Technical Writers’ Companion

On all levels, provide the key message as soon as possible. Place the main points:

▪in the first topic of a section

▪on top of the page or screen

▪at the beginning of a subsection rather than in the middle

▪at the beginning of a paragraph rather than in the middle

▪at the beginning of a sentence rather than in the middle

▪in the first table column

▪in the first table row

▪on the left side of a figure (in languages that are read from left to right)

The position in front is the most prominent position:

▪Readers assume that what comes right at the beginning is more important than what comes somewhere else.

▪Readers remember better what comes at the beginning than what comes somewhere else.

▪When readers skim a text, what comes at the beginning is easier for them to find than what comes somewhere else.

▪Readers who don’t read the full topic at least read the key message at the beginning.