Friday, Feb. 7

Recap (5)

Last class focused on information design, and the Schriver chapter. You applied Schriver's heuristic to analyze documentation for a coffee brewing device or tool.

Today we will focus on Plain Language, which is a movement about the style of writing for certain situations, especially high stakes and unfamiliar situations.

Both relate to rhetorical canons. Both implicate arrangement, style, and delivery. Information design is interested mostly in arrangement, plain language is more interested in style and delivery.

Today's assigned texts and activities correspond to objectives from Project 2:

• Make observations about strengths and limitations of existing documentation (e.g., definitions, descriptions, instruction, plain language, risk communication, visuals, accessibility) based on analysis of text, visuals, and/or video, and grounded in premises about technical writing 

Willerton, Plain Language; Federal Plain Language Guidelines (10)

Willerton

• Plain-language approach is prominent today in many situations

• Willerton takes a more descriptive approach (while the Federal Plain Language Guidelines sound more prescriptive). 

• BUROC situations benefit especially from Plain Language

  • • Bureaucratic: large, complex organizations and policies

    • Unfamiliar: infrequently occurring, something most people do only once in a while

    • Rights-oriented: involving civic and consumer rights

    • Critical: high stakes, significant consequences

• Four ps:

  • • Plain products: About meeting audience needs, but surface features may relate to syllable counts, sentence length, jargon, word length, sentence length, readability scores, grade-level scores, white space, typography choices, bulleted or numbered lists, visual cues

    • Plain process: focuses on iterating and revising based on audience usability and feedback

    • Plain principle: plain language serves public audiences, which can prevent citizens from receiving services or businesses

    • Plain pays off: PL documents save organizations time and money, and meet the preferences of working professionals 

Federal Plain Language Guidelines

• Paragraphs

  • • • • Have a topic sentence

        • Use transition words

        • Write short paragraphs

        • Limit each paragraph to one idea

• Sentences

  • • • • Write short sentences

        • Write simple sentences

        • Write active sentences

        • Place the main idea before exceptions and conditions

        • Keep subject, verb, and object close together

        • Emphasize the Positive

        • Avoid exceptions to exceptions

        • Link Your Ideas

        • Avoid Ambiguity

        • Place words carefully

• Words

  • • Verbs

      • • Use active voice

        • Use present tense

        • Use the simplest form of a verb

        • Avoid hidden verbs.

        • Use “must” to indicate requirements

        • Use contractions when appropriate

    • Nouns and pronouns

      • • Don’t turn verbs into nouns

        • Avoid Chains of Nouns

        • Use pronouns to speak directly to readers

        • Minimize abbreviations

        • Use Acronyms Carefully

        • Avoid or Explain Technical Words

    • Other word issues

      • • Use short, simple words

        • Omit unnecessary words

        • Explain Complex Ideas

        • Dealing with definitions

        • Use the same term consistently for a specific thought or object

        • Avoid legal, foreign, and technical jargon

        • Don’t use slashes

Reading Responses (15)

Agustin

In my personal experience, as I’ve progressed through school, there was a tendency to believe that better writing meant being able to say more with more “sophisticated” words, because that would appear or seem smart. However, especially in the college setting where our education becomes specialized, I think writing becomes less about “sounding smarter” and more about conveying information to a specific audience. 

Michelle

One of the recommendations they make in the section about verbs is about using active voice. An example that I can think of is medication labels which might direct the user to “take one tablet daily” or “take one tablet twice a day.” Using the verb “take” is very direct and clear which can make instructions more straightforward for the user. This also connects to the reading by Willerton, as he talks about the 4 P’s of plain language, one of which is “payoff.” When the language on documents like these is clear, then the user can best understand how to take their medication which will benefit both the individual who prescribed it and the user.

Jake

I have done similar stuff in other classes in regards to user design, which I find very similar to plain language. In this we learned that similar to plain writing, there are ways in which we can design things such as products and apps that allow the product to be more intuitive. Things such as error messages were another thing I have learned about in the past, and how to format them in a way that can help a user fix their mistake.

