Writing and Designing in the wed

WRITING/DESIGNINGFOR THE WEB
THEDIFFERENCEBETWEENPRINTANDONLINE
BY: CHELDY SYGACO ELUMBA-PABLEO,MPA,LLB
ONLINE MULTIMEDIA JOURNALISM AND PRACTICE SUBJECT

WRITING FOR PRINT VS THE WEB
 Writing for a magazine or
newspaper can be considered
a tougher market than
freelancing online.
 But what's really so different
about writing for print and
the web?

 There are plenty of differences
between writing online and
writing for print when it comes to
factors like style, sourcing, and
payment protocol.

 There are exceptions depending on the subject
matter and the publication, but it sometimes
seems like writers come in with the same mind
set regardless of the medium, which can lead
to declined pitches, extensive revisions, and
wounded egos.
 To avoid these problems, here are the six major
differences you should take into account when
pitching online

6 MAJOR DIFFERENCES
PRINT MEDIA TO ONLINE NEWS

HOOKS
 Whenever someone checks out an article online,
there are links to a dozen other pieces vying for
attention just a click away.
 And as former Slate writer Farhad Manjoo explained
in his popular 2013 article about reader habits,
odds are most people won’t finish what they read on
the Internet.
 Digital editors are well aware of this, and as a result,
they insist on content that clearly informs the
audience from the beginning.

HOOKS
 IN CONTRAST, the reader of a magazine or
newspaper has made a significantly larger
investment of effort, time, and money to select an
article.
 So even if a magazine article takes a few
paragraphs before getting to the nut graph, the
reader is less likely to just flip the page and move
on the way we tend to do with online content.

HOOKS
 FOR EXAMPLE, Gene Weingarten’s 2006 Pulitzer Prize-
winning article for The Washington Post about a
remarkable children’s magician is vaguely titled “The
Peekaboo Paradox” and runs over 9,000 words. His article
begins slowly, yet readers can savor the rewards as the
story unfolds gradually.
 But when the Huffington Post’s Parents blog covered
the same subject from a different angle in 2014, the
story contained only 700 words and began with much
more Internet-friendly “fun facts” to hook the reader.

LENGTH
 While readers may stare at their computer
monitors all day, they rarely focus on a single
article for more than a minute or two.
 That’s why the vast majority of what’s written for
the Internet is under 1,000 words.
 Reading multi-page articles online can be a
frustrating challenge, but taking in long form
content in print, or at least on an e-reader, tends
to be much more enjoyable.

LENGTH
 Great long form journalism still gets
published on the web every day, but it
often comes from outlets traditionally
known for print.
 But considering what it takes to keep up
with the speed of news, longer articles just
aren’t cost effective for anymore for a lot
of online outlets.

SOURCING
 The sourcing requirements for print outlets can
be so stringent that a print writer must quote a
professional astronomer before claiming that
the sun will rise in the morning.
 Yet online, authors are commonly allowed—and
even expected—to exert their own authority.
 And even when they cannot claim to be experts,
many bloggers use their inexperience as a way
to write from the perspective of a novice.

SOURCING
 Again, this comes down to speed. Online
writing has such different sourcing
standards than print because it’s much
easier to hyperlink to source material
instead of explicitly attributing and fact-
checking information.

SOURCING
 In print, there are certainly gossip
magazines and other less prestigious
publications that don’t require much
sourcing, but publications that deal with
travel, finance, health, or other blog-friendly
topics will want authors to quote
professional sources rather than rely on
person opinions.

ACCOUNTABILITY
 ONLINE JOURNALISM has created an interesting
relationship between sourcing and accountability.
 While digital writers are expected to be their own
authority, their readers will take note of any errors in
real time.
 Make a specious claim in print, and your editor will
publish a reader’s letter rebutting it or print a
retraction in the next edition.
 Try that online and, within minutes, you will be
barraged in the comments sections by
knowledgeable readers and trolls alike.

ACCOUNTABILITY
 Readers still have the opportunity to engage
with print writers over social media, but
online readers can comment on the writer’s
work just below the article itself, where their
opinions are much harder to ignore.
 And for some DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS,
editors even demand that writers participate
and respond to questions and constructive
criticism.

WHAT IS PITCHING?
 A pitch is a writer's description of a
potential story (and why it should matter) to
an editor.
 A pitch can be delivered verbally — if you're
on staff pitching to your editor — or sent
via email
 THE GOAL is to convince them to take your
company’s news and subsequently write
their own article.

PITCHING
 A magazine editor say that he expected
authors to spend hours working on
stories and refining their ideas before
submitting a pitch.
 And while this isn’t true of all print
publications, it speaks to the high
expectations many print editors have
when evaluating new ideas.

PITCHING
 Pitching is more of a case-by-case issue
than the other factors on this list, but if an
800-word article for a digital publication,
my pitch will only be a paragraph or two.
One probably won’t spend hours
researching an idea for an article that will
only take an hour or two to write, because
that isn’t an efficient use of my time.

