writing and design tips 2011

8/8/2019 Writing and Design Tips 2011

1/40

Writing and Design Tips

Writing and design tips


2/40

National Adult Literacy AgencySandford LodgeSandford CloseRanelagh, Dublin 6

ISBN 978-1-907171-12-3

3rd edition

NALA, 2011

The first edition of this booklet, produced in 2001,was made possible by an information grant fromthe Citizens Information Board, then Comhairle.

Some of the listed words and phrases to avoid arereproduced from the Plain English Campaigns A-Z Guide ofalternative words.


3/40

This is NALAs website dedicated to all things plain English. Aswell as the tips in this booklet, youll fnd checklists to help youreview your documents and links to our plain English guides tolegal, political, environmental and social services terms, amongothers. The site also eatures inormation on NALAs services andupdates on what is happening in plain English overseas.

For more details, simply go to simplyput.ie!

SimplyPut.ie


4/40

I warmly congratulate the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)or producing this very important booklet.

Most o us take our reading skills or granted. We do not realisehow easy it is or those with reading and writing difculties to belet out o so many parts o lie.

These ew simple guidelines on improving accessibility can makean enormous dierence to many people.

Mary McAleese

Uachtarn na hireannPresident o Ireland and patron o NALA

Message from

President McAleese


5/40

Why we produced this booklet 4What is plain English? 6

Writing tips 8Checking your document 13Document design tips 17Words and phrases to avoid 23NALA services 35

Contents


6/40

Why we produced

this booklet

We thought it would be useul to produce a booklet o tips tomake your materials easier to read and understand, especiallyor adults with literacy difculties. These people may fnd ithard to understand the inormation they need to exercise theirrights and meet their obligations. It makes sense to presentthis inormation as clearly as possible to give everyone a airopportunity to understand and act on what they read.

4

One in our Irish adults has a difculty with everyday reading.


7/40

5

Literacy in Ireland

Literacy involves listening, speaking, reading, writing, numeracy(using numbers) and using everyday technology, and applying thoseskills in dierent settings. Over hal the adult population in Irelandhas a difculty with the literacy tasks that are part o everyday lie:flling in orms, understanding contracts, ollowing instructions andso on. A quarter o adults fnd it difcult to carry out straightorwardtasks such as reading and understanding the dosage instructions on

a medicine label.1

But not all adults with literacy difculties are thesame or example, some may be better at numbers than spellingand some may be better at reading than writing.

Changing demands on literacy skills

The literacy skills demanded by society are changing all thetime. Some people with literacy difculties may have let schoolconfdent about their numeracy and reading skills, but changesin their workplace and everyday lie since then place newdemands on their skills.

Use it or lose it

Literacy is like a muscle. You need to use and update your skills

regularly or they weaken. Most adults with signifcant literacydifculties can read short pieces o writing, but they may fnd ithard to understand longer or detailed documents, such as thoseproduced by organisations.

I you or your organisation writes leaets and other inormationor the public, you need to take this section o the population into

account to make sure your eorts are as eective as possible.1 Results or Ireland rom the OECDs International Adult Literacy Survey,

published in 1997


8/40

Plain English is a style o presenting inormation that helpssomeone understand it the frst time they read or hear it. It is amore efcient way o writing. To write in plain English you frstneed to put yoursel in your readers shoes.

When you use plain English you:

write in clear language, give relevant inormation in the right order, and help people to fnd this inormation quickly.

What are the advantages of

using plain English?

Plain English increases the chance that everyone willunderstand your message, which saves time and avoidsmisunderstandings.

Plain English makes good business sense. Studies haveshown that when you use plain English, your reader can

better understand your inormation. Organisations wantto communicate well with their customers and customerswant inormation that is quick and easy to understand.

When you write your material clearly, people can makeinormed judgements. Most people do not want to beorced to read material more than once to understandthe message and decide what to do next.

What is plain English?

6


9/40

Plain English before and after

To see the dierence made by plain English, have a look at thesebeore and ater examples.

