Letting Go of the Words

11 Using Illustrations Effectively

In previous chapters, we’ve talked about making information visual just by arranging the text: short paragraphs, short sentences, lists, tables, headings, and a judicious use of space. Illustrations (photos, drawings, charts, graphs, maps, and so on) are also an important part of your web content.

As with all web content, in planning illustrations, you must think about your purposes, your audiences, and why people come to your site. The first questions to ask as you plan for illustrations are:

• What do I want to achieve by having an illustration here?

• What type of illustration is appropriate to achieve that purpose?

Indeed, as you go through your web content, ask yourself:

• Am I drawing a picture in my ...