Plain Language for the Web

My career working to build sites and graphics for the state government allowed me to discover a term that I now use in all of my web and graphic design projects “Plain Language”.

What is plain language? It language is written in a way that is easier for the public to read, understand and use while interacting with government communications.

Let’s say someone gave you a 300-word report and asked you to design a graphic communication all of the information in the report. Would you take all 300 words and fit them in the graphic? Of course not! Would you take that same scenario and create a landing page with all 300 words? You could, but it would not capture your audience’s attention and increase their understanding. That’s where plain language comes in.

Here is an example of an actual government statement made simple for the web using the plain language guidelines:

Photo Credits: https://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/before-and-after/lead-warning/

One of the important things to note is the reduction of words and the use of bullet points to highlight important information. This makes the paragraph a quick read and breaks down the information in a way users can comprehend and retain.

Here is another one about lead in water:

Photo Credits: https://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/before-and-after/lead-warning/

Learn more about plain language and its importance at https://www.plainlanguage.gov/