How we write

Less is more

People don’t have the time to read a whole content page or fill out unnecessary questions on forms especially if they’re on a mobile device.

• be top heavy with important content, the most important parts first for example, costs, how to apply
• only ask what’s needed to complete a request or application
• look at wording, what a service calls something may be different to residents

Be clear

• speak about ‘the Council’ as ‘We’
• active and direct tone
• address people directly – ‘You’
• ambiguity
• plain English
• short sentences and paragraphs
• clear headings
• consistency
• abbreviations and initialisms – we would write NASA, BBC or HMOs but we need to explain what they are first, then use the short hand