In this reaction paper, the author discusses key points from Chapters 3 and 4 of Designing with the Mind in Mind by Johnson. [1] In Chapter 3, Johnson explains how the human visual system is optimized to perceive structure and we comprehend information best when it is structured, concise and follows principles of graphic design. [2] In Chapter 4, Johnson addresses that reading is an acquired skill unlike language development, so as designers we must make content as easy to read as possible for all users. [3] The paper also provides best practices for promoting easy reading such as using an appropriate font size, sentence case text and testing content with others.

1. Reaction Paper 1
In Chapter 3 of Designing with the Mind in Mind, Johnson furthers the discussion on how humans process visual
information.
As we learned previously, a human’s visual system is optimized to perceive structure (as explained by the Gestalt
principles of visual perception. Because of this, we are better able to scan and comprehend information that is
structured and concise. As designers, we can improve our readers’ experience by making informational displays
easy to scan, terse, structured, non-repetitive. Additionally, these displays should conform to the basic rules of
graphic design with regards to appropriate grouping, chunking, and visual hierarchies. It is our duty to help those
who come to our sites as much as possible by following proven and established rules.
In Chapter 4, Johnson addresses the act of reading. He states that reading is not natural. It is an acquired skill.
On the other hand, language development is innate. This made me think of Vygotsky’s social constructivism,
where language is a cultural tool by which culture, history, and learning are transferred. To learn through
language, that is easy and natural. To learn by reading, that is hard. As designers, we must realize that not all
people who visit our content are skilled readers. We need to do everything in our power to make our websites
as easy to read as possible.
Johnson also discusses the different ways that people process reading. He determined that the most efficient
way for people to read is “feature-driven” or “bottom-up.” This is where the brain takes smaller components of
text, such as lines, and forms them into shapes, angles and patterns, and ultimately combines them to create
words that compose sentences that have meaning. While advance readers may process differently than novice
readers, ultimately, it is poor information design that can disrupt reading and learning. With that knowledge, we
need to always ensure that text is set up to facilitate automatic processing (where the reader doesn’t have to
think about reading), that language is common and plain, and that text is formatted to a visual hierarchy.
Some best practices for promoting easy reading and optimal retention of information:
Do not use too small of a font.
Use sentence case.
Do not use noisy backgrounds.
Remove repetitive text.
Do not center text.
Use as little content as necessary to get the point across.
Test your text with others.
Do not use too much contrast.
When reading these tips, it seems like common sense, but sometimes we get swept up in the design or content
of something and forget to rely on the basic concepts of visual design and how people process information.
Keeping these simple things in mind will help us as we design bigger things down the line.

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