Simply said
the simplification centre's blog
A panel of non-experts
We are looking for volunteers to join the Simplification Panel. This is a group of people who will be invited to participate in the various research studies we will be doing. We are exploring exactly how much can be done to make complex documents straightforward and easy to understand. And the only sure way to know is by testing with typical users.
More...Parliament waves big stick (and laughs) at Government's language
Back in the summer we submitted evidence to Parliament's Public Administration Select Committee for their inquiry into official language. This week the Committee published its report. It's great to see that they have highlighted the issue of obscure language, clichés and jargon, and the price which the public pays for these. Now it will be for the Government to respond. But the Committee's recommendations for action are disappointing.
More...Common sense about parking
It is very nice when nursing a grievance to find an authoritative source of sympathy. We moved to our town centre home a couple of years ago. Residents need a permit to park in the street, and also need to give visitors a temporary permit. We quickly discovered that this system, designed to protect us (from shoppers and workers taking all the spaces) also serves to trap us.
More...Testing, testing
A debate has broken out in the pages of Design Week, a magazine for professional designers, about user-testing. A piece by Anna Richardson in the 6 August issue discussed the needs for pictograms to evolve with the modern world, and cited the efforts of several designers to come up with a greater variety of images to match the variety of typefaces that designers can choose from. Pictograms are those small symbols used in road signs or buildings to say 'railway crossing', 'lost luggage', 'lifts', or 'toilets'.
This drew a response in the form of a letter from ergonomics expert Gary Davis, who pointed out that new pictograms should be tested with their users, and that an ISO standard exists for such tests. In fact he went a bit further than this.
More...A piece of ceremonial
I recently received - and I expect you did too - a leaflet from my bank entitled
Important changes to your credit card terms and conditions.
Three closely spaced but neatly laid out pages told me about a range of new and changed conditions that apply to my credit card. These are required by compliance with UK and EU regulations. The bank thinks these are so important that it tells me it is
Important information - please read this carefully
Well I did. I have to say that after about half a page of type, rather on the small side, in lines, rather on the long side, I was beginning to wonder why it was so important.
More...-
IKEA - we see things differently
The instructions may confuse - even before you get to the store -
No Logo
The Electoral Commission has researched the impact of ballot paper design on voters' choices -
Good passives
Using the active rather than the passive sometimes has a price -
Stay happy: satisfice!
Why we're (rightly) not rational consumers. -
On the road again
A successful round of document roadshows reveals some common themes. -
A Lucozade too far
Memory, ageing and the challenge of brand extension -
Simply understand
A website that makes government consultation documents understandable -
Public service goes eBay
UK government signals a shift to online involvement of citizens in public services -
Making energy information clearer
The Centre's response to Ofgem's consultation -
Dull or worse?
Brian Viner on the the awfulness of filling in forms
