Brené Brown’s Website: Impactful Writing

Giang Nguyen

Giang Nguyen

— 2 min read
Brené Brown’s Website: Impactful Writing

Summary: Brené Brown's use of concise subtitles on her website minimizes cognitive load, making it easier for users to quickly grasp the essence of her books, form opinions, and make purchasing decisions.

During my recent visit to Brené Brown's website, I find that her All Books page is a pleasure to scroll through 🤓📚.

Here are 3 things I think it does right:

  1. Clear Structure: A clear visual hierarchy makes it easy to identify the page's structure and scan the titles and subtitles.
  2. Lean Writing: The concise subtitles minimize cognitive load, supporting efficient information processing.
  3. Enticing Book Images: The images represent a real physical book, increasing their appeal.

In this article, I’ll focus on the second point—lean writing—where the concise subtitles play a crucial role in creating an efficient and enjoyable browsing experience.

The Way Brené Writes Her Subtitles

Brené’s subtitles are incredibly concise and packed with keywords. For example:

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.
You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience

How This Minimizes Cognitive Load

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Cognitive Load Theory, developed by John Sweller, suggests that our working memory - which is responsible for processing information, has a limited capacity (5-9 chunks of information). When too much information is presented, it can lead to cognitive overload, reducing our ability to understand, retain, and use the information effectively.

Users always seek to optimize the time they spend on any site. They want to get the gist of things with the least time spent. They're not lazy; they're efficient—a tendency rooted in our evolution. By keeping the subtitles short and keyword-rich, Brené makes it easier for users to:

  • Focus on the core message without feeling overwhelmed.
  • Form a quick opinion of the book’s content.
  • Easily differentiate between books and decide which one appeals the most for a potential purchase.

You can easily tell the efficiency of these subtitles once you compare it to a lengthier version:

Atlas of the Heart: An In-Depth Exploration of How We Navigate the Complexities of Emotional Connections and Understand the Broad Spectrum of Human Experiences Through Language and Visual Representation
Dare to Lead: Engaging in Courageous and Impactful Work, Navigating Difficult Conversations with Empathy, and Fostering Wholehearted Leadership in Professional and Personal Life
You Are Your Best Thing: Exploring the Intersections of Vulnerability, Building Resilience Against Shame, and Understanding the Unique Challenges and Strengths Within the Black Experience in America

See! The excess detail adds cognitive load, making the processing experience much less efficient 🤯.

Writing is also designing. Brené’s brilliant use of concise subtitles helps users quickly grasp the essence of each book, making for a less-friction browsing experience!

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