Does the material use bulleted or numbered lists?
Information Design
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Use lists to break up text in the body of the material and make information easier to scan and read. Lists with more than seven items must be broken into sub-lists.
Example 1:
Before:
There are many factors that put you at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Being overweight or obese is one of the major risk factors. Having a family member, like a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes is also a risk factor. If you are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic/Latino American you may be at greater risk.
After:
Am I at risk for diabetes? You may be at risk for type 2 diabetes if you:
- Are overweight or obese
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
- Are African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic/ Latino American
Example 2:
This screenshot of a "Benefits of Quitting" webpage is a good example of how to use bullets to break up the text in easy to scan sections.
Resources
Supporting Plain Language Guideline: Use lists.
- Page last reviewed: August 11, 2014
- Page last updated: August 11, 2014
- Content source:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Page maintained by: Office of Associate Director of Communication, Division of Public Affairs