BeoreThe hospital patient has the right to inormation relevant tohis situation that must allow the patient the ullest insight into

all aspects o his situation, medical and otherwise, and, on aninormed basis, enable him to make his own decisions or toparticipate in decisions which have implications or his or herwellbeing.

AterYou have a right to inormation about your condition that helps

you ully understand it and make inormed choices about yourtreatment.

7

Put yourself in their shoes!


10/40

Tips not rules

The tips in this booklet are not rules but guidelines to helpimprove your written inormation. Not all the tips will applyto every reader or every document, but they will go a long way

towards making your inormation understandable to everyone.

Write for your audience

Keep your reader in mind and ask the ollowing questions whenwriting your document.

How amiliar are they with the terminology your organisationuses?

What subjects can you assume they understand?

How will they read the document? Will they read it straightthrough or skip through it to the sections that interest them?

Have you explained any details they may not be amiliar with? Have you given the background to the inormation?

Use everyday words

Theres nothing wrong with long words, but why use one when

a short word will do? I you must use specialised language orjargon, however, explain what it means.

Writing tips

8


11/40

Be personal

Use I, we and you in your documents. This will help you toimagine your reader and help make the tone o your materialless ormal. It is easier or your reader to engage with theinormation when you address them directly.

Keep sentences short

Long sentences can be hard work to read. While there areno strict rules about sentence length, we advise you to keepsentences to an average o 15 to 20 words. Break up sentenceswith ull stops rather than semi-colons, as people are moreamiliar with ull stops.

Spell out acronymsWhen using acronyms, such as NALA (National Adult LiteracyAgency), spell them out the frst time you use them. I yourorganisation uses lots o acronyms, make sure you have a listthat spells them out.

Be consistentBe consistent with any terms you use in your documents.For example, i you call something a review, use this termthroughout your document. It can conuse your readers i youuse the words evaluation, audit or study or the same thing.

9


12/40

Use active verbs

I you use active verbs your writing will: be clearer,

seem more personal and direct,

engage the reader, and

usually need ewer words to say the same thing.

The table on page 12 gives some examples o active verbs andshows why they are easier to ollow than verbs in the passivevoice.

Dont ban the passive voice!

The passive voice puts a bit o distance between the persongiving the inormation and the person receiving it. It is sometimesappropriate to use it in some situations the active voice canseem too harsh.

For example: I you do not pay us today, we will close youraccount. This is active, but it may be the wrong tone or your

organisation to use. In this case, you might preer to use thepassive voice: I this account is not paid today, it will be closed.

Because the passive voice can slow down someone when theyare reading, you should use it only occasionally.

10


13/40

11

See how active verbs are easier

to understand than passive

Passive verbs

Sentences with passive verbscan be difcult to understand.These sentences are said to bewritten in the passive voice, inthis order:object verb actor

(You will sometimes see theactor reerred to as thesubject.)

The chequewill be sent onTuesday by John Smith.

Active verbs

Sentences with active verbsare easy to understand. Thesesentences are said to bewritten in the active voice, inthis order:

actor verb object

John Smithwill send you thecheque on Tuesday.

Passive sentences sometimes have no actor (subject) at all. Thiscan be conusing because it is not clear who or what is doingthe action.

Passive verbs

The matchwas won.

The chequewill be sent.

Active verbs

Irelandwon the match.

John Smithwill send thecheque.


14/40

Use plenty of signposts

Table of contents: In a long document, a table o contents helpspeople to fnd the inormation they are particularly interested in.

Introductory paragraph: I a section o a document is very long,it is a good idea to include an introductory paragraph thatsummarises the contents.

Headings:Headings and sub-headings help people to worktheir way around a page. They also make the text less

intimidating.

Bullet point lists: Use bullet points to break down complex textinto lists. This guide includes plenty o bullet point examples.

Use clear paragraphsWe recommend that you limit each paragraph to one idea.Leave some white space between each paragraph and avoidcontinuing a paragraph over a page.

Use questions and answersQuestions and answers are a great way to get inormation acrossor emphasise certain acts. They also mean people can gostraight to the area that particularly interests them.

