The Reader as Explorer: Tools For Textual Navigation

摘要

The message in a composition should be as accessible as possible. If the reader is conceived of as an explorer through a new realm of information, the writer can devise a map that will aid the reader in his or her navigation through the composition. An accessible composition provides visual cues to permit the reader to continuously apprehend the underlying structure and reorient himself or herself. Three design features can help the writer to improve the reader's ability to access the message: a perceptible structure, the use of mnemonics, and a clear visual pathway.