’ n i k r o W o j o M Get Your echniques Communications T That Get Results June 5, 2012 RE Ann-Laura Parks, CF
• The Content o Written Communication o Visual Communication • The Tech o Free & Low Cost Tools
Written Communication
The more you type, the less people read.
“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity…one turns instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting ink.” George Orwell Politics and the English Language Image source: Florida Center for Instructional Technology
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Orwell’s Six Rules
Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
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Orwell’s Six Rules
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
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Orwell’s Six Rules
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
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Orwell’s Six Rules
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
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Orwell’s Six Rules
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
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Orwell’s Six Rules
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
Visual Communication
Good design means never having to say “Click Here.”
“Many desperate acts of design are perpetuated in the absence of a strong concept. A good idea provides a framework for design decisions, guiding the work.� Noreen Morioka, Designer
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Design Crimes USING ALL CAPS ALL CAPS FOR SENTENCES THAT ARE MORE THAN SIX WORDS IN LENGTH ARE HARD TO READ.
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Design Crimes
TOO MUCH BOLD TYPE Boldface type is great for headers but not so much for body copy.
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Design Crimes Hard to Read Reversed Type Use this in moderation and avoid skinny fonts (such as serif typefaces) in reversed type. Big, chunky fonts are easiest to read.
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Design Crimes
Underlining Underlined text slows the reader down and reduces comprehension. Use it only to indicate a hyperlink.
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Design Crimes Everything in Italics Use Italics when needed but don’t use them for long articles. Used thoughtfully, Italics help communicate the message.
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Design Crimes Too many fonts on one page
Two fonts can add interest but multiple font types
can look messy and unprofessional.
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” Red Adair, Oil Well Firefighter
Free & Low-Cost Tools
Cheap doesn’t always have to be ugly.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Arthur C. Clarke
How to Track Your Content on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/source/YourWebsite.org
Tips, Tricks & Advice • Focus on the achievable • Have a strategy before you start • Know your audience • Make it a team effort
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