Do you worry that if you write in plain language you will lose important information? How could you possibly include all the complex ideas when you are writing in simpler language?

Simplifying complex ideas doesn’t mean removing information – it just means making that complex information easier to understand.

In other words, it's meeting the reader at their level of language, rather than leaving anything out.

Most people’s eyes glaze over when they think of business reports, especially annual reports. But it doesn't have to be like that.

Recently, reports have grown in depth and length as organisations are encouraged to be as transparent as possible.

But as reports become more complex, it becomes more important to consider how to present the information in a way that engages readers and helps them to easily and quickly understand your content.

​A common view of plain language writing is that you can only use simple words that everybody can read.

But plain language is about the reader.

And your target readers, and what they know, may change for different pieces of content. Or you may write two different versions of the same information for different groups of readers, depending on the level of information that they need, and the knowledge they already have. 

So, can we use jargon in plain language writing?

Writing is a creative process, which, just like any creative process, means it’s very personal.

We may feel that our writing is a reflection of our knowledge and intelligence, of how well we articulate ideas, and of how good we are at spelling and grammar.

But if we think about ourselves as we write, we aren't thinking about the reader and what they need. 

We need to think about who will read the text, and use empathy to understand what they need.

Plain language writing means uses writing techniques and layout design to make your message clear to the reader. It is user-friendly writing.

It's not as easy as it sounds to write in plain language . And there are no rules on how to write in plain language – just guidelines. The guidelines are there to help you, but different contexts or readers mean that the guidelines must be interpreted correctly for your purpose.

There are benefits of using plain language to the reader (your clients and potential clients), and to your business or organisation.

Plain language, or plain English, is a way of writing and using layout design to make your message as easy to understand as possible. It's user-friendly writing.
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Plain language can

• help your readers understand your message quickly and easily

• help your clients trust you

• help your employees work more efficiently.