Readable Content Design

Structure and write content so that people with different reading abilities, attention spans, and cognitive styles can find what they need and understand it.

Core Principle

People don't read — they scan. Design your content for the scan first, the read second.

Content Structure

Inverted Pyramid

Put the most important information first. Assume the reader might stop at any point.

• Paragraph 1: the key message or answer
• Paragraph 2: the essential supporting detail
• Paragraph 3+: background, context, nuance