What is plain language writing and design?
Clear language and layouts that make information easier for everyone to find and understand.
Testing understanding
How can we tell if we’ve done that well?
We observe how people respond to key points after they read them.
Try it: the benefits eligibility example
Let’s respond to some information. If your benefits policy says:
You establish initial benefits eligibility the first day of the second month after receiving at least 240 total hours over three full, consecutive months.
And you begin on January 13 . . . on what date will your health insurance coverage begin?
In class, a poll asks: please tell us the date you would first feel comfortable scheduling an important health care visit that your health insurance policy covers.
Work out your answer first. Then open the reveal.
Reveal what the policy writer tried to tell us
- February 13: starting point.
- March, April, May: 240 hours on paychecks received in three full, consecutive months.
- June: first month after.
- July 1: second month after—coverage begins.
Was that plain language?
Did they convey that answer in a way that was easy to understand?
Identifying confusing language
What words or terms might confuse readers? Read the policy once more:
“You establish initial benefits eligibility the first day of the second month after receiving at least 240 total hours over three full, consecutive months.”
Reveal some to consider
- initial benefits eligibility
- receiving (hours)
- full, consecutive months
The goals of plain language
Readers can:
- Quickly find and get to what they need.
- Understand key points—the first time.
- Use the information provided with success.
- Easily translate all content.
We have many ways of reading
People read in many ways. Consider how information flows when read with screen readers, captioning, accessibility, and language access tools.
How to meet plain language goals
Write and design with readers in mind.
- Choose, group, and place info in a logical, useful order.
- Write short blocks of clear, concise content.
- Write content that feels like conversation.
- Use basic content accessibility practices.
These are our performance objectives.
Step 1: Know your readers
Step 1: seek sources of insight to learn about and meet the needs of those who use what you write.
Get to know your users
- What do I know about them?
- What must I learn about them?
- What do they want to do?
- How do they use this information?
Who uses what you write?
- Leadership and supervisors.
- Public.
- External partners and vendors.
- Others: who else reads what you write?
Six questions to answer for each type of reader
- What do they already know about the topic?
- What information, direction, report, or requests do they expect to receive? Let this inform where you place key points. This info should come to the top.
- What beliefs and preferences exist? Culture and tradition, mental, social and organizational norms have powerful influence. Let your understanding inform how you position info and insights for this audience.
- What do you want readers to do after reading?
- Why should they do what you say or ask?
- Whom have we left out? Do we know of people or businesses excluded or underserved by the way we convey information? Do we observe areas of silence or gaps?
Meet readers’ needs with good info design
Reflect on your readers’ needs as you choose, group, and place information.
What will they find useful and logical?
Step 2: Use good information design
Step 2: use that knowledge to practice good information design.
Good information design defined
Good information design:
- Meets users’ information needs up front.
- Delivers only relevant, important information.
- Uses familiar formats.
- Provides a framework that helps readers process new information and necessary technical phrases.
Dive or discard?
How long does it take you to decide: dive in or discard? In class, tell us what comes closest:
- 5 seconds
- 20 seconds
- 60 seconds
Reveal how quickly we decide
We take very little time to decide if we will read something or not.
- Email: 18 seconds.
- Web page: 20 seconds.
- One printed page: 60 seconds.
BLUF: bottom line up front
- Bring summaries, conclusions, recommendations, and requests to the top.
- Place body text in useful, logical order from the reader’s point of view.
- Restate conclusion.
Exercise 1: Applying design thinking to write better messages
Let’s revise an email message to help readers find and understand key points quickly. We’ll revise the email message to make it work well for readers who must act upon it. Make any changes you see fit.
In this message, we want to
- Meet users’ information needs up front.
- Deliver only relevant, important information.
- Provide a framework that helps readers process new information and necessary technical phrases.
And we want this message to BLUF—get the bottom line up front:
- Bring summaries, conclusions, recommendations, and requests to the top.
- Place body text in useful, logical order from the reader’s point of view.
- Restate conclusion.
Work time, then review
You work on the exercise on your own. When work time ends, you may submit your revision for feedback if you wish. Would you like to share your revision?
Let’s talk about it
The review walks through these questions. Answer each for your own revision.
- How was the original information structured? Where were the key points? (Sometimes skipped in class.)
- Thinking about where we place key points in the message . . . what changes did you make to meet users’ information needs up front?
- Thinking about the original text, did you find words or phrases that readers might not understand?
- How did you solve those problems? What changes did you make?
- Thinking about the original text, did it provide only relevant, useful information? (Sometimes skipped in class.)
- Did you delete anything or add anything to make the message more relevant or useful?
- Did you create any headings or headlines to guide readers through the message? Did you create any lists? (Sometimes skipped in class.)
