Wednesday, June 18, 2008

How to Nap (a little critique)

The Boston Globe tells us the right way to nap in a one-page illustrated article How to Nap. (click pic for larger view)

I like that they took an illustrative approach to a topic which gets a lot of ink. However, I'm not crazy about the page layout and definitely put off by the wordiness. Cut half the words and you've got a more focused and effective article.

Additionally, the graphics are close but not spot-on. For example, these clock are a good visual to illustrate the best time to nap for larks and owls.


However, which is for lark, and which is for owl? The audience must read the accompanying text or study both clocks to determine the one that applies. A better approach would be to label each clock "lark" or "owl." We can then focus on the one that fits and ignore the other -- and wouldn't even need the accompanying text to get the point.

Good graphical communication eliminates speed bumps to comprehension, is efficient for the audience, and makes the content more sticky.

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