Text Usability
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Descriptions
Text usability is applying usability principles to content to improve the impact the text has on the reader. It includes making your text easier to read. When text is easier to read, the user is able to absorb the information you provide to them. This is important for any application. Easier to read text also builds the relationship between you and your user. If you convey information to them in a way they understand, they'll be more likely to trust you and any products or services you might offer.
Text usability is about building trust through your text. It's about making your users more comfortable with your application and forging a closer relationship to them. Your content has a monumental impact on your user, and every word should be used to your advantage. By applying usability to your text, your content will be easier to understand and users will talk about your application.
Some usability guideline for text are
- Organize the text into paragraphs.
- Try to use bulleted information instead of a table.
- Set the default text alignment is left. For right-to-left UI languages, the default text alignment is on the right.
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Left aligned text looks good. |
Right aligned text looks bad. |
- The best combination for readability of text is black text on a white background. so black text is preferable.
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Black text on a white background is more readable. |
- Highlight keywords or title of text.
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Text paragraph wit bold title looks good |
Text paragraph with normal title is look bad' |
- Truncate text if it is not fit in line and not supposed to display in two line. Add three dots(...) if truncation is required.
The text should be truncated from the end. An exception to this is phone number, which should be truncated from the begining.
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Text paragraph with truncated text and appended dots |
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- Do not truncate text of softkey labels and menus.
- Use word wrapping whenever for displaying long texts in paragraph.
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Text paragraph with word wrapping looks good |
Text paragraph without word wrapping looks bad' |
- Use the same text as the control condition in a layout that facilitated scanning text easily.
- Add marquee scrolling if text does not fit to a list view and supposed to show a whole text. Scrolling is done only when the item is highlighted and the text is scrolled in only one direction.
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Text paragraph with marquee effects |
- Avoid abbreviation of text if they are not familiar to all target users.
- Do not use ALL CAPS text.
- Employ the user's native language. Always test localized versions of the application with native users.
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