We know many of the ways that higher ed communications is unique in practice from other industries—the quirks of the academic calendar, the diverse range of audiences, the intense politics, working under a knowledge-centric mission, and so on. But another way in which higher ed stands out are the content types that only we get to wrangle—catalogs, handbooks, policies, program pages, and so, so much more. Just because they are native to … [Read more...]
Clarity and Readability Checklist for Content Creators
Last week, Georgy talked about respecting our audiences with readable content, including options for testing readability. Wikipedia describes readability as "the ease in which text can be read and understood." In other words, do people get what you're saying? The definition of readability is straightforward enough, but how do you plan for clarity and readability? In particular, for content creators working on the front line, what … [Read more...]
Planning for Content Beyond the Web
The following guest post was written by Dave Olsen, a programmer and project manager at West Virginia University. Dave will be speaking at Confab Higher Ed in Atlanta, GA this November. "Get your content ready to go anywhere," says web designer Brad Frost, "because it’s going to go everywhere." For many, responsive web design has become the solution for ensuring that their content is, as Brad noted, “ready to go anywhere.” It’s a simple … [Read more...]