Use Headings to Reveal a Briefing Outline

Let headings carry the logic of a short report.

The reading problem

Let headings carry the logic of a short report.

A concrete example

Headings such as “Background,” “More,” and “Other” say little. “Why the venue changed,” “What stays the same,” and “What visitors need to do” explain the route through the message.

Try this edit

Read the heading list as a miniature summary. If it leaves a reader unable to predict the content, rewrite it in specific nouns and verbs. Keep the heading order aligned with the actual sections.

Proof on the page

Write the three headings on separate lines before drafting the venue-change brief. Place each paragraph beneath the heading that answers it. If a paragraph fits two headings, split the idea or rename one heading. A reader scanning only the headings should learn that the venue changed, what remains unchanged, and what action visitors must take.

Where the method stops

Headings are a structure, not decoration. Do not make a sentence bold and call it a heading in an HTML document if the coded heading level is missing. In a printed handout, preserve clear hierarchy by size and spacing; in a web page, check the semantic outline as well as the appearance.

One final check

Do not skip from a top-level heading to a deeply nested heading just to get smaller text. Control size with styling while preserving the outline.

Primary reading

These W3C sources inform the general method; they do not certify this guide or your document.