The review can close with a before-and-after look at our revision, if the class would like to see it. (Sometimes skipped in class.)
Four text features that make language plain
What can we do to make language plain? Commit to four text features that make everything easier to read and understand:
Measure your reading ease
Let’s define “easier to read”
- Flesch Reading Ease: on a scale of 0 to 100, higher scores show higher levels of reading ease.
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: connects the reading ease score to a US grade level.
Our reading ease standard
Let’s define our goal:
- Flesch Reading Ease: 50 or greater.
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: at or below 9.1 to align with WCAG standards and plain language best practice.
WCAG—the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—is the standard for making digital content usable by everyone.
Finding our reading ease scores
Do you know how to find your stats? Microsoft Word builds them into the Editor panel. Can you open MS Word right now?
We must use the Editor tool. To open it:
- If you have function keys, F7 opens the Editor.
- Or Alt+Q opens the search box. Enter “editor” and Editor will come up in the list of actions. Select Editor and the panel opens.
Checking in . . . when you’ve opened the Editor pane, let me know.
How to get to and activate document stats
- Use the Tab key to move through the Editor pane.
- Navigate to the Insights section and the Document Stats button.
- Activate document stats by selecting Enter.
- A dialog box may appear, asking for confirmation to calculate the stats. A screen reader will announce this. Press Enter to select “OK.”
The readability statistics will open in a new window, right on your screen. The statistics include two measures of readability. You can pay attention to either grade level or reading ease—just use what works best for you.
If your Editor panel did not show reading ease stats
Slides 53–61. Your facilitator shows these only if the stats don’t appear; they may be skipped in class.
You may need to go to your proofing settings and turn this feature on.
- Alt+F opens the File menu.
- Navigate with the down arrow key to Options. Select Options to open Word Options.
- Navigate down the menu from General to Proofing. Proofing is the third item in the menu.
- From there, use Tab to enter the Proofing menu and move through it to “show readability statistics.”
- Toggle it on using your space bar or Enter key while the screen reader is focused on it. We want the checkbox checked.
Then go back: open the Editor panel again, navigate to Document Stats, and hear or view your stats. The steps repeat the ones above—F7 or Alt+Q to open the Editor, Tab to the Insights section, select Document Stats, and press Enter to confirm. (You can also navigate to the Review tab, then select Editor to open the panel.)
Stats for one part of a document only
If you want to know the stats for one part of your document only, select the text first:
- Move your cursor to the beginning of the text you want to analyze.
- Press and hold the Shift key.
- Use the arrow keys to extend the selection to the end of the desired text.
Next, run the check and review stats: (sometimes skipped in class)
- Press the F7 key to run the spelling and grammar check on only your selected text.
- Word will ask if you want to check the rest of the document. Use your screen reader to select the “No” option.
- After the check is complete, the “Readability Statistics” dialog box will appear.
Checking in . . . what is the reading ease of your document?
Leading indicators: sentence length and percent passive
What about those other stats? Key metrics can help us boost reading ease:
- Sentence length: 18 words or fewer.
- Passive sentences: goal 0%, max 10%.
The true measure of plain language success
What’s the true test of success? Readers can understand and recall key points after one reading.
That brings us back to . . . four text features that make everything easier to read and understand.
Feature 1: Clear, common words
Write more like you speak for clearer meaning
Let’s choose a simpler, clearer word for each common workplace word below. Try your own swap for each, then open the reveal.
- accompanied by
- affix signature
- finalize
- promulgate
Reveal the simpler words
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| accompanied by | with |
| affix signature | sign |
| finalize | finish |
| promulgate | send or publish |
Simplifying Latin by using plain English
One more: pursuant to.
Reveal the plain English
In, under, [x] requires, [x] states.
Not “per,” which is Latin and means “a” or “an.”
Activity: simplifying common business words
Let’s continue simplifying common business words. In the chat, your facilitator places a link to the next exercise. It offers you the chance to do a little individual practice with feedback.
More simple alternatives: the word list
Simple swaps—try each before you open the reveal:
- demonstrate
- implement (verb)
- verification
- antithesis
- pertaining to
- consequence
- cognizant
- subsequent
Reveal the simple swaps
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| demonstrate | show |
| implement (verb) | apply or use |
| verification | proof |
| antithesis | opposite |
| pertaining to | about |
| consequence | result |
| cognizant | aware or know |
| subsequent | next, following, after |
Great work! By simplifying complex words you don’t have to use, you’ve made great gains in reading ease. That should always be your first move.
What’s next?
We must clarify the complex words we must use, and those that we cannot simplify further without losing context or accuracy.
