Complex information can be challenging to communicate effectively, especially when you are writing for a diverse audience. You want to avoid confusion, misunderstanding, or boredom, and make sure your message is clear, engaging, and relevant. How can you achieve this goal? Here are some tips to help you make complex information simple in your writing.
Before you start writing, ask yourself why you are writing and what you want to achieve. Your purpose will guide your tone, style, and structure of your writing. For example, are you writing to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain? Are you writing for a general or a specific audience? Are you writing for collaboration or for publication? Knowing your purpose will help you focus on the main points and avoid unnecessary details.
Here’s my filter: 1. What does the audience know, believe, want, or do? 2. What should the audience know, believe, want, or do? 3. Reverse engineer the info to bridge #1 and #2. How? I explain like I am explaining to my mom. That means providing context to the everyday world. No assumptions on prior knowledge. And yeesh… no jargon.
To this I'd like to add first, make sure you have a deep understanding of the complex information you're trying to simplify. Without the background knowledge, you were not be able to do so.
Plain language is the use of clear, concise, and simple words and sentences that are easy to understand and follow. Plain language does not mean dumbing down your content or losing your voice. It means choosing the most appropriate and familiar words, avoiding jargon, slang, or acronyms, and breaking down complex concepts into smaller chunks. Plain language also means using active voice, short sentences, and transitions to create a logical flow and coherence.
The first step in great writing is to know your audience. The question is not "What do I want to communicate?" It is, "What can my audience understand?" If you can crack the heartbeat of your audience and get down or up to their level, even the most complex information becomes simple to relay. Next is to cultivate the twin art of creativity and simplicity. Creativity means to say it in a unique way. That's the magic of capturing your reader. Simplicity means focusing on the real motive of your writing and keeping it real to your reader. We do not write to showcase our prowess; we write to pass a message and if the message ain't clear, then all what we write, plus all that prowess are null and void.
Plain language means dropping the tech speak. Using everyday conversational language helps create community and opens the doors for a broader community.
Examples and analogies are powerful tools to make complex information simple and relatable. They can help you illustrate your points, explain abstract or technical concepts, and connect with your audience's prior knowledge or experience. Examples and analogies can also make your writing more engaging and memorable by adding stories, humor, or emotions. However, be careful not to overuse them or use them inaccurately. Choose examples and analogies that are relevant, accurate, and appropriate for your audience and purpose.
Visuals and formatting can help you make complex information simple and attractive by adding variety, clarity, and emphasis to your writing. Visuals can include graphs, charts, diagrams, images, icons, or videos that can help you present data, show relationships, or demonstrate processes. Formatting can include headings, subheadings, lists, bullets, tables, boxes, or colors that can help you organize, highlight, or separate information. Visuals and formatting can also make your writing easier to scan and skim by breaking up long blocks of text.
Feedback and revision are essential steps to make complex information simple and effective in your writing. Feedback can help you identify any gaps, errors, or confusion in your content, structure, or style. Revision can help you improve, refine, or simplify your writing based on the feedback. You can seek feedback from different sources, such as peers, experts, or potential readers. You can also use tools, such as readability tests, grammar checkers, or style guides, to help you revise your writing.
Empathy and curiosity are attitudes that can help you make complex information simple and meaningful in your writing. Empathy means putting yourself in your audience's shoes and understanding their needs, interests, and expectations. Curiosity means asking questions and exploring different perspectives and possibilities. Empathy and curiosity can help you tailor your writing to your audience, anticipate their questions or objections, and spark their interest and engagement.