Readability Guidelines

Last updated: 7 January, 2020

"Imagine a collaboratively developed, universal content style guide, based on usability evidence." Sarah Winters, project founder.

Wiki sections

• Clear language

• Grammar points

• Audiences, devices, channels

• Content design

• Images

Project background

Sarah Winters of Content Design London asked in 2018 if working together we can create evidence-based style readability guidance. Read the first blog post about the project. Watch the London Accessibility MeetUp talk.

This wiki was collaboratively researched, and authored by Lizzie Bruce.

Content collaborators in multiple sectors:

• agreed on having an open community style readability wiki,

• held regular, live, global discussions for an initial 24 weeks,

• agreed the project would rely on formal usability evidence,

• found evidence to answer 17 priority readability questions,

• created consistent guidelines, overview at: readability checklist,

• identified top level findings, 

• agreed some style points need usability testing,

• decided to continue exploring new topics.
  

Get involved

How to join in:

• explore this wiki: more than 100 guidelines so far,

• find out how to collaborate,

• add usability evidence

• join live discussions,

• discover new topic suggestions,

• follow the hashtag #ReadabilityGuidelines,

• get added to the Hall of fame,

• buy the Readability Guidelines Handbook 2019.

To share links to usability studies, use the comment section of the relevant wiki topic page.

Wiki comments and edits

This is a totally open project. You're welcome to comment on, and suggest edits for wiki pages. Please:

• be respectful,

• support positive open learning with your comments,

• include usability evidence with your comments,

• read current wiki pages carefully and review existing evidence before making edit suggestions.

Any other comments or queries, please get in touch on twitter @ContentDesignLN.