We can do a whole lot better in our communications with each other,
if we would improve the look of our text communications
- on the screen and on the page.
(Innovation being) once prohibited (financially if not otherwise),
digital technology in the hands of many
now allows us to innovate at low cost and low risk.
Our job is to start innovating.
Specifically to improve text communications on screen and on the page
(or billboard, or sign, wherever.)
Such things as:
- - better integration of graphical elements (drawings, charts, diagrams, photos, emoticons, videos, glyphs, spreadsheets, etc) with the text
- - Different paragraph layouts. One idea, statement = one line, or at least a line break before another statement / idea.
- - prudent use of colour, for emphasis, or metaphor, or emotion
- - better bracketing or outlining - with multiple levels of indent.
- - better use of styles - heading, sub head, etc.
- parallel columns - with corresponding concepts aligned
- with their terribly constraining length
( in column inches or tv minutes or social media video times)
What fascinates me is that there has been no push for this sort of thing.
Indeed, as a regular observer, I've seen precious little in the form of experimentation or boundary pushing.
Certainly not in the mainstream.
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