Headings: More Important Than Ever Online

Headings Provide These Key Design Features

• an outline of your document
• a visual content reference for scrolling text
• a summary path for the casual reader.

Main Headings Define Your Message

You probably won't need one on every screen.

Keep them short enough to fit on one line.

Subheadings Carry Your Message

Try to have one on each screen.

Include part of the main heading text as a reader reference.

Use Headings to Create Menus

The number and level of menus will depend on your subject's complexity and whether topics can or should be read individually.

Be sure the or heading or subheading on the page accessed from a menu is the same as the menu item.

Now, Have Some Fun!

Use headings to keep your reader's attention. Be creative with

• placement
• fonts
• color.

The best formatting layouts are still found in print. Find something that catches your eye and use it as a guide.