PITCHING
 HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PUTTING
TOGETHER YOUR PITCH:
1. Do some research
2. Tailor your writing
3. Be straightforward
4. Take advantage of social media

PAY
 Since online content is generally
easier to produce, it should come as
no surprise writers are generally paid
less for online work than print work—
but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

PAY
 Because of all of the time saved
during the pitching and writing
processes, online writers who are
subject matter experts can often
make more money per hour, day,
or week than they would have
contributing to print.

PAY
 And since online outlets
typically publish more than
most print outlets, there is the
opportunity to make up the
difference in total
compensation with volume and
more diverse opportunities due
to the volume of opportunities.

PAY
 print authors essentially work in a different field
than web writer. Producing labour-intensive,
high-quality content for print publications may
be more professionally satisfying than writing
for the web, but it has its trade-offs.
 By understanding the distinctions between
print and online writing, freelancers can choose
the medium that makes the most sense for their
careers.

GRAPHIC DESIGN VS WEB DESIGN VS PRINT DESIGN

DISTINCTION
 Both print and web design have
many design elements in common:
typography, images/graphics, shapes, lines,
color, etc.
 Printed projects must meet certain standards
using parameters such as margins and bleeds,
while websites aim for a consistent experience
between different viewing methods, such
as web and mobile.

DISTINCTION
 The Difference is the Medium.
 The main difference between graphic
designers and web designers is the
medium.
 Individuals in the Graphic Design field
often have more freedom because they are
not restricted by programming, resolution
or speed.

WEB DESIGN SAMPLE

PRINT DESIGN SAMPLE

GRAPHIC DESIGN SAMPLE

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRINT
 Print design is a varied category of
commercial art.
 Graphic designers in the industry
of print design find themselves
working on magazine layouts, book
covers and layouts, catalogs, greeting
cards, packaging, textile prints, and
more.

PRINT GRAPHIC DESIGN
 Print design, a subset of graphic
design, is a form of visual
communication used to convey
information to an audience through
intentional aesthetic design printed on
a tangible surface, designed to
be printed on paper, as opposed to
presented on a digital platform.

IMPORTANCE OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
 Graphic Design is something which drives advertising
and attracts us to brands.
 Graphics are required in our every day's life.
 Graphic designs are present everywhere to be
found be it newspaper, magazines, Packaging,
branding, websites, posters, books, signage.
 Graphic Design gives your Company a Face and
Visual Presentation that just by looking at it; you
have a feeling and mental positioning in mind on the
product.

 As the global market shrinks with the ever
growing reach of technology the need for that
eye catching graphic becomes more and more
valuable to a business.
 Graphics are required in our every day’s life.
 The strong meaning of graphic stimulates a
person to reach for the product or feel drawn
to it or to immediately decide its an inferior
product and has no use for it.

 It can also Convey a message that you are
established and should be taken seriously.
 A strong corporate identity can also convey
that your company is far bigger than it
actually is.
 You can Instil a sense of trust in your target
audience – If a company looks professional,
your potential customers are more likely to
trust that you can deliver.
convey

 A creative and Strong Brand will make sure that
your clients remember you – A large percentage
of people remember what they see far better
than what they hear or read.
 Standing out from your competitors is Vital.
 This can be done through all your visual avenues.
 Your corporate identity can highlight your
competitive advantage and tell potential clients
how you do business and why they should choose
you.

 Business owner’s especially new small
business owner needs to realise the
value of graphic design and the
impact it can have on a business.
 Graphic Design done by a professional
will attract your target market and
increase the sales of a business activity.

HOW DOES GRAPHIC DESIGN WORK?
 Graphic design can be compared to problem-
solving.
 A designer will typically work through a set process
in order to ensure that the solution presented to the
client not only looks good, but is the most
appropriate solution for their aims and brand image,
as well as being delivered on-time and under-
budget.

HOW DOES GRAPHIC DESIGN WORK?
 It is important for the designer to
listen to the clients’ requirements.
 A good designer will guide a client
in a certain direction whereas a bad
designer will head off in that
direction regardless.
Listen,
…Understand
Respond!

WHAT DO YOU DO AS A GRAPHIC DESIGNER?
 Graphic designers create visual concepts,
using computer software or by hand, to
communicate ideas that inspire, inform,
and captivate consumers.
 They develop the overall layout and
production design for various
applications such as advertisements,
brochures, magazines, and corporate
reports.

WHAT IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRAPHIC DESIGN
AND WEB DESIGN?
 Graphic design is the process of visual
communication and problem-solving using
one or more of typography, photography,
and illustration.
 The field is considered a subset of visual
communication and communication design,
but sometimes the term "graphic design" is
used synonymously.

GRAPHIC DESIGN
 involves creating graphics, typography, and images to
present an idea.
 Most of the time you will find Graphic Design in the print
industry, but they are also found in web projects as well.
 Graphic Designers create digital graphics, which then are
turned into brochures, posters, or whatever branding
materials are required of them.

