Publish for the reader’s task
Put the answer or action first, then support it with clear structure and a trusted source.
Use a title that names the task or answer. Open by telling readers who the page serves and what they can do. Organize longer material with descriptive headings, short paragraphs, and ordered steps where sequence matters.
Give each shared policy, form, and procedure one authoritative home. Explain when it is relevant and link to that source instead of copying its instructions into a second page. Name the intended audience and any known role, location, or access scope; do not assume that a company-wide page applies to every location or reader.
Use meaningful link text, logical heading levels, informative alternative text, and sufficient contrast. Do not rely on color alone. For audience-restricted pages, check the content with an intended reader role. WCAG 2.1 AA is a useful accessibility reference for applicable digital content; this sample is not a claim of conformance.
Make the page easier to scan and trust
Fictional Northstar examples: replace vague labels with reader-centered wording and a visible handoff.
| Details | Less useful | More useful |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Requests | Request a replacement work device |
| Opening | There are a number of things to consider when a device is needed. | Use this guide if your work device is damaged or no longer works for your role. |
| Link label | Click here | Open the work device request procedure |
| Source rule | Copied procedure steps appear in multiple pages. | Keep procedure steps at their authoritative home; link to them from related guidance. |
| Ownership | No owner or review trigger is visible in the content record. | IT Knowledge owner role; review every 3 months and when the service route changes. |
Visual publishing kit
Choose a treatment that helps readers understand the content; imagery is optional.
Task story: show the useful action
For a short service explanation, lead with the task, one verified destination, and what the reader should have ready. Use a clear image of the relevant work only when it genuinely orients the reader.
- Keep the action and eligibility or scope in the opening.
- Crop to the relevant subject without cutting off meaningful context.
- Use a concise caption for context; write alternative text for informative images, not a duplicate of the caption.
Process story: make sequence visible
For a process overview, use an ordered sequence with a named role at each real handoff. A process diagram or image supports the explanation; it does not perform a workflow.
- Show the reader’s next action before supporting detail.
- Crop diagrams so labels and the whole relevant sequence remain legible.
- Keep authoritative procedure details at their single source; link from this overview when a destination exists.
People or change story: identify context
For an editorial story about a team or a change, explain what happened, who the information serves, and where follow-up belongs. Attribute statements to an approved role or source.
- Use a photograph only when it illustrates the story, not as a substitute for context.
- Crop to retain the subject and context; do not imply a stock image depicts a named employee or event.
- Route factual corrections and reader feedback to the content owner.
Run a small findability test
Observe how representative readers find a real answer; route friction to its owner.
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1
Set the task
Ask three to five representative readers to find the work device request procedure using the current navigation.
Test facilitator -
2
Listen for their words
Before showing the page, ask what terms they would search for and which navigation label they expect to choose.
Test facilitator -
3
Observe the route
Do not coach. Note the first label or search term used, whether the reader reaches the authoritative source, and...
Test facilitator -
4
Record and route friction
Record the task, audience role, words used, observed friction, and suggested correction; send findings to the...
Content owner -
5
Check the change
The owner decides whether to revise the title, navigation label, or supporting link, then checks the revised route...
Content owner
Before publication: the complete editorial check
Audience and scope
State who the page serves and any known role, location, or access limits.
Answer and structure
Make the primary action or answer visible early; use descriptive headings and ordered steps only where sequence matters.
Canonical source
Identify the single authoritative home for each shared policy, form, or procedure; link to it rather than duplicating it.
Accuracy
Check claims against an appropriate source and route specialist questions to a qualified subject-matter role.
Access and accessibility
Test links from the intended audience context, use meaningful link text and alternative text, and do not use color alone for meaning.
Ownership and review
Record the accountable owner role, review cadence, event-based review triggers, outcome, and next review point in the approved content record.
Feedback
Make the correction route clear; send reader-reported problems to the content owner or, if unassigned, the governance coordinator.