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Designing with Readability in Mind

Handouts

Presented at 8:00am in Colorado I-J on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

#38305

Speaker(s)

  • Kate DeForest, Web/Digital Content Coordinator, State University of New York at Oswego

Session Details

  • Length of Session: 1-hr
  • Format: Lecture
  • Expertise Level: All Levels
  • Type of session: General Conference

Summary

We’ve all encountered poorly designed or written materials that are difficult to read or understand. In this session, we are going to help improve your documents and presentations by offering some simple strategies on how to design these materials to be more readable and digestible. In this session, we will discuss how to make attractive and easy-to-read materials by simplifying the language and wording, properly using headings and space, choosing the best fonts, and using color effectively.

Abstract

We’ve all encountered poorly designed or written materials. This might include the “wall of text” email, over-the-top wording, unnecessarily complex language, long URLs in the middle of a paragraph, and so on.

The concept of accessibility and universal design is to remove barriers, allowing the audience to more effectively interact with our digital content. Designing and creating materials with the user experience in mind is easier than remediating or adding in accessibility at the end of the creation process.

In this session, Kate DeForest, Web/Digital Content Coordinator for State University of New York at Oswego, will offer simple strategies on how to design materials to be more easily digestible. We’ll talk about making attractive and easy-to-read materials through:

  • Simplifying language and wording
  • Properly using headings and space
  • Choosing the best fonts for your materials
  • And using color effectively

You become a digital accessibility superhero by creating more inclusive content that allows your audience to easily consume your materials.

Keypoints

  1. Implementing accessibility and UDL principles allows the audience to better interact with our digital content.
  2. You become the superhero by creating more inclusive materials that your audience can easily consume.
  3. Learn how to use headings, space, bullets, fonts, and color to make attractive and easy-to-read materials.

Disability Areas

All Areas

Topic Areas

Accessible Course Design, Accessible Educational Materials, Faculty Development & Support, Uncategorized, Universal Design for Learning

Speaker Bio(s)

Kate DeForest

Kate DeForest is Web/Digital Content Coordinator for State University of New York at Oswego. She updates and maintains the university’s primary website and trains campus personnel on web and digital accessibility best practices. As a member and former chair of the Workgroup on Accessibility Practices, Kate has worked on a number of campus accessibility initiatives, including building Oswego’s Digital Accessibility website and launching multiple Campus Accessibility Challenges. Kate is a member of IAAP and a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). She has given accessibility-related presentations at numerous local, state, national, and international conferences, including Accessing Higher Ground, HighEdWeb, AHEAD, and Higher Education Connect.

Handout(s)