Writing

I like this piece on jargon by content designer, Amy Hupe, because it acknowledges the nuances of language and even clear language.

This is a fantastic paragraph:

Jargon always gives power to those who understand it, and takes power from those who don’t. It’s really important that we recognise this and think about who we’re empowering and disempowering when we use jargon.

Yes, in most cases, jargon should be avoided. But jargon can empower people and communities too. I think this is why it's important that we don't get all... preachy about clear language. There is never one way of approaching a piece of writing. And it's absolutely vital to understand who it's for.

This post on sentence length was published on GOV.UK in 2014, but the benefits of writing shorter sentences remain the same today. One other thing that I always emphasise when running training sessions is one idea per sentence. It forces you to think about what you are trying to say and helps get the word count down.

This is a great list of complex words with clearer alternatives. It was put together by Deanna Horton, a content designer currently at Shopify. I'm actually working on a similar list as a permanent resource on Clear Language Club.

It sounds silly, but just looking at a complex word alongside a more everyday alternative is a great way to understand plain language. Examples make it easier to see the difference. Classic show rather than tell.

A few years ago, Gather Content asked me to write an article for them that outlined some of the principles of plain English. In general, I always think it's a good idea to start with principles when you're learning something new. Get the essentials down and then go from there.

Anyway, the piece proved popular and you can still read it online today – hooray for the internet! Quick disclaimer – Gather Content got bought out by Bynder and they have added a few images and maybe made some changes to the copy.

Some of it looks very unfamiliar, but most of it is mine!