12


15/40

13

Proofread your document

It is vital that you prooread your document. It is best to dothis some time ater you have fnished writing it at leastan hour later or preerably 24 hours later. This way, you will

see it with resh eyes and are more likely to notice errors. Ipossible, ask someone else to prooread it too.Pay special attention to:

spelling,

numbers,

names, dates,

addresses,

phone numbers, and

e-mail addresses.

Checking your document


16/40

Use a house style

Most organisations have terms, phrases and internal jargon thatthey use repeatedly. It is very useul to have a house style guidethat everyone in your organisation uses. This can include the tipsin this booklet and any writing or layout standards especially oryour organisation.

To ensure the style guide remains useul, someone needs to

keep it up to date and take on board suggestions rom your staor customers as new issues arise. Your house style can deal withspecifc points like those below.

Your organisations name:

How do you spell it?

Do you use things like Limited; Ireland Ltd; Group.

Job titles

Do they take capital letters? Are they up to date?

Acronyms When do you use the acronym (or example NALA or National

Adult Literacy Agency) or your organisation? What other acronyms do you use in the organisation and

when communicating with people outside it?

14


17/40

15

Jargon

What jargon will everyone in your organisation understand? What are the standard explanations o internal jargon orpeople outside your organisation?

What standard explanations or jargon might not beunderstood by everyone?

Test your document with readers

You should test your document to see that people willunderstand it quickly and easily. Even i it is an internal memoor a small number o sta, it is still worth asking people ortheir opinion.

People who know nothing about your area are sometimesthe best at spotting unclear text. It is also worth testing yourdocument with some o the people who are likely to use it.

Testing may save you money, time and energy in answeringquestions or in printing corrections later.


18/40

16

Test your text with other people.

Avoid relying on readability formulas

Some people use readability ormulas to calculate how difcultit is to read a piece o writing. You should treat these as broadguides, however, as they do not consider the content o yourdocument, your readers needs or whether your document helpsyour reader fnd inormation quickly. People are the best judgeo any document.


19/40


20/40

18

Ensure a good contrast

White or light cream paper usually makes your text mostreadable. But you can use a light coloured paper or a solidbackground colour to make your publication more colourul.

For best results, make sure there is a strong contrast betweenthe text and the background.

For example, this text is dark grey printed on a background owhite.

When you use light coloured text on a darkbackground, use a bold ont. This helps preventthe problem o ink flling in parts o the letter.This happens most oten with a seri typeace.

Use at least 12 point typeWe use 12 point (pt) text with all NALA publications because it iseasy to read.

Make important points stand out clearly

When you want to emphasise a heading or a paragraph o text

use a bigger size or bold.

Do not use all capital letters (also called upper case) to makepoints stand out. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS EXAMPLE,

THEY CAN BE DIFFICULT TO READ AND MAKE IT SEEM THATYOU ARE SHOUTING AT YOUR READER!


21/40

19

Choose a readable typeface

Fonts are generally grouped as seri or sans seri (seeillustration). I you use a computer, you will have access to a widerange o typeaces. But it is best to stick to clear, easy-to-readsans serionts like Arial or Helvetica. This booklet uses Avenir.

Watch your line spacingLine spacing reers to the amount o space rom the bottom o

one line o text to the bottom o the next line. Too little spaceand the reader will drop lines. Too much and the reader will beunsure i the lines o text reer to each other. I you are using 12point text, the recommended line spacing is 18pt (or 1.5).

A similar term is leading (pronounced ledding), which reersto the amount o space between lines o text. The term is taken

rom the days when printers placed lead between lines o text tospace them out.

The seri typeace is distinguishedby a short stroke that projects rom

the end o the letter.

The other major group o typeaces

is the sans seri, rom the French

word sans, meaning without.

Word

Word

The seri


22/40

Leading

The text opposite is 30pt and thereis 10pt o space between the lines.This means the leading is 10pt.

Add the 30pt type size to the10pt leading and you get the linespace, which is 40pt.

I you were to ask a designer to layout your text like this, you wouldask or 30pt on 40pt which iswritten 30/40pt.

Avoid background imagesAvoid using background images behind text. Many organisationsuse illustrations as a background image. This makes text harderto read, especially i the background image is very colourul.

