Chunking your content is good strategy anytime, but it's especially important when you're writing for the web. Research has shown that reading online is much easier when information is presented in small, digestible chunks. Information Mapping's Chunking principle is simple and effective. It's too bad so many writers ignore it and create screen after screen of dense, featureless "walls of words." They're building barriers that discourage visitors to their sites. Applying the Chunking principle helps you work with the way your readers' minds work. It's an important step towards developing successful web content.

1. HOW MANY WORDS CAN YOU REMEMBER?
© 2013 Information Mapping Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The next slide will remain on
screen for 20 seconds.
• Try to remember as many
words as you can.
• Don’t write them down until
after the slide is gone. (That
would be cheating.)

2. field hockey brake gasket tomato
baseball alternator rugby apple
peach pedal lacrosse corn clutch
eggplant engine soccer carrot
basketball starter strawberry tennis
© 2013 Information Mapping Inc. All Rights Reserved.

3. NOW WRITE DOWN AS MANY WORDS AS YOU CAN
REMEMBER
© 2013 Information Mapping Inc. All Rights Reserved.
How many words did
you remember?

4. Cognitive psychologist
George Miller proved
this in his famous
research paper, “The
Magical Number 7
plus or minus 2”.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE REMEMBER
7 WORDS, PLUS OR MINUS 2

5. THIS IS THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF THE INFORMATION MAPPING®
METHOD: THE CHUNKING PRINCIPLE
It tells us to group information into small,
manageable units.
• Use 7 plus or minus 2 items per chunk.
• For complex information, limit chunks to 5
plus or minus 2 items.
• The Chunking principle is especially
important when you write for the web.

6. http://www.informationmapping.com/demo/
Here’s a link to the time test that shows
you how the Information Mapping®
Method makes it much quicker and easier
to find the information you need.
NOW THAT YOU’VE SEEN HOW
THE CHUNKING PRINCIPLE WORKS, TAKE THE
INFORMATION MAPPING TIME TEST