January 2010
A handbook designed by The Bridge Group has been hailed as best practice in the new Oxford Guide to Plain English.
Extracts from the Enfield Homes tenant handbook feature in a ‘good layout’ section in the latest edition.
The guide says: “A contacts list need needs to be easy to scan so that readers can find the name they want. Good layout can help, as shown in a page from the Enfield Homes’ tenants’ handbook. The names are in alphabetical order and bold type, while the phone numbers are in Roman type. There’s space between all the items too. It looks so simple that someone must have spent quite some time thinking it out.”
The book - produced by Martin Cutts
of the Plain Language Commission - explains how to avoid jargon, improve writing styles and organise printed material.
The Bridge Group worked with staff and tenants from Enfield Homes to develop a customer-friendly tenant handbook. Customer feedback influenced the design, format and
style of text.
Leigh Cunningham, agency head of design, said: “Customer information needs to be quick and easy to use, and that was our number one priority in designing this handbook. It's great to be recognised in such an important publication. We hope our work will inspire and help other organisations to spend time getting their layouts right."
Visit www.oup.com to order the Oxford Guide to Plain English. And for more information about the Plain Language Commission, please visit www.clearest.co.uk
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