Chunking Content – Part 6
In Part 5 we reviewed the Map and how the Block plays a role in its structure. This post will review the units of information Blocks and Maps making it easier to apply Design Principles. This part will conclude the Design Phase of writing.
Block
Blocks are relevant chuncks of content with a label.
Map
Maps are a collection of Blocks with a title.
Components
Block
- One main idea
- A Label
- A Separator
Map
- No more than seven plus or minus two (7 ± 2) related Blocks
- A title that reflects the purpose or main idea/content
Summary
In the first Five parts we explained the importance of how we write. The different between on-line writing as compared to paper or books. Outling the the changes to support a layout out the the end user finds easy to use and navigate through. The strucure of Maps and Blocks also provided scanability for the users, which allowed for them to quickly find what was needed.
As we move into the Develop Phase we will also describe the principles used and presentation. You will be able to identify the difference between Process and Procedure. Although Process and Procedure have a similar look and feel because they both deal with action the difference will be determine by the Scope and Detail of the information.
July 13, 2011 at 2:52 pm
sounds like Information Mapping to me – a best practice for structuring communications for both paper and online!
July 13, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Lisa, you are correct. What is important is we remember we all are very diverse in our writing techniques. Like in Six Sigma, it is a mist that what we do or create is repeatable and reusable. Same as our writing. Having a standard is more important then following what we learned in English Lit.