Layout

Layout patterns are used to organize content on document pages so that it is easily readable, legible, and searchable.

A good layout should also help to communicate, at a glance, the hierarchy of the content and its overall organization. This enables readers to find more easily the information they want. In text-heavy documents like contracts it is crucial to display information in a way that supports strategic reading (e.g., skimming, scanning, previewing), because people do not always read every single word or sentence, but search for the specific information they need.

A good layout can help contract crafters with these problems:

• ”I need a way to capture people’s limited attention”
• “People don’t read the contract”
• “People miss crucial information, even if it’s just there”
• “Our contracts look like everyone else’s: a wall of text”

A good layout can help contract readers with these problems:

• ”I need to find quickly and easily the information I need”
• ” When documents are hard to read, I miss key information”
• ” The text is too small, I can’t read it!”
• ”This document feels unappealing and boring – I don’t want to read it”
• ”This document does not feel trustworthy and persuasive”