Quick tip: Rephrase negatives into positives
Here’s an easy tip to help you write more clearly: if you can, rephrase negatives into positives. This is especially useful when you’re writing instructions and test or survey questions. …
Tag: plain language in real life
Applying plain language principles, examples (and fails).
How to write clearly but diplomatically: Tips for UN and international aid professionals
You can write diplomatically and still use plain language principles. Here are some practical ways. I’ve recapped all the arguments why UN and international aid professionals might want to use …
Use Word templates for plain language and accessibility
Want to get more people in your organization to use plain language and inclusive language and follow accessibility practices? Word templates may be your friend. I used to think Word …
Practicing what I preach: Improving my writing
I offer a lot of writing advice, but all that is also part of my learning. Here are ways I think my writing has improved over the last five years. …
Plain language as a bridge where there is no shared culture
In diverse settings, we can’t rely on “common sense” to communicate. That’s why we need plain language: to make the unspokens explicit. In 2022, I went to Tokyo to attend …
Non-designers can design for better readability: 3 simple principles
Making your text more readable will help you reach more people. And there are simple principles that even non-designers can use. Readability isn’t about making things look pretty. It’s about …
Imprecise writing wastes time and money
How does not using plain language cost firms and workers money? I had a first-hand experience with a global firm that showed me exactly how.
Attempts of a non-designer to visually present information so it’s clear
I used to think that tinkering with figures and tables was an indulgence—I did it for fun if I had time. But now I know that visual presentation matters and …
Expressing time zones for events
As events have gone online since 2020, we’ve become more conscious of time zones. If your event targets an international audience, express the event time in a way that makes …