The value of a plain link

A plain link is a small promise: follow this, and you will arrive somewhere that makes sense.

Name the destination

“Read more” is sometimes enough. A descriptive title is often better. It gives the reader a reason to follow the link and makes the destination easier to recognise later.

On a personal website, a short navigation can be remarkably capable. The archive holds the writing. About explains the context. Home provides a starting point.

Keep addresses understandable

An address such as /writing/notes-that-become-essays has a useful quality: it still makes sense outside the interface. It can be pasted into a message, bookmarked, or found again months later.

The same principle applies inside an application. A clear destination should be reachable directly, without remembering which panel was open first.

Trust the familiar things

Underlines, readable labels, and a predictable back button are not a lack of imagination. They let the reader spend less attention on operating the website and more on the words.