strategies for improving the readability of printed text
DESCRIPTION
Guest Presenter Chris Nicholas, Language Technologies, Inc. and ReadSmart LLC, presents broad-ranging research demonstrating that subtle changes to word spacing, text size, and line endings substantially improve reading comprehension during a webinar hosted by User Centric. The complimentary webinar, “Reading between the Words: Strategies for Improving the Readability of Printed Text,” on April 25 introduced the benefits of ReadSmart, a unique technology that has a big impact on the user experience.Backed by over 40 years of research from cognitive science, linguistics, neuroscience, psychology and computer science, ReadSmart® works by making small variations to the spacing between letters, spaces, words, size of letters and words and line endings based on the linguistic, psychological and informational properties of the text. There is no change to vocabulary, word order or grammar - layouts, fonts, punctuation, sentences and other structures are unchanged as well as the total amount of space used. Although these sophisticated modifications to the composition of the text are very subtle, the results -- improved reading -- are unambiguous and powerful. Through dozens of research studies in the science underlying ReadSmart, reading abilities including comprehension, speed and persuasiveness improve dramatically, for both good and poor readers. Not limited to the English language, ideal applications of Readsmart include instructions for use, policy and procedures, direct mail, advertising, textbooks, and digital and mobile publishing.TRANSCRIPT
Reading between the Words: Strategies for Improving
the Readability of Printed Text
Christopher D. Nicholas, PhD
Webinar | April 25, 2012
@UserCentricIncFollow: #uxlunch
• PhD MIT, Linguis=cs
• Harvard Fellow
• Professor of Linguis=cs, Psychology, Cogni=ve Science, Neuroscience
• Department Chair, University of Arizona (Linguis=cs), University of Rochester (BCS)
• Co-‐founder of the Journal Cogni&on• Interna=onally recognized exper=se in reading comprehension and techniques that improve readability of print through linguis=cally and psychologically informed text formaSng
• Winner of Humboldt Research Award – 2010
Thomas Bever, PhD
Christopher Nicholas, PhD
• PhD in Neuroscience
• Exper=se in the how the brain perceives and interprets words and leZers
• Director of Development, Language Technologies, Inc.
• Chief Technology Officer, ReadSmart
• Instructor, University of Arizona
• Co-‐inventor of several pending patents for improving text composi=on and an ebook format, packaging, and distribu=on system for mobile devices
Outline
~ How reading works
~ How phrase-formatted text can help
~ Laboratory studies
~ Field studies
~ Direct marketing case studies
~ Take away
How reading works
2°
2°
2° is approximatelyequal to the width of 1-‐2 fingers at arms length
Fovea ~ 2º of visual angle
Some details about reading
•Reading is made up of a series of eye movements, called saccades. Between the saccades, peoples’ gaze stops or !xates on what they are reading.
•Fixations typically last ~200-250 ms
•During a !xation, people see roughly 7-15 characters or ~ 2-2.5 words
•e average English word has 5.5 letters
How reading looks in real time...
Another detail: ~ 1 in 6 characters is a space.
How text formatting helps
Ragged-right textSpaces sizes between words are even within and across lines.
Right justi!ed textSpaces sizes are even within a given line.
In print, spaces are not informative to readers.But it wasn’t always that way . . . .
http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mal/mal3/435/4356600/002.jpg
Gettysburg Address
we 46 here 41 highly 20 resolve 42 that 41 these 37 dead shall 37 not 24 have 48 died 43 in 30 vain; that 20 this nation 32 shall 28 have 54 a 34 new 34 birth 31 of -5 freedom: and 42 that 31 this 28 government 39 of 20 the 20 people, by the 11 people, for 23 the 13 people, shall 24 not -5 perish from 20 the 26 earth.
Numbers = units of space between the handwritten words
If it were word processed,it would look like this.
we here highly resolve that these deadshall not have died in vain: that thisnation shall have a new birth of freedom:and that this government of the people, bythe people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth
Word processors make spacesthe same size within a line.
Writers (at least Lincoln/Hayes) naturally change the size of spaces between words to create phrase packages
for us to be here dedicated to the greattask remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increaseddevotion to the that cause for which they here gave gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall nothave died in vain; that this nation shallhave a new birth of freedom: and thatthis government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth
we here highly resolve that these deadshall not have died in vain: that thisnation shall have a new birth of freedom:and that this government of the people, bythe people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth
If you think about it, line returns are a type of “space.”
7 out 11 lines start with an new phrase
Writers (at least Lincoln/Hayes) tend to break lines at phrase boudaries
Word processors break lineswherever they end
for us to be here dedicated to the greattask remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increaseddevotion to the that cause for which they here gave gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall nothave died in vain; that this nation shallhave a new birth of freedom: and thatthis government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth8 lines begin
with a new phrase4 lines
break a phrase 7 lines begin with a new phrase
7 linesbreak a phrase
What happens whenwe consciously format text this way?
Lab studies
People don’t notice any difference--even when they look at the documents side by side.
