There is never enough time or money to do it right, but there is always enough to do it again!

The need for user testing

We’ve probably all come across documents that just don’t make sense to us. Text that is obscure, or forms that don’t flow logically or that ask questions we are not sure how to answer.

Believe it or not, these are not developed by people trying to make life difficult!. They are usually designed by people with good intentions, but who are not looking from the perspective of the user.

Only the user can truly evaluate a communication device. As far back as 320 BC Aristotle said:

One must consider also the audience … the reader is the judge.

If a reader or user thinks it is unclear or difficult, then it is. It doesn’t matter how much work you’ve put into it, or how good you think it is.

In document design, common sense and professional experience will only take you so far.

Discussing your work with a colleague (peer review) will further improve your work.

But there are some things you can only find out from the users. This requires real testing, with real users in real (or closely simulated) situations. It is only as you watch people use your document that you see some of its shortcomings. Things that seem obvious or logical to you may not be to users.

The cost of poor design can be huge. A poorly designed form may generate thousands of phone calls to clarify it, or you may not get the information you need.

Yet, the cost of testing is not great – you can find out the majority of problems by testing as few as half a dozen users. However, testing is often skipped, usually for budget reasons. As with many things, there is never enough time or money to do it right, but there is always enough to do it again.

A lesson from Aristotle: a message is more likely to persuade when these three components are in appropriate balance. ^*

Ethos

The character of the person delivering the message. It’s about your reputation – what you are known for. It involves your qualifications – are you credible on this matter?; are you worth listening to?.

Ethos establishes trust and confidence in your audience. This is probably an area of strength for many in business or government.

However, you may need to establish your credibility if your audience has not heard of you or your organisation. Or you may need to rebuild your reputation if it has been sullied in some way.

Logos

Logic, rational argument and reasoning. Following through an argument based on established scientific principles.

This is the work of the mind. Again, this is often an area of strength in written communication, particularly for those working in government.

Of course, the depth and type of logical argument will vary depending on your purpose and your audience.

Pathos

Passion. The commitment you have for the subject you are presenting.

Passion is the power that makes things happen. Anybody who has achieved anything really great has had a measure of passion. This is the work of the heart.

Passion is often hidden in business writing, particularly in documents by government agencies. Being objective does not mean you cannot be passionate. They are not mutually exclusive. Allowing a bit more passion in your writing will increase its power. (Some marketers, of course, could do with much less pathos and a bit more logos!)

If you have a good idea, or if you want to change the way things are done, inject some emotion. Back up your case with solid logic and rational argument. But it is passion that provides power in both the workplace and the marketplace.

No matter what message you are delivering, it’s important that it is believable, that it makes good sense and that it is attractive. But remember, it is ultimately the reader who makes these judgements, not the writer.

Action

Analyse your information products for ethos, logos and pathos. Are they in the best balance to achieve your objectives?

* adapted from Peter Thompson, Persuading Aristotle, Allen & Unwin 1998.

Do the letters, memos or reports have the impact you want? Try these pointers.

1. Get to the point quickly

Tell readers what you are saying in the first sentence, or perhaps in the heading. Business writing shouldn’t keep people in suspense. Aim to give your readers the main point in the minimum of reading.

 2. Use ‘no fuss’ language

Short words, short sentences and short paragraphs – usually. Don’t write to impress, write to persuade. Use simple words as much as possible – more people understand simple words than complex words. Long sentences, even ones that are grammatically correct, can be difficult to understand because readers have to grasp many ideas before coming to a full stop for breath. One sentence, one thought.

3. Organise in a logical structure

Divide your writing into bite-size chunks – small units of information that your readers can get their heads around. Around 5 to 7 sections works best. In longer documents use sub-sections, again 5 to 7 at each level.

4. Write for readers

Write to meet your readers’ needs, answer the questions they have. Don’t dump everything you know on them. Think about the benefit readers’ will receive from investing time reading your writing.

5. Know your purpose

Business writing always has a purpose, usually to impact the thinking or behaviour of people. Be sure you know what you want your readers to do as a result of reading your document. Without this clearly in mind, how will you ever know what to write?

The terms of reference of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry states

All Australians have the right to be treated honestly and fairly in their dealings with banking, superannuation and financial services providers.

People are not treated fairly when information about financial products is written poorly. People cannot make good decisions when they cannot easily read and understand Financial Services Guides, contracts and other documents.

Difficult writing disadvantages people.

It would be useful for the commission to look at the role poor documentation plays in disadvantage. It is well within their remit as it considers:

Whether any conduct, practices, behaviour or business activities by financial services entities fall below community standards and expectations.

Corporations law says that Financial Services Guides and other documents must be written so that they are ‘clear, concise and effective’. Many documents in the financial services space fail to meet this basic requirement.

Service providers can develop documents with the best intent in the world; but if they judge suitability from their own perspective they will come up short. The suitability of a document can only truly be judged from the readers’ perspective.

The best way write any document about financial products is to write it in plain language. This way of writing presents information so that most readers can understand. It avoids jargon, unfamiliar words and complex sentence structure. It simply talks about the topic in a straightforward manner.

No one would consider releasing a physical product to the market without testing it first. From motor vehicles to pencils, it’s hard to think of a product that has not been tested throughout its design and production.

