Designing for how we read

Reading feels effortless, so we assume it’s simple. It isn’t. The eye moves in quick jumps, pausing only a few times per line, filling in the rest from the shape of words and the context around them.

Design for the scanner

Most people don’t read a page — they scan it, hunting for the parts that matter. Visual communication that respects this gives the scanner footholds:

• Hierarchy so the most important idea is also the most visible.
• Chunking so information arrives in pieces small enough to hold.
• Rhythm so the eye always knows where to land next.

Legibility is a kindness

Measure (line length), leading, contrast, size — these aren’t fussy details. They’re the difference between a message that’s received and one that’s abandoned halfway through.

The best visual communication asks nothing of the reader. It simply makes understanding the path of least resistance.