Writing for the web AND translation

Rich collaboration

My work and experience in the online space is exciting and fulfilling because of my close collaboration with two very talented and creative professionals, Renée Todres and Heather Schoenheimer.

Renée is the Managing Director of Tipping Point, a digital services company with extensive experience in e-marketing, website design and innovative web-based business solutions.

Heather is the CEO of HS Consulting, and a specialist consultant in HR, Learning Development, Organisation Capability and Leadership Curricula.

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Content is the user's engagement point - write it well!

Whether your focus is writing well for web users or writing well for English as Second Language users who use online translation engines, you can give ALL users information that is

• faster to browse - with mind not just with eyes
• easier to process for meaning

It's all about designing and writing in a way that combines...

what you want to say

with what the user wants to know, and

with how the user behaves in accessing, processing and absorbing information messages.

A two-step process

Workshop 1: Sensitise/unsettle phase [2 hours]

1. Establish the writing task framework - managing what the business has to manage to achieve its outsomes
2. Work through short, focused exercises to establish the insights that underpin a writing for online task.

For example

• Online is different from offline
• People create sense and meaning
• Structures aren't visible
• Initial encounters set expectations - setting and fulfilling 'information scent'
• Users want control over what they read
• Cognitive load pushes users back
• Links are an opportunity

Then test your current website content against insights gained.

Workshop 2: Solution/practical phase - Rewrite or write 'new' [2 hours]

• Analyse and rewrite material as a group using a structured analysis tool¹.
• In small groups, use the tool to rewrite/write a pre-selected item.
• As a full group, discuss the changes or writing strategies adopted.

Talk to me

Ask me how you can use my Writing for the web workshops to tune the online writing skills of your staff, or use my writing for online overview to assess your requirements.

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1. 'Structured analysis' uses a custom 'tool' such as a fill-in form to guide the user or team through several analysis steps. I call the approach 'structured analysis' because the tool 'structures', organises and documents the analysis. I create new tools for every analysis situation.