3. For question #2, explain how your new post successfully addresses the three main objectives of Plain English writing as discussed in class. Provide a detailed breakdown of each objective. (9 Marks)

1. Find what they need

2. Understand it

3. Use it to fulfill their purpose

Find what they need

I made sure that my new introductory post has its content positioned with a more appealing format with the use of centered subheads that use a larger and bolder font as this allows an audience to find exactly what they need.

Each of my subheads is clear, and specific to the content it represents making it great for those who scan for information especially since they include action words to get people's attention.

I utilized images that represented what my content was about which can improve reader attention and engagement in comparison to reading a plain block of text. We know that whenever we want to create successful content that readers can retain, we must use images and infographics as this can make our content look interesting and improve its readability (Briscoe, Lecture, February 26, 2025).

I know from personal experience and through our class lectures that a majority of all content that we create will not be read because of how people behave on the web they scan for content before determining if reading is worth our time which is why I made sure to keep my content as clear and concise as possible (Briscoe, Lecture, February 26, 2025).

Understand it

While recreating my introductory post I made sure that I utilized everyday/common words to get my message across from my content in order for readers to understand it. We know that not everyone shares the same reading levels as some have literacy issues or disabilities which is why the way I have written my content is inclusive and widely understood (Briscoe, Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 30).

I also made sure to order my information based on high-value info followed by more detailed info as this is a great way to accommodate those who scan so they can get a general idea of the purpose/objective of the content without them reading every word. We know that based on our class lectures our readers will not read everything which is why we must place our most important content at the top to help readers better understand the content they are reading (Briscoe, W8 - Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing).pdf, Slide 13.

Because my business does not utilize the most common knowledge, I stay respectful to my audience by explaining it in a way that is not hard to approach with the use of images and descriptions of how everything with 3D printing works. I don’t focus too much on technical information as it is not mandatory to know for my business, but it allows my audience to better understand what we create and how we create it without being unprofessional or unclear to help readers feel included (Briscoe, Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 30). 

Use it to fulfill their purpose

My introduction contains information that tells readers exactly what my business does which they can determine if it's relevant or interesting. I highlight exactly what my business can create with 3D printing alongside images to help generate a bigger interest in my business and content.

I have positioned my information to be clear and concise to help readers understand what 3D printing is and what can be created with the use of images and bullet points in order for my audience to know what they can possibly achieve. We know

I mentioned that my business is creative and has a focus on creating items for both personal and professional use which can help readers to determine if my content can fulfill what they are searching for. Upon reading my content and connecting it to the images I have provided readers can easily understand what my content is for and how it can be beneficial to them through examples and concise yet descriptive words.

a. Describe one specific technique you used to improve readability in your revised version and explain why it is effective. (4 Marks)

I made sure to incorporate everyday words that were positive and targeted toward the reader in the shortest number of words. I did this because I wanted to convey a sense of conversation to my audience as this is more engaging than reading long and generic content that lacks relevancyto the audience (Briscoe, Lecture, February 26, 2025).

I went through my original introduction and noticed that I had many long dragging sentences and content that could be shortened and more personalised to my audience. My introduction didn’t feel like it was communicating to an audience very effectively which is why I included more pronouns and removed content that didn’t belong, because we discussed in our class discussions that content must be personalized and relevant which is why we challenge every word to determine if it holds any value in our content (Briscoe, Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 22).

When I was revising my introduction, I made my content clear and concise so that my intended message was not diluted by redundant or difficult words. Having my content clear and concise improves readability as readers know exactly what the content is all about which will not require them to think too much (Briscoe, W8 - Writing Website Copy & Plain Language Writing.pdf, Slide 14). Using this technique to improve my readability also allows my content to be more interesting, inclusive, and impactful which helps in retaining a reader’s attention.  

I included verbs, font styles, images, and a clear format to structure my introduction in a way that incorporates plain language with the f pattern. I did this because no one wants to read a long block of text as it looks like too much effort to read and scan making it very undesirable to the way people behave on the web (Briscoe, Lecture, February 26, 2025). I included branding elements and images that fit the context of my content to help users better connect to my message and understand what each piece of content means and why it matters.

b. What was the most challenging aspect of applying the F-Pattern and Plain English writing principles? How did you overcome it? (5 Marks)

I personally like to go in-depth with my writing and use bigger words to describe and write content which is not effective for web writing and Plain English writing principles. I overcame this by reflecting on an example from our class lectures with an example of a red square with a headline, the square was remembered but the text was more difficult to recall which helped put in perspective why we write and position content with Plain English writing principles (Briscoe, Lecture, February 26, 2025).

Making my content clear and concise took me some work to achieve as it required me to remove much of my original content and required a constant revaluation of my message so that my message was getting across to readers. I took my time to reread my work remove unneeded content and find out my effectiveness by using a tool mentioned in class for readability called the “HemingwayApp online Tool” (Briscoe, W8 - A - Plain Language Writing Tips.pdf, Slide 6)

I found structuring my content for the F-Pattern to be quite a difficult challenge as I had to consider where my audience was going to look/scan for info in order to get their attention which required me to extensively plan and evaluate if my content was in the correct format.

Condensing my content into effective bullet points that fit both the F-Pattern and Plain English writing was challenging for me as it felt too simplified even though it got the message across. I know we must condense our content in such a way that it helps users retain info and gain a greater interest which we have learned on through multiple class discussions (Briscoe, Lecture, February 5, 2025).

Having an understanding of my audience and what they actually know in order to give them relevant information or cater to literacy issues was quite difficult as it required research and deep thought to determine my word choice and how I structured information. To create effective content, we need to understand our audience in order to respect them and their time as we are writing with a focus on our audience (Briscoe, Plain Language Writing (W25).pdf, Slide 21). I overcame this by looking at our class PowerPoints which told me that I must value my readers and their time this helped me create content that was specific, more accessible, and appealing to a wide audience.