GRAPHIC DESIGN
 Graphic Designers do not do any
programming.
 They are responsible for making
graphics which can later be used for
published print work or even websites.

WEB DESIGN
 It involves creating graphics, typography,
and images just like Graphic Design, but we
use the World Wide Web.
 A web designer has restrictions on what they
can do.
 Websites need to load fast and run
efficiently.

WEB DESIGN
 One have to account for things like file size, screen
resolution, along with overall speed and performance.
 Because of this, Web Designers often use compressed
graphics that sacrifice quality for speed.
 Unlike Graphic Designers, Web Designers also must be
able to turn their designs into a working website.
 This involves knowing HyperText Markup Language
(HTML) and most of the time Cascading Style Sheets
(CSS).

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WEB DEVELOPER AND A WEB
DESIGNER
 A web designer is a graphic artist who
develops and styles objects for the Internet.
 Website designers are able to tap into their
creative energy and design the overall
layout and look for websites.
 A web developer is one that develops
applications and functionality for the
Internet.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THE MEDIUM
 The main difference between graphic
designers and web designers is the
medium.
 Individuals in the Graphic Design field
often have more freedom because
they are not restricted by
programming, resolution or speed.

THE DIFFERENCE IS THE MEDIUM
 Web Design professionals have to balance
good design with speed and efficiency for
the web.
 There are some professionals out there that
can do both of these positions as one, but it
is rare that they are masterful since they
tend to have more strengths in one or the
other.

GRAPHIC DESIGN VS WEB DESIGN
 As with any industry, conflicts can arise between
professionals in the Graphic Design world and the Web
Design world.
 FOR EXAMPLE, a Graphic Design professional may think
that a Web Design professional’s work is at a lower quality
than print work.
 On the flip side, Web Design professionals often get upset
with Graphic Design professionals because they do not
understand the web.
 It is one of those fundamental differences that will
(probably) always exist since neither side really
understands each other.

 What makes it even more confusing is
that most people don’t understand the
differences between the roles.
 Often times, a web project will ask for a
Graphic Designer but they really should
have gone with a Web Designer in order
to make a professional and efficient
website.

 As the future of technology progresses,
this conflict may eventually cease to exist.
 If web design gets less restrictive then
they will be able to have more freedom to
create.
 As HTML editors become better at
making efficient websites, it will be easier
for graphic designers to use the World
Wide Web to present their idea.

WEB DESIGNING
 Logo design Information architecture
 Navigation design
 Design for accessibility
 HTML mark-up
 Design for ease-of-use (usability)
 Selecting content imagery
 Flash animation
 JavaScript coding of UI elements
 Conversion rate optimisation
 Pay-per-click advertising
 User interface design
 Copywriting
 On-site SEO
 Link-building
 Social media promotion
 Designing a web experience may
incorporate some or all of the following
list of disciplines. Some come under
graphic design, others are broader
design.

WEB DESIGNING
 The bottom line is that all these skills and
activities can impact the success of a web
site and the experience of using that site.
 This shows the breadth of the web
designer’s toolkit.
 Anyone who only offers the graphic aspects
is not a web designer.

WEB DESIGNING
 They’re a graphic designer who
is doing graphic design for web
pages.
 And there’s nothing wrong with
that.
 But do not trust a person with
only graphic skills to build your
web site, and it will not be
anywhere near as successful as it
could be.

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL WEB SITE
 For a web site to live up to its potential, it
must attract the right audience, and in the
right numbers.
 That means it must be optimised to be
found for people searching for what the
site offers, whether they find the site via
organic (i.e. non-paid) search, through
advertising, social media, or PR.

 It must also be easy to use and compelling enough to
engage and to keep people’s attention.
 It must be easy for most people to read, even if they have
a visual impairment or are accessing the site over a slow
Internet connection or on a handheld device.
 In addition, the site should be easy for everyone to use,
regardless of disability, and should work on a range of
devices. Otherwise, it will only reach a fraction of its
possible audience, so it cannot reach its potential.

 A successful web site must also sell.
 Every site has a purpose, which
should be to generate action by the
visitor.
 A site that sells is one that generates
that action, whether it is to buy, to
sign up, or just to read.

MEASURING SUCCESS IN WEB DESIGN
 How will you know how well your web site achieves its
goals, unless you measure them?
 So tracking traffic, the flow through funnels, and
conversions, is all a part of web design.
 The intelligence this process generates will often
stimulate you to look for new or alternative solutions
that do a better job.
 This is sometimes called conversion rate optimisation.

MEASURING SUCCESS IN WEB DESIGN
 If a web site does not do all these things, how can you say it
has been designed?
 Is the whole site the product of a creative process with the
purpose of creating the best possible user experience?
 Perhaps part of it has been.
 If the graphics have been designed to fulfil a purpose, but the
search engine marketing, accessibility, usability, and
conversion optimisation have not, you do not have a web
design, you have some graphic design on the web.

THANK YOU FOR READING!
CHELDHAYE

Writing and Designing in the wed

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