At-a-glance journalism comes with a price, and it is not just what you pay for your new Apple Watch. I am referring to the toll on your eyes when the type for that news item you are trying to read while standing in the middle of a busy subway car is too small or too light to be read quickly and effectively.
I know that we are taking baby steps in everything that has to do with how we present news in the latest member of the media quintet, but here are my observations.
Black backgrounds and white type work best
The Guardian: with the type was slightly larger here
Size matters
The New York Times: for its lead headline, the type is large and very easy to read at a glance
Color backgrounds help
The Washington Post: crisp, elegant, easy to read color and type for its centerpiece of the day
White background
The Guardian: white background works well, too.
Photos and type
USA Today: Avoid placing type over photos (left), as it seldom works; better in The Wall Street Journal, headline under photo
The research of at a glance
Nadine Chahine, Arabic and Legibility Specialist, Monotype, has been involved with research connected to screens in automobiles geared for a better driving experience. However, such experiments could be linked to other screens, including those of wearables.
Nadine tells me that in her tests so far, white type over black backgrounds did not do as well as black type on a white background. She admits that she has not had much personal contact with the Apple Watch, however.
Obviously, much research is needed in this important area of “at a glance journalism”, and Nadine agrees:
“The glance is the new currency. So when we are reading in brief glances, that’s the thing that we need to keep in mind. We need all the science and design guidelines to really capture that.”
For more about Nadine's work go here: