Information design is not sticky

It’s usually assumed that stickiness is a good thing, because Google will rate your site higher and put it nearer the top of search results. And if you have advertisers, more people will see their ads.

But if you’re not worried about Google or advertisers, why would you want people to take longer to find the information they need? It’s now common to find relevant information witheld in order to keep you searching. A typical online recipe will start with a long exposition about how delicious the dish is, and where it originates, before it divulges how to make it.

Stickiness is an entirely writer-centric motive for ordering your content. It teases by trailing interesting things to come.

Preferably use reader-centric structures such as:

• Problem-solution (set up the problem, then solve it)
• The Pyramid Principle (main idea first, then move to arguments and evidence)
• Storytelling (base your content on a narrative).