DRY - Do you avoid repeated elements in content?

Clear communication is essential for success, and especially helpful in professional or technical contexts. You should make your content more visually interesting and easier to scan quickly.

Figure: Excessive copy-pasting? Rethink your strategy and follow DRY instead

Lists are great to make text easier to digest. Emojis make it even easier to consume when a lot of information is present. By using them you can enhance the communication experience. But when repeated excessively, they can become a hindrance rather than a help.

Words

This is especially valid for words in lists, but also applies to different types of content.

For lists, you should keep only the part that is unique in each list item.

❌ Figure: Bad example – Repeating words... Not following DRY :(

✅ Figure: Good example – No repeated words by using the DRY principle

Emojis

When there are multiple items listed, it can be challenging to distinguish between them quickly, leading to confusion and miscommunication. If the same emoji is repeated multiple times within a list, it can create visual clutter and make the list more difficult to read.

When creating a list that includes emojis, avoid repeating the same emoji 3 or more times within a list. Instead, add the emoji to an "introductory sentence" or "lead-in sentence". This helps keep the content concise, readable, and consistent, thus making it easier to scan the list and understand the benefits and drawbacks.

❌ Figure: Bad example – Using an excessive amount of emojis... Not following DRY :(

✅ Figure: Good example – Following the DRY principle

Following the DRY principle by avoiding excessive repetition of words/emojis helps to create content that are visually interesting and easy to read, while also promoting efficient and maintainable content creation.