Category: How To

When I think about a common snack food, I think of apples and peanut butter. But in many cultures peanut butter is a bizarre food, not a common snack. So in a recent localization conversation, a coworker asked “should we remove all examples?” The answer is no. Localize your examples! As we localize to different…

As a content strategist it’s important that I think beyond how I write, or what I think is “normal”. It’s my job to hyper-analyze my own work, so as to catch my own unintentional biases. It can be a bit crazy making. Sometimes I feel like I’m just guessing! And how do I know where…

I run with a mask on. I wear my mask for others’ safety, for the marginal safety it affords me, and to set an example. When I see people not wearing masks I want to speak out. But what should I say? “I wear a mask to protect you. Don’t you care about me?” is…

I consider myself something of an expert in readability (and specifically health literacy). Yet I was shocked to find that this spring, consumed by Covid stress, I couldn’t read at all. I now have my own experience to help me empathize with readability challenges. What is Readability? Can you read? It’s easy to think about…

One of my favorite best practices in UX is the use of “mental models”. Mental models help UX designers and content strategists create experiences that make sense. For example, a mental model of a door has it open from the side. This is a mental model so ingrained that no one would think to design…

I remember when I learn that language evolves. The year was 2009, and “unfriend” was added to the OED. I was furious. Several friends agreed with me, and we snipped about the destruction of the English language, like a couple of old biddies who just happened to be in our early 20s. Yet within a…

As a content strategist, it’s easy to focus on clear language. But in my experience, the first step is understanding what you’re trying to say. A colleague recently asked me for help making a presentation clearer, before handing it off to a client. He sent me the paragraph of text he was struggling with. As…

What can a content strategist do during a pandemic? Help communicate important information using plain language. I’ve defined plain language before, and even presented on how healthcare writing can benefit from plain language. Now we put it into practice to help people. People need content strategy – they need plain language during a pandemic. Why…

It’s hard to write during the coronavirus pandemic. For one thing, it’s hard to focus on writing. My brain is pivoting to fear and worry, and also to nonessential things. What’s for lunch? How long is my hair getting? What happens if I get sick? Did anyone cough on me during my run yesterday? What’s…