Writing engaging content:clear, user-focussed writing for digital
Sue Davis
GDS
GDS
Who said this? And when?
“I would wish that the superfluous and tedious statutes were made more plain and short, to the intent that men might better understand them.”
Sue
GDSSue
Edward VI(1550)
1.You ≠ your users
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Writing for your users
Who are they?
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What types of content do you need to produce for them?
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What will they do with this information?
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User stories state the user’s problem clearly to come up with solutions
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User story
As an IT managerI need to understand what’s involved in setting up secure wifiSo that I can get my team to do it
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User story
As a supplierI need to know how I can supply to the public sectorSo that I can grow my business
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Most people will be reading your content on a screen.
What does this mean?
Sue
search
bright background low resolution
scrolling
differentsize
screen ping!
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When you read from a screen
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When you read from a screen
GDSSue
2. Break it up
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Which is more appealing?
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It works
Image credit: NN Group
3. Structure
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The inverted pyramid
background
must have
nice to have
they could stop reading at any time
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Last year 17% of EU staff who came to work over the Christmas holidays complained that their office was freezing!
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GDSSue
This content was:- emailed to all staff- on their intranet
What does the user need to do?
GDS
Christmas heatingTo save energy, office heating in Brussels will be switched off during the Christmas break – except in premises listed in the attachment, where we know staff will be working.
If you need heating in premises not listed in the attachment, ask your Resources Directorate to send a request to ‘[email protected]’.
In heated premises, heating will be switched off at 5pm (3 hours earlier than usual). But offices are well insulated and should stay warm for several hours. If you have any problems, please contact the technical section on 123 456.
Sue
GDS
Planning to work over the Christmas break?
Check your office is on the list of heated premises.
If it isn’t, ask your Resources Directorate to send a heating request to [email protected].
In heated premises, heating will be switched off early – at 5pm – over the holidays. If your office is too cold, you can call the technical service on 123 456.
Sue
4. You can write clearly
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“ As civil servants, we have a reputation for incomprehensible writing... I’ve found that fault lies less with people’s ability, more with the pressure – perceived or real – to conform to a supposed ‘civil service style’. We become institutionalised.
“ Yet when given the right support, the permission and the clear expectation that they should write clearly, they do. ”
- Mark Morris, ex Head of Clear Writing, DHSue
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US research: Preference for clear English increases…the more complex the ideathe higher the level of educationthe greater the expertise
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US research: Preference for clear English increases…the more complex the ideathe higher the level of educationthe greater the expertise
(everyone likes clear language)
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Clear English
Write what users can most easily understand, with:- shorter words - shorter sentences: fewer than 25
words- ‘subject, verb, object’- one idea per sentence
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on an equitable basison a daily basisdue to the fact thatin order toin excess ofcommenceutilise
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Plain English CampaignA to Z of alternative words
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Keep your sentences simple.
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Rewrite these sentences
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The project, a co-operation between Common Technology Services (CTS), CESG, The Digital Marketplace and The Institute for Cyber Security at Cambridge University, explores ways of configuring cloud-based email services so that they are secure and reliable.
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The project explores ways of configuring secure, reliable cloud-based email services.
Project partners are:● Common Technology Services (CTS),● Communications-Electronics Security
Group (CESG)● The Digital Marketplace● The Institute for Cyber Security at
Cambridge UniversityGDSSue
We have decided that we shall commence the implementation of our consultations process improvement programme.
GDSSue
We’ll improve our consultations process.
GDSSue
Thank you.
Please leave your quick feedback.
GDSSue Davis
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