Design and organization of online texts. Ultimately, the organization and look of your text depend on what you are trying to achieve. You should make decisions about page length, color, visuals, multimedia, and interactive elements based on rhetorical choices (your audience, purpose, and message) and on practical constraints (the time and tools available). For more on design, see Chapter 8.

Just as you might outline an essay or create a storyboard for a video, you should develop a clear structure for your Web text. Some types of texts are organized in standard ways; others allow you to make choices about how to arrange materials. (For more on organizing a text, see 5d.) Choose a structure that makes sense for your purpose, audience, and message. Arrange your text to allow readers to find what they are looking for as quickly and intuitively as possible. Asking others to try out your site and give you feedback is a good way to learn what works and what doesn’t.