Standard text Formatted text
Standard formatting
Phrase-based formatting
Overlaid
0%
10%
20%
30%
10%
19%
28%26%
13%
North, 1951 Anglin, 1968Cromer, 1970 Mason, 1979Gerrell, 1983
Retention rate improvement0%
10%
20%
30%
Reading speeed increase
23%
16%16%18%
11%
North, 1951 Frase, 1979Hartley, 1980 Jandreau, 1986Bever, 1989
40 years of reading studies, across labs, with different methods show improvement with phase-based formatting.
0%
10%
20%
30%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
When we consciously phrase-format textpeople read faster and remember more.
e following studies are based on a speci!c automated phrase-formatted text methodology
Community College Computer Literacy Course
Percentage of students earning honors grades
Increase in positive ratingswhen textbooks is phrase-formatted
StandardTextbook50%
StandardTextbook
StandardTextbook
Phrase-formattedTextbook
Phrase-formattedTextbook
Phrase-formattedTextbook78%
Percentage of studentsreceiving failing grades
Phrase-formatted text helps students learn more
and like learning tools better.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
38%
Increased in enjoymentwhen article is phrase-formatted
Measure: Post-passage survey
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Phrase-formatted text makes reading more enjoyable for adults
0%
10%
20%
30%
12%
Increase in TOEFL Scorewhen test is phrase-formatted
Measure: TOEFL score
Native Chinese speakers
0%
20%
40%
60%
44%
Increase in ComprehensionBasic-level Students
0%
20%
40%
60%
15%
Increase in ComprehensionAdvanced Students
Measure: Reading Comprehension on SAT like Essays
Native Japanese speakers
0%
3%
5%
8%
3%
Increase in Comprehension*
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
18%
Increase in Reading Speed
Measure: Comprehension scores for native Spanish speakers on English SAT test instructed to read for accuracy* not speed
Native Spanish speakers
0%
10%
20%
30%
18%
10%
Measure: Reading Comprehension
Increase in Comprehension
No Distractions
Distractions
0%
10%
20%
30%
17%12%
Measure: Reading degraded copy (1st or 6th generation photocopies)
Increase in Comprehension
1st generationphotocopy
6th generation photocopy
Phrase-formatted text improves comprehension when reading is not easy.
• Reading in a non-native language• While distracted• From degraded copies
What’s happening?
Phrase-formatted Text makes spaces meaningful.is helps readers plan "xations more effectively.
Standard Text Phrase-formatted Text
# Fixations
Fixation length
Recursive reading
Poor Readers > Superior
Readers
Poor Readers
SuperiorReaders
Poor Readers
SuperiorReaders
≈Poor Readers
SuperiorReaders
Poor Readers
SuperiorReaders
Poor Readers
SuperiorReaders
> ≈> ≈
Measure: Eyetracking and Reading comprehension
Field studies
[Brand] and the free I Can supportprogram can helpyou manage yourtype 2 diabetes
[Brand] and the freeI Can support program can help you manage your type 2 diabetes
Measure: Click-through rates on webpage ad
0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
142%
Increase in click-throughson phrase-formatted ad
Standard Formatting
Phrase-formatted Text
Measure: Comprehension + Would you forward? survey for on-line newsletter
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
10%
Increase in likelihood to send to a friend
Standard Formatting
Phrase-formatted Text
0
2
4
6
8
07
# Comprehension questionsanswered more correctly
Phrase-formatted
Text
StandardText
Phrase-based makes content more actionable.
Direct Mail Studies
Direct Mail Case Study 1
Measure: Response Rate
Phrase-basedFormatting
StandardFormatting
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
4.12%4.46%
12.6% increase in response rate
when text isphrase-formatted
$0
$3.75
$7.50
$11.25
$15.00
$13.90$14.98
Direct Mail Case Study 1
Measure: Average gi size
Phrase-basedFormatting
StandardFormatting
7.7% increase in gi size
when text isphrase-formatted
Direct Mail Case Study 1
Measure: Income / piece
$0
$0.25
$0.50
$0.75
$1.00
$0.57$0.70
Phrase-basedFormatting
StandardFormatting
22.8% increase in income / piece
when text isphrase-formatted
Direct Mail Case Study 2
Measure: Response Rate
Phrase-basedFormatting
StandardFormatting
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
3.09%3.46%
16.3% increase in response rate
when text isphrase-formatted
$0
$3.00
$6.00
$9.00
$12.00
$15.00
$13.95$14.40
Direct Mail Case Study 2
Measure: Average gi size
Phrase-basedFormatting
StandardFormatting
3.2 % increase in gi size
when text isphrase-formatted
Direct Mail Case Study 2
Measure: Income / piece
$0
$0.10
$0.20
$0.30
$0.40
$0.50
$0.42$0.50
Phrase-basedFormatting
StandardFormatting
19.5% increase in income / piece
when text isphrase-formatted
Phrase-based makes direct mail more effective.
• Higher response rates• Larger gis• Greater income / piece
What’s the message?
enjoyable memorable actionable persuasive
Phrase-formatted text is more
Questions about applying ReadSmart to your documents?
Chris [email protected]
Questions about ReadSmart technology?
@UserCentricIncFollow: #uxlunch