Judy Gregory, Author at Judy Gregory Writer

Word templates that confuse and frustrate

As a consultant, I frequently write proposals and tenders They're an essential part of finding workMost of the time, the process is relatively straightforward: I concern myself with the content of my proposal and submit it as a PDF based on a Word document I use a very simple template that I've developed over the years Layout comes at the end of the process: after I've developed the contentOccasionally, I'm asked to tender for large projects, and these frequently involve working...

Which way the strip? Following on-screen payment instructions

I find that most payment systems require me to stop, concentrate, and think No two machines seem to work in quite the same way, so I need to focus on which button to use to select the right account, which way to insert my card, and when to enter my PINWhen I borrowed a DVD from a machine this week, I had great trouble figuring out which way to swipe my card It was yet another reminder that we don't really have a satisfactory way of pictorially representing the card's orientationThe machine made...

Paying bills: tiny type & too much choice

Bills seem to be becoming more crowded as we're offered ever-increasing options for paying For me, the combination of too much information and tiny type causes mistakesLast night I paid my phone bill I'm offered 7 ways to pay: direct debit, credit card by phone, cheque by post, in person in the company's shop, BPay by phone, BPay online, and the post office These options are listed along the bottom of the bill, with instructions for each I'm not sure what the type size is, but it's tiny By...

Meet reader expectations to reduce mistakes

Here's an example of how my assumptions as a reader led to me getting a message back-to-frontMy family and I went to the Wet n Wild water slide park a few days ago We had been there for several hours before I realised that I was reading the map incorrectly, and this was encouraging me to draw the wrong conclusions about the height restrictions on different rides As my youngest child is only 7, the height restrictions were important for usHere's part of the map:Two strong assumptions guided me...

More on confusing technology

This week I've encountered yet another situation when technology seems to get in the way and complicate communication, rather than making things more simple I've come away with a real sense that the technology interface is being used because it can be, not because it's usefulThis story is about the renewal of my business name, Information Design Centre Until recently, business names were registered at the state level Every 3 years, I received an invoice for the registration, which was easy to...

When written formality is helpful

There are times when communication requires a little formality – not the stuffy, difficult-to-read type of formality that we all try to avoid, but some formal record or statement for customers so that they feel confident that a process has been followed and a transaction is complete Removing the formality of written processes – under the guide of customer-friendliness or plain English – can leave customers feeling confused and powerless My recent experience with an absence of formality...

Holy Days or Holidays?

Sometimes typos are almost delicious - like this sign at a cafe that mixes up 'holy days' and 'holidays''Student night every Monday! (except school holydays)I must confess that I went through a thought process before deciding that 'holydays' is not an intentional pun I'll blame the effects of the lead up to Christmas The real give-away was the text at the bottom, which I couldn't capture in my photo: 'Conditions aply'I guess this is yet another example of someone who knows a word in...

Personal greetings en masse

This week I received a 'personal Christmas e-card' from a Queensland government Minister It was simply a PDF attached to an email The PDF is a single page with a photograph of the Minister, a 'best wishes' statement, and a 'Dear P&C Secretary' addressThe email was also addressed to 'Dear P&C Secretary', with this statement: 'To help conserve natural resources and protect our environment, I am sending you a personal Christmas e-card'My immediate reaction was that there's nothing very...

Comma confusion

A few weeks ago, I bought a lovely book about typography: 'Type Matters!' by Jim WilliamsIt's a great sourcebook for information about type design, partly because it builds every point around clear examples The examples are mostly statements about typography, set in different ways so that readers can see the difference that typographic variation can makeThere's one statement in the book that I just can't get my head around, and it's all about the placement of the commaWilliams writes:Typefaces...