Background images, even i aint, make text difcult to read.

Test your document on anumber o people to see i

they will understand it quicklyand easily. Even i it is aninternal memo, it is worthasking people or theiropinion.

40%

Test your document on anumber o people to see i

they will understand it quicklyand easily. Even i it is aninternal memo, it is worthasking people or theiropinion.

15%

20

Leading isthe space

between

the lines otext

30pt

10pt


23/40

Graphs can help

Graphs and images can complement and oer a break romlarge amounts o text. When you use them thoughtully, theycan be a great way o emphasising important acts and fgures.This means placing them near the relevant text and making surethey genuinely clariy or add something to your message. Butremember your audience. Some people are not amiliar with piecharts and bar charts and may not understand how they work.

21

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

001 02

Department spending

03 04 05 06 07 08 09

40%

32% 28%


24/40

Avoid justied text

Avoid using justifed text because this can lead to large whitespace between words. This makes sentences difcult to read.It is best to use let aligned (also called ragged right) text, asshown below.

22

Justied text

This type o text can becalled either let aligned

or ragged right.

Try not to justiy text, asthis can lead to gaps inwords. It is best to use let

aligned and right raggedmargins. Be generous withyour margins.

Try not to justiy text,as this can lead to gapsin words. It is best to

use let aligned and rightragged margins. Begenerous with yourmargins.


25/40

In this part o the booklet, we include some commoncomplicated words and long-winded phrases and suggestedalternatives.

We also include samples o medical, legal and fnancial jargonand suggested alternative words or phrases that are more likelyto be understood by non-specialist readers. Please note thatsome suggestions are intended to be broad alternatives ratherthan strict defnitions or equivalents.

We recommend you use everyday words as much as possible,

but i you must use jargon, consider using the suggestedalternatives in your defnitions.

Words and phrases

to avoid

23


26/40

accompany join

alternatively or

ascertain fnd out

audit review

avail o take up, takebenchmark standard

benefcial helpul, useul

bi-annually twice a year

calculate work out

cease end, fnishcommence start, begin

confscate take rom

consequently so

constitute make up, orm

demonstrate show

determine check

disseminate share, spread

endeavour try

eventuality situation

acilitate make easier, help, enable

Everyday words

Instead of Consider

24


27/40

undamental basic

herewith with

in lieu o instead o

incremental gradual, little by little

inter alia among other things

interim temporary, meantime

irrespective regardless

locality place

modifcation change, alteration

operational workingoptimum best, greatest, most

participate take part

particulars details

persons people

quarterly every three months

resident, residing living

terminate end, fnish

utilise use

Instead of Consider

25

Everyday words (continued)


28/40

Concise words

adequate number o enough

adjacent to beside

as a result o because

at the present time now, currently

by means o by, withcome to the conclusion conclude

draw to your attention point out, show

during such time while

excessive number o too many

or the duration o during, until the endor the purpose o to

give an indication indicate, signal

give consideration to consider, think about

hold discussions, meetings discuss, meet

in conjunction with with

in possession o have, own

in proximity to near, close to

in receipt o receiving, getting

in reerence to about

in respect o about, or

Instead of Consider

26


29/40

in the course o during, while

in the event that i

in view o the act that because

it would appear that apparently

large proportion o many

make an application apply

not in a position to unable to

notwithstanding the act that despite, even i, however

not later than by, on or beore

on a daily basis daily, every dayon behal o by, or

on condition that i

on the part o by

provided that i, as long as

subsequent to ater

sufcient number o enough

take exception to disagree with, object to

under the provisions o under

until such time that until

with regard to about

Instead of Consider

27

Concise words (continued)


