Step 1 Think about your reader
Know who you are writing for and why
Write for your reader
Step 2 Organise your content
Use plenty of signposts
Use clear paragraphs
Keep documents as short as possible
Step 3 Write your content
Be personal
Use everyday words
Keep sentences short
Use the active voice
Know when to use the passive voice
Avoid using nouns made from verbs
Remove unnecessary words and phrases
Be consistent
Be specific
Spell out acronyms
Use questions and answers
Step 4 Check what you have written
Edit carefully
Use a house style guide
Test your document with readers
Use readability tools as a guide only
Step 5 Design and produce your document
Choose a readable font
Make the font large enough
Make important points stand out clearly
Use left aligned text
Images can help
Watch your line spacing
Avoid background images
Use good quality paper
Have a good contrast
Watch out for shadowing
Use colour and shading with care