Anzhuo

Are there any drawbacks of using plain language? Does plain language reduce professionalism or weaken the strength of arguments?

Kira

Is there a point where language can be overly simple/plain and the document is boring for readers even if it is effective in conveying the information?

Anabelle

How do we balance plain language with technical accuracy? Some fields, like medicine or law, require precise terminology, but how can professionals simplify their writing without losing essential details? 

Migo

How should organizations balance plain language principles with the need to maintain accuracy and technical precision in fields like law, medicine, or engineering? Should separate documents exist for experts and the general public, or is there an ideal middle ground?

Examples and discussion (15)

Which guidelines most relate to these passages? What is effective about each example, from a plain-language perspective. What is less effective? How might you revise each example? 

v60

• The entire server becomes hot after heating in a microwave. Use oven gloves to hold the server or handle when carrying. Do not place directly onto items that are not heat resistant such as a vinyl tablecloth. Always place on a pot stand.

• In the unlikely event the product becomes damaged, please handle any broken pieces with care.

• Liquid may boil rapidly, causing the liquid to suddenly be expelled from the container (known as the bumping phenomenon). Keep your face away from the product when removing from the microwave.

Aeropress

• Product Details

Patented 3-in 1-brew technology combines the best of several brew methods into one easy to use, very portable device. No more average joe from fancy, expensive machines. Smooth, rich, grit-free coffee with a delicious, full-bodied finish that lingers well after your last sip.

Compact, durable and lightweight so you can pack it in your bag and take it on the road. No more mediocre (at best) coffee from the hotel, office, Airbnb, ski lodge, camper…

The world's best kept coffee secret – 65K+ five star reviews in over 60 countries.

• How It Works

AeroPress uses a patented 3 in 1 brew technology that combines the flavor benefits of espresso, pour-over and french press into one compact, portable device. You get a completely unique and delicious cup of coffee, only possible with an AeroPress

First, water is poured over the coffee, wetting and aerating the grinds, creating the signature AeroPress smoothness. Then, during the immersion process, water penetrates the coffee grinds for deeper flavor notes and a full bodied finish often found in a French Press. Finally, the magic happens - air pressure quickly pushes the brew through the coffee bed and filter, removing grit and bitter tasting oils for an espresso-like richness

• Cleaning

For day to day use, a simple rinse is sufficient because the plunger wipes the chamber clean as you brew. However, with the exception of AeroPress Premium, you can wash AeroPress coffee makers in the dishwasher (top rack only, both top and bottom rack in the case of AeroPress Clear). We recommend occasionally removing the seal from the end of the plunger for a good washing inside and out with warm water and dish soap. If your chamber ever gets sticky, wash it with vinegar.

Moka Pot

• These instructions are an integral part of the product and, throughout the entire life of the product, must be kept and be available. The documentation should be given to the subsequent owners of the product.

Activity: Analyze plain-language style of Existing Documentation (20)

Select one of the existing pieces of documentation, or select a different text your group agrees upon.

Existing Documentation

• Hario V60 dripper  (Birtu, Kathan, Kira)

• Aeropress Coffee Maker-Original  (Kyle, Kira)

• Bialetti Moka Induction Moka Pot (Lucas, Ethan, Kathan, Liam)

• Bodum French Press (George, Milo, Henry, Liam)

• Black and Decker 12-Cup Programmable Coffee maker (Anabelle, Esperanza, Kosuke)

• 1ZPresso JX-Pro manual grinder

• Niche Zero electric grinder

• Bonavita 1L gooseneck variable electric kettle

• Fellow Tally Pro scale

Identify, Assess, Revise (10)

• Identify 3-5 passages from the documentation that relate to plain-language style. 

• What are some possible ethical consequences of misunderstanding the passage?

• Assess how effectively the document adhere to plain-language recommendations in the Federal Plain Language Guidelines.

• Revise the passages to adhere more closely to Federal Plain Language Guidelines.

• Share your work with me.

Discuss (5)