Most people do not read documents. They skim, skip, or give up halfway because the content is too long, too cluttered, or just too hard to follow. If your document is not designed properly, people will miss key details, make mistakes, or ignore it altogether.
Studies show that users read only 20-28% of the text on a page.
That means most of what is written is never actually read or understood.
Bad document design leads to miscommunication, wasted time, and costly errors.
Yet businesses keep producing walls of text that no one wants to read.
Here is why people avoid your documents—and how you can fix them before it costs you.
People Read with Their Eyes, Not Their Brains
The human brain does not process long blocks of text easily.
People scan documents for key points, headings, and visuals to decide if the content is worth their time.
When faced with dense, text-heavy documents, readers:
❌ Feel overwhelmed and stop reading
❌ Miss important steps or instructions
❌ Get frustrated and ask someone else for the information
Poorly designed documents increase errors, slow down work, and make employees less productive.
Good document design removes friction and makes information easy to find and absorb.
Why Walls of Text Do Not Work
Most business documents are written as if people will read every single word.
The reality?
Most people only look for what they need and skip the rest.
If the information is buried in long paragraphs, they will not find it.
That means critical instructions get ignored, misunderstood, or misapplied.
Well-designed documents use:
✅ Headings and subheadings to break up content
✅ Bullet points and lists for quick scanning
✅ Short paragraphs to improve readability
✅ Visuals like diagrams and process maps to show key steps
The easier your document is to skim, the more likely it will actually be used.
Fixing Your Documents Before They Cost You
Bad document design leads to mistakes, frustration, and wasted time.
Here is how to fix it:
✅ Cut unnecessary words
Keep sentences short and to the point.
✅ Use formatting to guide the reader
Headings, bold text, and bullet points make scanning easier.
✅ Add visuals where possible
People process images faster than text, so use flowcharts, icons, and screenshots.
✅ Think about how people actually use the document
Write for real-world use, not for the sake of writing.
Takeaway
If people are not using your documents, the problem is not them—it is the design.
Fixing document structure saves businesses time, reduces mistakes, and makes work easier.
Good document design is not about making things look pretty—it is about making them functional.
The question is how much longer businesses can afford to lose time and money on documents no one reads.
