Ch4. Reading is Unnatural
We're wired for language, but not for reading
Reading is an artificial skill that we learn by systematic instruction and practice, like playing a violin, juggling, or reading music
Learning to read involves training our brain -including our visual system - to recognize patterns.
The patterns that our brain learns to recognize run a gamut from low level to high level
Lines, contours, and shapes are basic visual features
Characters - letters, numeric digits, and other standard symbols
In alphabetic scripts, patterns of characters form morphemes. ex) farm, tax, -ed, -ing
Morphemes combine to form patterns. ex) farm, tax, -ed, -ing -> farm, farmed, farming
Words combine to form patterns, phrases, idiomatic expressions, and sentences.
Sentences combine to form paragraph.
Is reading feature-driven or context-driven?
Reading involves recognizing features and patterns.
Feature-driven reading is sometimes referred to as "bottom-up" or "context-free."
Context-driven or top-down reading operates in parallel with feature-driven reading but it works the opposite way: from whole sentences or the gist of a paragraph down to the words and characters.
context is important, but it's a more important aid for the poorer reader who doesn't have automatic context-free recognition instantiated.
The most efficient way to read is via context-free, bottom-up, feature-driven precesses that are well learned to the point of being automatic.
Skilled readers may resort to context-based reading when feature-based reading is disrupted by poor presentation of information.
"To let" signs as "Toilet" because in the United States they see the word "toilet" often, but they almost never see phrase "to let" - Americans use "for rent" instead.
In less skilled readers, feature-based reading is not automatic; it is conscious and laborious. Therefore, much more of their reading is context based.
Design implications: don't disrupt reading; support it!
A designer's goal should be to support reading, not disrupt it. Skilled reading is mostly automatic and mostly based on feature, character, and word recognition.
Less skilled reading is greatly assisted by contextual cues.
Ensure that text in user interfaces allows the feature-based automatic processes to function effectively by avoiding the disruptive flaws: difficult or tiny fonts, patterned backgrounds, centering, etc.
Use restricted, highly consistent vocabularies - sometimes referred to in the industry as plain language or simplified language
Format text to create a visual hierarchy to facilitate easy scanning
Much of the reading required by software is unnecessary
Many software user interfaces simply present to much text, requiring users to read more than is necessary.
Minimize the amount of prose text in a user interface; don't present users with long blocks of prose text to read.
In a product description, provide a brief overview of the product and let users request more detail if they want it.
