Designing for online vs. print

Differences

According to Kress and van Leeuwen(1998), a print is more focused on text(multimodality), with more academic based texts and structures. Prints usually play around with words as people tend to read prints more thoroughly as compared to a webpage. Redshaw(2003) also noted that a print controls the way the information is presented to the readers. With chronological orders, framing , logical cues and many more to control the way the information is presented. An online media however, is more focused on their titles. According to Dr Jakob Neilsen, people tend to skim through a web page as compared to a print. Thus, text, colours, and titles are all very important elements into capturing the readers attention. Online media has to be concise, scannable and objective(Morkes & Nielsen 1997). Therefore, overly-structured grammar is not encouraged as online readers tend to scan through the text rather than actually reading it (Nielsen 1997). Readers can choose what they want to read as the text is not being controlled by and the information presentated is hardly arranged chronologically.


* a frontpage of an Print Media*

Print media has a more sequential and chronogical text. Much more text and the placement of the text's very much differs from Online Media.


* screenshot from a Online Media*

The Online Media almost has no chronology in their placement of news and texts. Readers are able to choose what they want to read and the news is presented more concisely.

Conclusion

Both online and print media's have their own target audience and their own way of conveying their message. The online media being concise and straight to the point. Leaving lots of room for the reader to choose what they want to read. Whereas the print media leaves little space for choice and are more controlled. Thus, both online and print media has their advantages and disadvantages, it is more of a users choice.

Reference List

1.) Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 1998, ‘Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout’, in Approaches to media discourse, eds Bell, A & Garrett, P, Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 186-219.

2.) Kress, G & van Leeuwen, T 2006, 'Reading Images', Chapter 6: Themeaning of composition’, pp. 179-208

3.) Morkes, J & Nielsen, J 1997, Concise, Scannable and Objective: How To Write For The Web, Useit.com, viewed at 2 May 2008 at http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html

4.) Nielsen, J 1999, Differences Between Print Design and Web Design, Jacob Nielsen's Alert Box, viewed on 2 May 2008 at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990124.html

5.) Redshaw, K 2003, Web Writing vs Print Writing, Kerryr.net, viewed on 2 May 2008 at http://www.kerryr.net/webwriting/guide_web-vs-print.htm