30/40

Medical terms

acute sudden and severe

administer give

antenatal beore birth

anterior ront

audiology hearingbenign harmless

biopsy studying tissue to check

or disease

cardiology studying and treating

the heart

catheter tube

central nervous system brain and spinal cord

chemotherapy treating cancer with drugs

chronic long-lasting, slow to change

coagulate, coagulation clot, clotting

congenital rom birth

contagious spreading easily

contraindication reason not to take

contusion bruise

diagnosis identiying a health conditiondosage how to take

Instead of Consider

28


31/40

elective optional

epidermis skin

excise cut out

gastroenteritis stomach illness

haemophilia severe bleeding

hypertension high blood pressure

immunise protect

incision cut

inhalation breathing in

intravenous through a veinlateral at (on) the side

malignant harmul, cancerous

mammogram breast x-ray

medication tablets, injections (speciy)

monitor keep track o

myopia short-sight

negative (test results) you do not have, you are not

normal range as it should be

oesophagus gut

ophthalmic eye

Instead of Consider

29

Medical terms (continued)


32/40

Medical terms (continued)

physician doctor

positive (test results) you have, you are

post-operative ater the operation

prognosis likely outcome,

chance o recovery

renal kidney

respiration breathing

rheumatology muscles and joints

symptoms signs o a sickness

therapy treatment

trachea wind pipe

ventricle lower chamber o the heart

Instead of Consider

30


33/40

31

aorementioned already mentioned

annul cancel

assign transer, give

beneactor person giving money

(or other support)

benefciary person who benefts

breach break, disobey

consent agree

convey transer, give

countereit orged

duress pressure

emolument salary, ee

execute carry out

orce majeure uncontrollable event

oreit loseheretoore beore now

indemnity promise not to sue,

compensation

jurisdiction power

legal representative solicitor, barrister

Legal terms

Instead of Consider


34/40

litigation suing

merchantable suitable or sale

misrepresentation lying

negligence carelessness

non-negotiable cannot be changed,cannot be sold

non-transerable cannot be given away

onus duty

plainti person bringing a case

to court

proviso condition

rescind cancel

statutory rights legal rights

subject to depending on

summons order to attend court

testiy give evidence

title ownership, right to own

undertaking promise

void not valid

waive give up a right or beneft

Instead of Consider

32

Legal terms (continued)


35/40

33

accrue build up

arrears money owed ater it is due

asset property

balance amount

beneft in kind perkcapital amount o money being invested

credit loan

credit limit maximum loan

creditor person or company owed money

debit payment rom an accountdebt consolidation combining debts

debtor person or company owing money

deeds proo o ownership

deault miss a payment

depreciation drop in value

exclusion not covered

exempt ree rom

expenditure spending

gross total

instalment payment

Financial terms

Instead of Consider


36/40

liabilities debts

lump-sum once-o payment

mature come to an end

means income or property besides a amily home

net income income ater taxoutgoings expenses, spending

overdue not yet paid

overheads costs

per annum a year

policy planpolicyholder customer

premium contribution, payment

principal loan amount

remittance payment

remuneration pay, earnings

signatory person who signs

surcharge extra charge

transaction payment into or out o an account

variable can change

withdraw take out

Instead of Consider

34

Financial terms (continued)


37/40

35

NALA services

NALA works with organisations to help them considerliteracy issues across all their departments and in alltheir dealings with customers and with potential andexisting sta.

We have already provided advice, editing support anda range of training to:

Government departments,

State agencies,

local authorities,

companies, urther education and training centres, and

voluntary organisations.

For more inormation about our services, please contact us on(01) 412 7900 or at [email protected].

Our services includes:

guidance on literacy-proofng policies, practices and procedures, editing and training support to put documents into plain English, literacy awareness seminars or sta, including managers, advice, inormation and support on integrating literacy into

sta training, and advice and inormation on workplace basic education programmes.


38/40

36


39/40


40/40

National Adult

Literacy Agency

Sandford Lodge

Sandford Close

Ranelagh, Dublin 6Telephone (01) 412 7900

Fax (01) 497 6038

Email [email protected]

NALA Cork

Telephone (021) 427 8655

Fax (021) 427 8665

Freephone support line:

1800 20 20 65

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is an independentmembership organisation, concerned with developing policy,

advocacy, research and offering advisory services in adult

literacy work in Ireland. NALA was established in 1980 and has

campaigned since then for the recognition of, and response

to, the adult literacy issue in Ireland.

What is NALA?

writing and design tips 2011

Documents