Hey Plain Jane

ICYMI, Annie Burger-Boshoff and Liezl van Zyl are doing a series of live events on the #plainlanguage ISO standard. The first episode dealt with relevance. Thanks to everyone who attended; we hope to see you at the next one! #clarity #plainlanguageISOstandard #informationdesign #designthinking

Come learn the ABCs of the #plainlanguage ISO in a short and salty #DIY #TLDR  #AMA session with Liezl van Zyl and Annie Burger-Boshoff. They’ll be discussing where to start with the international plain language standard along with some other stuff. Like why too many acronyms are never a good thing. #IYKYK and if you don’t, sign up now.

Calling all #legaldesigners and design-curious #lawyers, join Liezl van Zyl and Annie Burger-Boshoff next week Monday 24 June at 16h00 SAST for a live discussion on how to make your work more relevant to your audience. We’ll be unpacking the #plainlanguage ISO guidelines, discussing purpose and context in #legalwriting and sharing (ahem) relevant examples and case studies. Sign up here:

Recently, Hey Plain Jane turned six. As a six-year-old we’re old enough to have skinned our knees a couple of times (and learned how to get up and carry on going) but we’re definitely still young enough to be wonderstruck by all the future possibilities we see (we’re pretty sure we know what we want to be when we’re big.) As a #plainlanguage startup we’ve also learned a couple of things as we’ve grown. Like, it’s ok to make mistakes and it’s good to be in the kind of team where you can admit them. And that there is no such thing as work life balance. It’s all life. And that you need to interview your clients as much as they interview you (if you want to make magic happen. And we do. Just look here https://lnkd.in/e6ArKKZK).  And lastly, that as passionate plain language advocates we are never going to let an opportunity go by to replace the "shall" or "and/or" with something more human but every time we do it it’s going to give us a thrill to see unnecessarily complicated things become clear, simple and easy to understand. Happy birthday to us. And here’s to the next six. #HappyBirthday #InformationDesign #PlainLanguage #Clarity

🎉 Exciting News Alert! 🎉 We’re thrilled to welcome Ambre Nicolson – the renegade wordsmith who's ready to sprinkle some serious magic on our projects! ✨ If you've ever wondered who’s behind the cool, clever, and downright dazzling content coming out of our studio, chances are it’s her. From crafting captivating copy and turning technical jargon into pure gold, to parallel parking like it’s nobody’s business, she’s got it all covered. Get ready to see (and read) some next-level awesomeness! Welcome to the crazies, Ambre! Let’s create some magic together! 🚀✍️ #NewHire #MeetTheTeam #WordsmithWizardry #ContentCreation #InformationDesignMagic 

Just Dr Annie Burger-Boshoff doing her thing. Proud to have you on our team, Annie! Annie will be presenting a course on plain language writing with UCT Law@work: Professional Development Project at the end of the month. Get in on that action here: 👉🏼 Register: https://lnkd.in/euKCy3_a #plainlanguage #NotThatKindOfDoctor #MeetTheTeam #clarity

So you want to learn about plain language? In the words of Jay-Z: I’ve got news for you, son. There’s a lot you have to read, there’s definitely not just one (source). Ok, so we might be forcing that rhyme there at the end, but it’s true that a plain language reading list could easily go past 99 essential reads. To make it a little easier, and celebrate #worldbookday2024, we’ve chosen our top ten plain language reads and where to find them. Read on and let us know if we missed anything. #plainlanguage #readinglist #legaldesign #cultureofclarity #worldbookday

Ever wondered what makes Elizabeth de Stadler 🎈tick or where she gets her inspiration and energy from? Check out her interview with Tyson Ballard. So proud 🦄 #funlaw #legaldesign #plainlanguage #entrepreneurship #beinghuman

Hot take: There’s nothing plain about #plainlanguage.   Join Liezl van Zyl and Annie Burger as they chat about the real-world implications of Annie’s recent PhD research into plain language complexity in the #legal, #financial and #medical contexts. Hint: language is just one part of the picture.   Let us know if you have any questions for Annie. Sign up now!

🍉 Here’s a juicy idea: What if testing #plainlanguage can save time and money in the long run?   Join Annie Burger-Boshoff and Liezl van Zyl on 8 April, when they’ll be discussing why testing is the best metric for success when it comes to #plainlanguage #writing.   👉🏼Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/dcS4vhuf #usabilitytesting #clarity