Before reading a long page, people often scan its headings. They are looking for the shape of the argument and a place to begin. Assistive tools can use the same structure to help readers move between sections.
A heading should name the section that follows it. Its level describes the relationship between sections, while its appearance can be designed separately. Making a sentence large does not automatically give it a useful structural role.
Read the headings of a page without its paragraphs. If they tell a coherent story, the structure is doing helpful work. If every heading says something vague, revise the labels before adding another visual flourish.
- Read the headings as an outline.
- Name the content of each section.
- Keep structure separate from appearance.
A small working example.
A heading such as Preparing the document gives more context than Next steps alone. The extra specificity can help when the section is read separately.
A note to keep beside it.
Treat the words around an interaction as part of the interaction. A clear label can answer a question that another visual flourish would leave open.
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Distinguish active work from saved references.
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