Recognizing elements of effective screen design

Writing prose to suit the Web

Organizing multiple pages

Writing faster

Additional Resources

The purpose of these pages is to offer guidance on writing Web pages. Many have noticed that readers treat text on a computer screen differently than text on paper.  (See, for example, Charney (1994), Haas (1996), and Sosnoski (1999), listed on the Additional Resources page.)  If it is true that people read differently when using computers, then writers need to think carefully about converting existing print documents to digital formats.

The pages presented here are addressed primarily to educators who want to convert materials from print to computer media, or who plan to begin producing materials primarily for the Web.  The pages should also be valuable for others wishing to write for the Web.

You need only possess basic knowledge in creating Web pages in order to benefit from these pages.  The purpose, after all, is to create simple, readable pages in a relatively short amount of time, not to create complex, bleeding-edge pages using the latest techniques.  (If you want a review of the technical basics of Web page design, look at Creating Web Pages from Scratch).

The advice offered here can be accomplished with a simple Web page editor such as Netscape Composer. (Hint:  If you're using a recent version of Netscape Communicator to view this page, click on "Communicator" on the menu at the top of your screen, then choose "Composer.")

How you read the pages depends on your level of expertise. 

• If you feel like a relative novice in creating Web pages, then read the subjects here in the order they're presented.  One page typically builds on information presented in its predecessor. 
• If you feel comfortable with one or more of the topics presented here, then skip to the page that interests you.

Notice, too, that these pages often link you to helpful resources, rather than fully explaining a topic themselves.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about anything presented in these pages.  You can reach me at 260-481-6770, or email me at blythes@ipfw.edu.