What makes a word complex? We call words with multiple syllables and specialized meaning complex. We simplified long words. Now we need to tackle specialized meaning.
Here’s a great example of plain language even when complex words must be used: (sometimes skipped in class)
Vocational rehabilitation is a service that helps people aged 14 and up with disabilities start or continue working.
Agency-specific complex words
Some examples:
- rehabilitation
- eligibility
- authorization
- compensatory
- bereavement
- inclement
- comprehensive
- mediation
We can easily simplify some. Try eligibility, authorization, and comprehensive, then open the reveal.
Reveal the simpler choices
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| eligibility | can get, can receive, can participate, have a right to |
| authorization | approval |
| comprehensive | full |
Handling the complex words we must keep
For others, we might need to find a way to:
- Keep accuracy and professional terminology.
- Help readers learn the terms they must use.
- Add clarity.
- Use specific terms that have legal meaning.
In what ways do you do that now?
Some plain language swaps: (sometimes skipped in class)
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| authorization process | getting approval for services |
| comprehensive documentation | all your paperwork |
| determine eligibility | decide if you qualify |
| rehabilitation services | services |
| receive notification | we will let you know |
| initial appointment | first appointment |
Activity: making meaning clear
Work time for activity 2, “Making Meaning Clear.” You revise two originals. Try each one before you open its reveals.
Original 1
Original 1 It’s important we have comprehensive documentation completed so that we understand the eligibility determinations that have been finalized. Understanding which eligibility determinations have been finalized is an important part of compliance monitoring, quality assurance, and federal reporting.
Reveal the plain language swaps for original 1
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| comprehensive documentation completed | complete all paperwork |
| understand the eligibility determinations that have been finalized | know who qualifies for services |
| compliance monitoring, quality assurance, and federal reporting | follow the rules and report correctly to the federal government |
Reveal our revision of original 1
Revised We need to complete all paperwork, so we know who qualifies for services. This information helps us follow the rules and report correctly to the federal government.
Original 2
Original 2 The compliance dashlet will display comprehensive metrics and functionality for reporting structure analysis, users with statewide case access can utilize the modifications to review calculations for service authorization totals.
Reveal the plain language swaps for original 2
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| compliance dashlet | tracking tool (or compliance tool) |
| display | show |
| comprehensive metrics | complete measurements (or all the numbers) |
| functionality | features (or tools) |
| reporting structure analysis | report breakdown |
| utilize | use |
| modifications | changes |
| review calculations | check the math (or see totals) |
| service authorization totals | approved service amounts (or total approved services) |
Reveal our revision of original 2
Revised The compliance tool now shows better data for analyzing reports. If you have access to all state cases, you can use the new features to see totals for approved services.
Feature 2: Statements in the active voice
Step 1: Follow a simple form
When you write your own sentences, follow a simple form: doers—doing—something (subject—verb—object).
Step 2: Answer two questions
If you need clarity, answer these two questions, in order:
- What happens in this sentence?
- For every action you find—who or what makes it happen?
Step 3: Keep the doer next to the action
Use the answers to rewrite the phrase, placing the doer (subject) right next to the action (verb). Try not to place any other words between them. The slide illustrates this with a drawing of two people holding hands, one labeled “noun” and one labeled “verb”—a reminder that the noun comes first, followed by the verb, and we don’t want to separate them.
Step 4: Notice nouns hiding verbs
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| makes a determination | determines or decides |
| ensures validation | validates or confirms |
| conduct a meeting | meet |
Steps 5 and 6: Let’s activate a sentence together
Original Leave without pay will be granted for the following reasons.
- What happens in this sentence? Someone grants leave.
- Who or what grants leave? We?
Reveal the activated sentence
Activated, becomes We will grant leave without pay for the following reasons.
Activity: writing in the active voice
Let’s practice writing in the active voice. In the chat, your facilitator places a link to the next exercise. It offers you the chance to do a little individual practice with feedback. Work time follows, then Q and A: what questions do you have?
Feature 3: Familiar pronouns—you and we
Use the pronoun “you” for the reader, and use “we” for the agency. The slide shows two cartoon figures talking; their conversation bubbles say “We for agencies” and “You for readers.”
We will notify you when we approve your services.
You may request leave without pay.
Feature 4: Short sentences and paragraphs
Keep sentences under 18 words
Under 18 words on average = 97% of people who can read for information at the 8th grade level can read sentences like this one time and recall the key points.
One sentence = one idea.
Keep paragraphs short
- For print: seven lines of copy or fewer.
- For screens: 3–4 lines of copy.
Consider how readers will likely access the document. On mobile? On a large screen? Adapt for the medium.
Great work today
You’re equipped to write everything in plain language.
Please check your email to find a link to your course evaluation.