Freelance content designer and founder of Clear Language Club.
98 postsA must-bookmark guide to content audits by Lauren Pope:
Content audits aren’t one-and-done projects. Content degrades over time. Sites grow. Strategies evolve. User needs change. If you don’t build in a way of keeping on top of it, you’ll find yourself back where you started in a year or two – sitting on a pile of content nobody is quite sure about.
This is such a useful post, whether you're experienced with content audits or attempting one for the first time.
The Clear Language Club blog goes live, updates to the newsletter, plus plenty of content goodies to explore, read and bookmark.
I'm always slightly fascinated by the way different organisations in different sectors present their style guidelines. Here is Imperial College London on writing good headings and I can't see much I disagree with.
It includes the following statistic and link:
According to a WebAIM survey of 1,539 people in January 2024, 71.6% of screen reader users navigate pages using headings.
Make a note of that, as it might come in handy for future discussions with your senior leadership team or design colleagues.
More good stuff on plain language basics in the Australian government's style guide:
There are 4 basic elements of plain writing. If you consider these elements, you’ll be well on the way to writing in plain language. They are: structure, word choice, active voice, short sentences.
I really like the last section that explains why plain language benefits everyone. Always worth reminding yourself. And anyone who'll listen.
Time to head into the BBC Bitesize archive for you to meet Frieda Fishmonster. I'm not saying you have to complete these activities as a way of testing your clear language skills, but would it hurt? I won't tell anyone.