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Clear
Language and Design Letter #2 November 2004 |
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Clear
Language and Design Letter #2 November 2004 |
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Hello Again Introducing…The
CLAD Readability Mark! To go directly to an article, click on the title. The CLAD Letter is sent three times a year. Please forward it to colleagues who might find it helpful! Unsubscribe? If you don’t want to receive this newsletter, please send an e-mail to clad@idirect.ca with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. Introducing…The
CLAD Readability Mark! 
Are you proud of the clear language work going on in your organization? Do you
have a document that you feel deserves the recognition of acknowledged clarity
experts?
CLAD is celebrating our 10th year in business by launching the CLAD Readability Mark. If you qualify, you’ll be able to display this symbol on your winning document or website. Here’s how it works: We’ll assess the clarity of your document or online material for an affordable fee. If you qualify, we’ll send you the symbol and our permission to use it. If you don’t yet qualify, we’ll send you a report outlining the steps you should take to improve readability. Once we’ve done a final review to ensure you’ve implemented the bulk of our recommendations, we’ll award you the CLAD Readability Mark. For all the information on how
to apply, visit: Beyond
readability formulas – what
experts look for
These formulas can be great aids
to writers. In fact, we have a semi-automated version of one formula on our
website. It’s based on the ‘SMOG’ formula
(Short Measure of Gobbledygook). Go ahead, try it out: Just keep in mind there’s an awful lot that these formulas can’t tell you. In fact, a formula on its own can give you a completely false measure of how well you’re going to get your message across. Here’s why: They can’t tell you how well the information is organized. The research says logical organization – not sentence and word length – is the overriding factor when it comes to reading comprehension. And by ‘logical’ we mean the reader’s logic, which is not necessarily yours. Ever wondered why it’s so hard to program you VCR? It’s likely because the engineer who designed the interface thinks like an engineer, and you don’t. They don’t measure the level of difficulty of the task. You can write the most readable mutual fund prospectus ever, but if your potential investor doesn’t understand key investment concepts, they’re vulnerable. They don’t evaluate the design of your information. If you’re giving instructions and warnings for eye drops in 4-point type (trust me, I’ve seen this) – they are pretty useless to an 80 year old with glaucoma. Assessing clarity isn’t simple. It’s as complicated as the human mind. When a readability expert assesses your writing, you get an analysis of all the factors – language and sentence structure, organization, tone, design and navigation features – everything that affects your success as you try to accomplish your purpose with your chosen audience. What’s new in our resource collection Books Based on her research in a range of businesses, Grotsky uses case studies to highlight the many reasons why clear communication is vital at work. The book includes guidelines to help readers create clear business documents. The Non-Designer’s Web Book (2nd edition), by Robin Williams and John Tollett. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 2000 This engaging
and well-illustrated book outlines everything you need to know about
the Web. Senior CLAD Associate Tannis Atkinson says, “This is a
really useful general introduction to everything you
need to know about the web: Websites
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and Design Phone: (416)
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Readability formulas measure the number of long words and sentences in your
document. This gives you a sense of how difficult the text will be for readers.
Readability formulas were first developed by and for educators. They help teachers
to pick grade-appropriate reading material. The U.S. armed forces rely on them
to help control difficulty in training material for recruits. 
