Content Principles

Our five core principles for authoring content at FPAC.

1. Start with user needs.

• Write in a way that suits the situation. Ask yourself: who is going to read this? What do they need to know? How might they be feeling?
• Help people find the information they need quickly and easily. Guide them through the process.

2. Do the hard work to make it simple.

• Use plain language and simple sentences.
• Choose clarity over cleverness.

3. Write for everyone.

• Respect the complexity of our users’ experiences.
• Be willing to be surprised about who’s reading your work.

4. Build trust.

• Talk like a person.
• Tell the truth.
• Use positive language and concrete examples.

5. Start small and iterate.

• Make sure your content works for users; don’t be afraid to scrap what’s there and start over.
• Iterate: write a draft, test it with real users, gather feedback, and keep refining.

We drew from multiple sources to develop these content principles. Thanks to 18F, GDS, MailChimp, and Facebook for inspiration.