Most readers look for shortcuts, especially in the workplace. They want to find the key ideas in what they are reading quickly and easily, so they look for hints in what they read that will help—they look for information-rich signposts that will help them find the details that matter.

Today’s post discusses how including clear headings, subheadings, and links helps readers navigate your document by providing information-rich signposts. Listen for a reference in the video to the F-Shaped Reading Pattern, which these document features support.

The video, Create Information-Rich Signposts, refers to online documents specifically, but most of these features are useful in printed documents as well. The video is free with your VT login. Follow these instructions to login.

Apply this idea in the technical documents you write by taking advantage of meaningful headings throughout the text.