

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N  Common user tasks  

•  Access social networks!

•  Find local services and information!

•  Manage personal information!

•  Play games!•  Watch video content!

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•  44% Fortune 100 have no mobile site!•  96% used a site not mobile ready!•  14% consumers happy with mobile

experience!•  67% more likely to purchase from

mobile friendly site and 74% return!•  79% will go elsewhere from a poor site!

4. Mobile user experience  

Sources: Karen McGrane, searchengineland, hubspot, Google

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N  A yawning gap…  

Photos: AgencyQ, grimpanda, msn N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

3. Critiquing an example!

2011 version N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

N  Think before you write!or review  

ü Why? (Purposes)

ü  Who? (Personas)

ü  What? (Conversations)

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http://www.uwmedicine.org/�Patient-Care/Our-Services/�Pages/Make-An-Appointment.aspx

N  Walk typical personas!through their conversations  

and do it on a mobile, too!!

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4. Developing guidelines!

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1.  Audience!2.  Physical context!3.  Channels!4.  Navigation!5.  Page structure!6.  Design!7.  Expression!

!

Areas to consider  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

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N  1. Audience  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

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1. Audience  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

N  1. Audience  

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N  1. Audience  

N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

!

Some basic guidelines  

N  PLAIN  2013  Vancouver   ©  Neil  James  and  Ginny  Redish  2013  Wri%ng  for  the  web  and  mobile  

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1.  Build everything for user needs!2.  Consider the physical context!3.  Select the best channels!4.  Simplify the navigation!5.  Prioritise the content on every page!6.  Design for small screens!7.  Cut every word you can!

Some basic guidelines  

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Morgan Kaufmann / Elsevier�2nd edition, 2012

         @GinnyRedish

Ginny Redish

Ginny Redish www.redish.net

More  ques%ons?    Write  to  us:  neil.james@plainenglishfounda%on.com    ginny@redish.net      

Thank you!

         @drplainenglish

www.facebook.com/plainenglishfoundation

Neil James www.plainenglishfoundation.com

Allen and Unwin, 2007 Scribe, 2011

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