Little did I know plain language is an actual thing and the lack of easily digestible language effects all in one way or another.
Everyday on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram we are reading short captions, watching videos or sometimes ignoring the text all together. Now think about the last time you read a page in a textbook or a lengthy research paper or business article, all the sudden our head hurts, our eyes have glazed over and we are re-reading the page for the 5th time. While some studies suggest this is due to social media wrecking havoc on our attention spans, I think we also have the language to blame. Long, lengthy paragraphs of text, industry language that is unheard of to the common consumer and lets not forget those vicious terms of service agreements. These are all pieces of copy most authors neglect to design for the reader. Lack of plain language can have a lasting effect on users including legal and health complications.
If only brands and companies would follow the following 2 tips provided by plainlanguage.gov:
Write for your audience, focus on what users want to know and guide them through the information
Start by thinking about who is your audience and what do they already know about subject. By thinking about what they already know you can then fill in the gabs and answer what they need to know in hierarchical order. With plain language you are thinking ahead of the game, clearly outlining answers to questions you know they will have in order to reach your desired outcome for your business and audience.
Choose your words carefully
As a student I write research papers with page minimums and often find myself fluffing my paper with unnecessary words and phrases just to make it longer. If the point of the paper is to educate the reader, wouldn't it be more effective to write less but probably end up saying more? When we choose our words more carefully and eliminate complicated technical terms, necessary industry jargon and extra flair, we go from this:
There is no escaping the fact that it is considered very important to note that a number of various available applicable studies ipso facto have generally identified the fact that additional appropriate nocturnal employment could usually keep juvenile adolescents off thoroughfares during the night hours, including but not limited to the time prior to midnight on weeknights and/or 2 a.m. on weekends.
to this:
More night jobs would keep youths off the streets.
Using plain language in your business materials and website is not something that can be implemented over night. Depending on your audience the language must be adjusted and tailored to what you are trying to get across and to who. Plain language consultants also use UX research to see just how "plain" their plain language is, and if it is creating the goal outcome. Researchers in the field use usability testing, paraphrase testing and controlled comparative studies.
Paraphrase testing: individual interviews, best for short documents, short web pages, and to test the questions on a survey.
Usability testing: individual interviews, best for longer documents and web sites where finding the right information is important; also best for forms.
Controlled comparative studies: large scale studies where you don’t meet the people but you collect statistics on responses; use paraphrase testing and usability testing on a smaller scale first.
That is all for Intro to plain language 101. Now that you know more about what plain language is, try to implement it where you can. In contracts, directions and emails. The easier it is to read the easier things are for you in the long run.