cpl workshop-fall 14: plain language starts with planning and personas (ginny redish)

Ginny Redish Redish & Associates, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland

www.redish.net ginny@redish.net @GinnyRedish

Plain Language Starts with Planning and Personas

September 30, 2014

2nd edition 2012

Photos that I don't otherwise identify are licensed from www.istockphoto.com.

What do you write?

Errors

What if readers don't understand?

$ $ $ Noncompliance

What is plain language?

A communication is in plain language if the people who must (or should) deal with it can

§  find what they need § understand what they find § use what they find to meet their needs

Find Use Understand www.plainlanguage.gov

Plain = more than simple words

§  Right content?

§  Clear content – consistent, unambiguous?

§  Clear, logical organization?

§  Broken into manageable pieces?

§  Short pieces – sections, paragraphs, sentences?

§  Lists, tables where appropriate?

§  Headings to help readers?

§  Formatting that helps them?

Plain may differ for different readers

What is this? Why are they writing to me?

How do I sign up for that class I want?

What's the latest on treatment for PTSD?

Everything you write is part of a conversation

Example courtesy of Caroline Jarrett and Whitney Quesenbery

Communication = your readers "get" it

Communication is always part of a story

Photo: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

Plan Draft Review, Test Revise Publish

Draft = Choose content Organize Write Format

Manage the project…………………………………….

§  Why?

§  Who?

§  How?

§  What?

Plan before you write

The web page as I found it in 2011

§  Align with your organization's overall strategy and goals. §  Be measurable. §  Focus on what you want people to do. §  Be specific.

Why? (your purposes)

When you write this type of content

what do you want to happen?

An email to your boss because you want to come to this workshop

A web page about the benefits of exercise

Instructions for filling out a form

Be measurable

Focus on what you want people to do We want to tell people all about the Child Care Assistance Program.

If we communicate successfully, qualifying adults will apply for child care assistance correctly and completely. People who clearly do not qualify will not apply.

My communication will be successful if

[these people] _____________________________________

[do this] _________________________________________.

Be specific

With permission from Kenneth W. Davis

§  Who is in this conversation with you?

§  What should you keep in mind about those people? §  Abilities (examples: reading level, first language) §  Aptitudes (examples: knows / doesn't know specific

words; is / is not computer savvy) §  Attitudes (examples: busy, tired, anxious, in pain)

Not what content they are looking for. That's a different question.

Listen to your readers What do they mean? I don't know that word.

I know I need a state license to be a physical therapist. But I'm so busy, I don't have time to figure this out.

Develop personas for typical readers Persona = §  a fictional person

who realistically represents a major group of of your readers

§  composite based on data

Senior •  memory loss •  vision problems •  worried about

Mary Jones

Example persona (US Dept. of Agriculture Economic Research Service) Note the elements: §  group persona represents §  picture §  name §  title §  personal characteristics §  key quote §  short narrative §  key attributes §  tasks §  goals

www.usability.gov

http://uxpamagazine.org/ spanish-language-personas/

Silvia Salazar and Jennifer Romano

One of the National Cancer Institute's personas to remind writers about the importance of language and culture, as well as where people are on their "cancer journey"

Simple persona descriptions from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

Walk your persona through the story. Your communication arrives in the mail…

or Someone hands it to the reader

or The person goes to your website…

Flickr cc photo by Polandeze

Do usability testing Have people like your personas try to find – understand – use what you wrote

Barnum, 2010

Rubin and Chisnell, 2008

Krug, 2010

www.usability.gov

Evaluate through your personas and their conversations

Is this better?

http://www.uwmedicine.org/ Patient-Care/Our-Services/ Pages/Make-An-Appointment.aspx

Today – September 2014

Photo: Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

Lost my job. Heard about COBRA. Would that help me?

www.insurance.wa.gov

Lost my job. Heard about COBRA. Would that help me?

I have allowed your claim for an on the job injury sustained on [date]. Treatment of this injury will be covered by the department as allowed by law. If you have any questions or concerns, you may speak to a customer service representative at (xxx)-xxx-xxxx or myself at the number listed below. Sincerely, [name] Claims Manager (xxx)-xxx-xxxx

Draft revision adapted from work by Dana Botka

Continues with heading "if you have questions" and then has names and phone numbers

Why do you need personas? Because your readers aren't with you when you are writing

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

Because your readers aren't with you when you are reviewing

AARP, used with permission

first name only

picture individual demographics

quotes

what she does on the web

interests

Edith’s story

major use of the web

physical constraints

Rachel, Enthusiastic dreamer Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m 28 I live in London with my partner and temp as a receptionist when I can. Between jobs right now.

Have you got any qualifications?

9 GCSEs and three A-levels: History, English and Media Studies

What is your ambition?

Catch up with my friends; they have degrees and they’ve got better jobs than me

Why didn’t you go to university?

Well, I did. I did a nearly year of History and loved the subject but I hated living away from home so I dropped out

What do you want to know?

What bits of History will I study? How many hours per week? How long will it take?

How did you find out about the OU?

I was browsing YouTube and found some really interesting ones from the OU.

Segment: Not Employed Adults (C1) • 24-49 • Not employed • Considering HE • No OU experience • Incomplete Studies • Progress career

The Open University, U K, used with permission

first name only

title by characteristic rather than role

picture

demographics by segment, not individual

persona is created from answers to interview questions

How can you keep personas "alive"?

Gina Pearson and colleagues at the Energy Information Administration with three of their persona posters

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/04/tips-keeping-buyer-personas-fresh/

? Your ideas ? How would you keep personas alive for your communications?

Plain language = conversation

Plan Draft Review, Test Revise Publish

Draft = Choose content Organize Write Format

Manage the project…………………………………….

§  Why?

§  Who?

§  How?

§  What?

Rodin, The Thinker

Thank you!

2nd edition 2012

@GinnyRedish

Ginny Redish

Janice (Ginny) Redish, Ph.D. Redish & Associates, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland www.redish.net ginny@redish.net

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