You Nailed the Important Stuff
All these websites need help. You got that. And you made good use of my categories and the readings. Content audits should be thorough and should break apart every nook and cranny of a website: visual, content, typography, you name it.
But Remember You Are Talking To Real People
It can be easy when writing these types of reports to forget about the people on the other end, people who are often not content strategists, digital marketers, or technical communicators. You generally did a good job not using jargon, but need to work on softening your tone.
It’s important in these documents not to use language the client will be unfamiliar with, such as “user experience” or “ROI.” More commonplace terms like “font,” “visual design,” and “color scheme” are ok. As you edit your documents, ask yourself: what would someone with no knowledge of the subject matter of this class not understand? Then replace those terms with more commonplace ones.
Your tone needs to be that of a gentle teacher/guide, however, not a drill sergeant. When I read things like this, I cringe:
In general, there is a lack of consistency in the typography of the Daughters of Work website. An abundance of fonts are used whereas one or two related, or complementary, fonts will be more appealing. In several places the font color is too light against a white background, making it difficult to read.
It’s not that this information is inaccurate, but from years of working with clients, I can’t imagine sending this report to one, which you will be doing. Consider the following revised version, which conveys the same information without coming across as snarky:
In general, we found the typography of the Daughters of Work website could be improved. It’s important that the fonts used complement each other, which is not always happening in the current website. Using one or two related, or complementary, fonts will be more appealing. In several places the font color is also too light against a white background, making it difficult to read.
As you revise your documents, ask yourself: how would you feel if you were on the receiving end of the document? When in doubt, report objective information rather than using adjectives or other descriptive parts of speech that come across as value judgments rather than constructive feedback.
Make Use of the Feedback of Your Peers
I see a lot of good feedback in the peer comments which I won’t replicate here. FOLLOW IT.
Final Step for Finishing the Module
7) 9/18/19 by midnight ET >>
Revise all documents you’ve created. The point of peer review is to help you improve your writing. This process will be negated if the draft you submit to Blackboard is the same as the draft you posted to the course website. Revise, revise, revise.
Be sure you review what your peers (and I) said about your rough draft as you work on your final draft. Listen to your reviewers and make critical choices to improve your documents based on what they say.
Post your individual Cover Letter (including how you contributed to your team’s documents) and a copy of your team’s Content Recommendations Report and Content Audit Spreadsheet to Blackboard.
Don’t Send Your Reports to Your Clients Until I Say It’s Okay
It’s important you give me a chance to read your final drafts before sending these to your clients. I may have additional suggestions. There will be a step in the next module that involves sending your report to them and scheduling a follow-up meeting. Don’t move to that step until we get there, please.