When reading online, people scan for information instead of reading word by word. One way to meet this behavior is to use lists to organize content. Lists allow you to direct readers’ attention to key details and increase the overall readability of your text.
Kinds of Lists
There are two kinds of lists: bulleted (or unordered) and numbered (or ordered). Use a bulleted list to:
- Separate a long sentence into more readable chunks
- Draw readers’ attention to certain information
- Break up a long chunk of text to make a page feel less intimidating to users
Use a numbered list only when the order of items is important, such as the steps in a recipe or other process.
You may be tempted to use a numbered list to emphasize that each item in a list is required, as in the following example:
In order to qualify, you must:
- Live in Illinois
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.25
- Be a full-time student
However, doing so will make your audience expect a series of sequential steps, causing confusion when that expectation isn’t fulfilled. In such an instance, try including clarification in the text introducing the list instead, as follows:
In order to qualify, you must meet each of the following conditions:
- Live in Illinois
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.25
- Be a full-time student
Grammar and Punctuation
Lists can be composed of single words, phrases or complete sentences. Follow these guidelines for creating and formatting list items:
- Introduce a list with a sentence or phrase ending in a colon.
- Capitalize the first word of each item.
- Ensure parallel construction of items (for example, if one item is a phrase that starts with a verb, the others should be as well).
- Include a period at the end of an item only if it’s a complete sentence.
Tips for Effective Lists
Use Lists Sparingly
Since they’re so effective at drawing the eye, lists should be used sparingly. If all or most of the text on a page is formatted as a list, it loses the ability to highlight key information.
Keep Lists Brief
The longer a list gets, the harder it is to scan. You an improve readability by breaking a long list into multiple lists of related items with informative headings.
Avoid Nesting Lists
Lists nested within lists can become difficult to read and understand. If you have a list with several levels and bullet types, consider presenting the content another way. You may be able to separate it into multiple lists, for example.
