Skimmability
Updated 2026-08-03
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Skimmability is a structural quality of writing and interface design: the document is built so that a reader moving quickly can still find the main points. It is achieved through a clear heading hierarchy, bolded key phrases, bulleted lists, short paragraphs, generous whitespace, and inverted-pyramid ordering that puts the conclusion first. The constraint is that skimmability concerns structure, not shallowness: a skimmable document must still be complete for the reader who does read it in full.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Reader Respect: assume the reader will scan, and make scanning sufficient to get the value. - Structure First: build the heading skeleton before writing the paragraphs. - Scan Path: verify the piece reads correctly when only headings and bold text are visible.
Anchor fast decisions
Under information overload readers sample rather than read, using visual cues to decide within seconds whether to continue. Headings, emphasis, and lists act as landmarks that let them skip, locate, and judge relevance without linear effort. A structure that supplies those landmarks therefore gets read more, and its key points are remembered better, than a denser text with identical content.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more
Source support: Explicit
- nngroup.comhttps://www.nngroup.com/articles/concise-scannable-and-objective-how-to-write-for-the-web/verified
PRIVATE NOTES · Only visible to you
SAVED Q&A
ENTRY Q&A · Private saving available
Ask with a clear boundary
thinkingmodels answers from published entry context only.
Your question is sent to thinkingmodels. The answer uses public entry context only.
RELATED MODELS