To not test would be reckless. The product could fail in some way, perhaps harming consumers or damaging the organisation’s reputation in some way.

But when it comes to information products, printed or web documents, many are released with only minimal review. Rarely do organisations rigorously test their documents to check comprehension and impact. Usually, documents are reviewed by a handful of managers and then sent out.

The underlying arrogance says ‘If we think it is OK, it must be.’ To release an information product in that way, to release any product like that, is reckless.

• An untested document may not be read. For a document to be effective, it must be read (thank you Captain Obvious). If you can’t get people to read your document, all is lost.
• An untested document may not be understood. A good document conveys ideas, quickly and easily, . from one person to another. It’s vital to test ideas are being received properly.
• An untested document may not be acted on. Test the impact on the thinking, attitudes, behaviour of readers. How else will you know whether all the writing and review effort has been worthwhile?

If you cannot easily read and understand a document or website, it is broken. Don’t accept it. Don’t be pressured to sign it, agree to it or use it.

A business or government document is an information product. You would not put up with a car that doesn’t run, or a chair that falls over. Neither should you accept an information product that does not perform its designed function.

Business and government documents and websites are designed to convey information that people need to act on. Fact sheets, contracts, agreements, advice letters all perform a function – they are designed to do something. So they need to work, and work well.

We should rightly expect information products to be easy to use, just like any other well designed product. You should be able to read the document easily and extract the information you need quickly. Do not think you are stupid if you can’t – it’s likely the fault of the document.

So what could you do when you encounter a difficult document? Ask the document owner to rework the information product so that it is easy to use. Push back. Demand to understand!

We often need to write a document that sells an idea, product or service – perhaps a brochure, funding submission or proposal to work in a new way. Keep these 3 Ps in mind.

1. Purpose

Be sure you know what you expect your document to do.

In most businesses it is highly unusual for someone to say “I’ve read your brochure, here’s my credit card.”

In most cases your document is a part of the sales or influence process. The best it can usually do is to move someone to the next step – perhaps to make an enquiry or to get further information.

The content of your document should be designed just to move them that step. Usually it should not be filled with lots of detail – leave that for later.

A clear purpose is the starting point of clear communication.

2. Promise

Make your reader a promise. A promise that captures their imagination or that scratches where they itch.

For example: buy my widget and I promise to triple your income; or halve your operating costs; or drop 3 dress sizes. Your reader must be clear about what your product or service or idea can do for them, and it must do something that they are interested in, and that they value.

There are many ways of making a promise; you don’t have to say the words ‘I promise’, but you can. You could say “9 out of 10 business grow when they xyz”, by implication yours will too. Or use a bold statement like “The 3 Ps of effective brochures” – a promise that if you put my ideas to work your brochures will generate more sales.

Choosing the right way to phrase your promise depends on a good knowledge of your audience.

3. Proof

Anybody can make a promise, but readers are interested in knowing that you can deliver on what you say. We’ve all been let down and disappointed by broken promises.

So spend some time in your document proving you can deliver on your promises. You could:

• explain your product and how it works
• quote from scientific studies
• talk about your experience and expertise
• provide testimonials from satisfied customers
• compare your idea with alternatives

But don’t overdo proof. Provide just enough to show you are credible.

When writing documents intended to influence people’s thinking or behaviour, remember and use the three Ps.

And one R – respect.

Never bully your audience or treat them as fools. Write in language they can understand, address issues that concern them and view your communication from their perspective.

User centred communication has at its core a desire to make information easy to find, easy to understand and easy to act on.

If users cannot find the information they need quickly, or if they cannot easily understand what they read, they will likely give up. Potential customers could go to information provided by your competitor. Workers may make up procedures themselves, making work instructions worthless and destroying quality assurance.

Organising information in a way that makes sense to the user is essential. Expressing your thoughts clearly and in familiar language makes contact with your reader.

User based communication is very different to the information dump approach — “I’ll tell you all that I know and you figure out what you need from that.” Surprisingly, such a cumbersome approach is still common, particularly in internal documents.

Writing for the user increases the likelihood that the material will be read, understood and acted on. It’s worth the extra effort.

Write for your reader

• How will the reader discover this information?
• Will they be looking for an answer to a specific question they have, or just reading for interest?
• What are they likely to be doing when they go looking for information?
• What will the reader do with the information?
• Do they need to follow a procedure you are describing?
• Do they need to combine this information with other information? Where will they get this from?
• How can you organise this in a way that makes sense to your reader?
• How are the ideas related? (In general, it is best to start with the ‘big picture’ before moving into detail. )
• What do your readers already know about this topic?
• How can you organise this into chunks? (Use headings to separate the chunks, use paragraphs to further organise the chunks.)
• What can you safely leave out? (Readers find it tiresome to wade through text that has no relevance to their interest or needs.)

When you start writing:

• Get straight to the point.
• Use words familiar to your reader.
• Keep sentences short and simple. Each sentence should usually cover only one point.
• Use the active voice and avoid the passive voice.
• Write directly to your audience i.e. use ‘we’ and ‘you’.
• Use verbs (action words), not nouns made from verbs.
• Use simple, short words.