You should be. Copy heavy (and design heavy) web sites and written materials make readers gasp for "air." They tire just looking at the sheer volume of information and, at best, only scan the words. To capture attention and increase comprehension, use white space.
• Web site copy: Leave empty space around your copy...and your images. Healthy margins allow your reader to find the important points.
• Technical writing: Use headers and single sentence paragraphs for key points. Information that "stands out" pops!
• Letters: Limit your paragraphs to seven to nine lines. On e-mails, drop down to three to four lines per paragraph.
• Resumes: Add blank space between your job listings. Even just a little bit of line spacing encourages readers to pause and consider each of your experiences.
And all of that discussion about one or two spaces between sentences? While only one space is really necessary, thanks to today’s proportional type faces, some fonts are still difficult to read. So are right justified Word documents and web sites. Most experts suggest leaving one space between sentences for professional design and publishing; two spaces between sentences for e-mail, technical papers and correspondence. That said, it still remains a matter of personal preference.
Wishing you the space to be healthy and happy in the new year,
Claudia Coplon & Steve Clements Executive Speak/Write's oral and written communications trainers
