Make product information easier to use

Give each page a clear job

Write a short purpose statement before editing the page. Identify the audience, the task and the question it should answer. Remove material that belongs to another purpose, or link to it where that link helps the reader.

Use a descriptive page title and headings that identify the subject of each section. Mark headings in a meaningful hierarchy rather than relying only on size or bold styling. The W3C writing guidance covers these distinctions and clear instructions for forms and other tasks.

• Name the page’s audience and task.
• Use headings that describe their sections.
• Explain unfamiliar product terms where they first matter.

Explain the action and its result

Describe the information needed before someone begins. Use ordinary words for buttons and links and state what happens after the action. For a multi-step task, make the current step and the next useful action recognisable.

For example, “Download sample review” is more informative than an isolated “Continue” when the action creates a file. If a form cannot accept an entry, explain the problem and the correction. Keep readiness, permissions and important limitations close to the relevant choice, using the same terms across the page.

Review the whole experience

Check the page with keyboard navigation, enlarged text and the intended reading order. Review link names, form labels, document titles and downloadable material together. An accessible page can still lead to a confusing or inaccessible file.

Invite intended users and relevant specialists into a properly planned evaluation when those sessions are available. Record what was actually checked, by whom and against which version. Cognixoft’s local prototypes have automated checks, but real participant sessions and a formal accessibility assessment are separate outstanding work. Never describe an editorial draft as clinically reviewed, user validated or certified without that evidence.