Technical documents and reports must be easy to read, understand and follow. They have a big role to play.
- Help employees navigate major decisions and actions.
- Make you legally compliant.
- Get a new project approved.
- Show how to use tools and machines safely.
- Get a client or funder to invest in your new technology.
- Explain a complex product to a client.
- Change how the public thinks and behaves based on facts.
Writing in plain English saves time and prevents errors. Plain language, clear flow charts and infographics allow impatient executives to scan legal, scientific and technical documents. Well-presented reports get stakeholders on board with issues and solutions. Clear procedures create consensus around how things are done.
Documents we edit
- Project Case studies – template design and editing.
- Resume template design and wording.
- Policies and SOP manuals.
- Environmental Impact Assessments.
- Feasibility Studies.
- Research papers and interpretations.
- Training guides and manuals.
- Bid, grant and funding proposals.
- Corporate and customer magazines.
What we do to improve them
Editing
- Write a powerful Executive Summary that focuses on what matters to your reader.
- Merge multiple documents into one.
- Simplify the language into plain English (Flesch-Kincaid Test Level 6).
- Edit to improve logic and flow of ideas.
- Cut text length without losing information.
- Re-write into active, punchy sentences.
- Get rid of jargon or slang.
- Ensure policies are sensitive to ethnicity, disability and gender.
Design
- Add a table of contents so you can jump to sections quickly.
- Make headlines, numbers, fonts and colours consistent and visible.
- Convert text and tables to diagrams, graphs, flow-charts and infographics.
- Break up long, grey blocks of text with photos.
- Redesign page layouts so they are easy to read and remember
- Ensure that reports adhere to your company style guide.
