What are some of the common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid in content design and layout?

1 Too much text

One of the most common mistakes in content design and layout is using too much text. Text-heavy content can overwhelm your readers, make them lose interest, and reduce your readability and scannability. To avoid this mistake, you should use short sentences and paragraphs, break up your text with headings, subheadings, and white space, and use visual elements such as images, icons, charts, and graphs to support your text and make it more engaging.

2 Poor typography

Another common mistake in content design and layout is using poor typography. Typography refers to the font, size, color, alignment, and spacing of your text. Poor typography can make your content look unprofessional, hard to read, and inconsistent. To avoid this mistake, you should use a clear and legible font that matches your tone and audience, use a consistent font size and hierarchy for your headings and body text, use contrast and color to highlight important information and create visual interest, and use alignment and spacing to create balance and harmony in your layout.

3 Lack of structure

A third common mistake in content design and layout is lacking structure. Structure refers to how you organize and present your content in a logical and coherent way. Lack of structure can make your content confusing, unfocused, and irrelevant. To avoid this mistake, you should use a clear and catchy title that summarizes your main idea, use an introduction that hooks your readers and outlines your purpose and scope, use a body that develops your main points and supports them with evidence and examples, and use a conclusion that summarizes your main points and provides a call to action or a takeaway.

4 Ignoring accessibility

A fourth common mistake in content design and layout is ignoring accessibility. Accessibility refers to how easy it is for everyone, including people with disabilities, to access and understand your content. Ignoring accessibility can limit your reach, exclude some of your audience, and damage your reputation. To avoid this mistake, you should use alt text for your images, captions for your videos, transcripts for your audio, and headings for your sections. You should also use simple and clear language, avoid jargon and acronyms, and use bulleted or numbered lists to make your content easier to follow.

5 Neglecting mobile-friendliness

A fifth common mistake in content design and layout is neglecting mobile-friendliness. Mobile-friendliness refers to how well your content adapts to different screen sizes and devices. Neglecting mobile-friendliness can affect your user experience, SEO, and conversions. To avoid this mistake, you should use a responsive design that adjusts your content to fit different screen sizes and orientations, use a simple and intuitive navigation that allows your users to find what they need easily, and use a fast and secure website that loads quickly and protects your users' data.

6 Forgetting to test

A sixth common mistake in content design and layout is forgetting to test. Testing refers to checking your content for errors, bugs, and usability issues before publishing it. Forgetting to test can result in poor quality, broken links, incorrect information, and unhappy users. To avoid this mistake, you should test your content on different browsers, devices, and screen resolutions, test your content for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, test your content for clarity, relevance, and accuracy, and test your content with real users or feedback tools to get their opinions and suggestions.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?