Writing content for Barbadians

Government content should be understandable to anyone who needs it. That means designing your writing for the person with the least reading confidence, not the most.

This page is for anyone in an MDA who writes content the public will read – form questions, letters, emails, webpages, error messages, guidance notes, public notices.

Design for the broadest possible reader

The principle is simple: write so the person with the least reading confidence can still find what they need and act on it. This is the lowest common denominator approach – and everyone else benefits from it too.

Government services exist for everyone. That includes:

• people whose first language is not English
• people who left school early, or who do not read often as adults
• older Barbadians using a phone or tablet for the first time
• people doing a transaction on behalf of an older relative
• anyone in a stressful situation – a bereavement, a court date, a tax deadline – who does not have the patience to unpick difficult writing

If your content cannot be understood by any of these readers, you have built a barrier into your service. That is not a service – that is a gate.

This is not about dumbing down. Research consistently shows that people with the highest literacy levels and the most expertise prefer plain English. They have the most to read, so they have the least patience for unnecessary complexity. Writing simply does not insult anyone. It respects everyone’s time.

It also fits how people actually read government content – on a phone, on a bus, in a queue, in the middle of trying to do something else. Research shows readers skip about 30% of any text and only read 20–28% of a webpage. Plain language helps them find what they need and get on with their day.

Know who you are writing for

Before you write a single word, picture one real person who will read it. Not the audience in general – one person.

Where are they? What are they trying to do? What worry brought them to your page? Are they on a phone in a waiting room, or at a desk with time to read? Are they doing this for themselves, or for someone else?

Holding one specific reader in your head as you write keeps your writing grounded. It is much easier to choose the right word for Mrs Lewis, who is renewing her late husband’s vehicle registration than for the public.

You will not get it right for everyone. But if you write for the reader with the least time and the least confidence, you will be writing well for everyone else too.

Use common words

Long words slow people down. They also make readers skip the short, important words that follow them. Words ending in -ion and -ment often signal a sentence that has become more complicated than it needs to be.

Example: a sentence about applying online

Good:

You may utilise the online portal to submit your application electronically.

Even better:

You can apply online.

Keep sentences short

Aim for 15–20 words. Anything over 25 words should be checked – almost any long sentence can be split into two clearer ones.

Short sentences are not childish. They are easier to read on a small screen, easier for screen readers to read aloud, and easier to translate. They also let people stop reading as soon as they have what they need.

Example: renewing a driver’s licence at age 70+

Good:

If you are over the age of 70 and wish to renew your driver’s licence, you will need to obtain a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner before you attend the Licensing Authority to complete the renewal process.

Even better:

Are you 70 or over? You need a medical certificate from your doctor before you renew your driver’s licence.

Put the most important thing first

People scan webpages in an F-shape. They look across the top, scan down the left side, and only read across again when they find what they need. Most have left long before they reach the bottom of the page.

So front-load. Put the most important information first in:

• the page
• each section
• each paragraph
• each sentence
• each bullet point

Example: the opening of a service page

Good:

Welcome to the Barbados Revenue Authority’s online services portal. We are pleased to offer a range of digital services to help citizens manage their tax affairs. One of the services available is the filing of your annual income tax return.

Even better:

File your income tax return online.

You will need your TAMIS login and your income details for the year.

The second version answers the reader’s question – can I do my tax return online and what do I need? – in two short lines.

Use the active voice

The active voice makes it clear who is doing what. The passive voice hides it.

Example: telling someone what happens next

Good:

Your application will be reviewed within ten working days.

Even better:

We will review your application within 10 working days.

The second version tells the reader who is doing the reviewing. That builds trust.

Address the reader as “you”

Government content is not about government. It is about what the reader needs to do, know or get. So speak to them directly.

Example: a requirement to provide a document

Good:

Applicants are required to provide proof of residence at the time of submission.

Even better:

You need to send proof of where you live when you apply.

Use short paragraphs and clear subheadings

Paragraphs of more than 5 sentences are too long. Break them up.

Subheadings help people skim and find what they need. They should:

• describe what is in the section, not ask a question
• start with the most important word
• make sense on their own if someone reads only the headings

Do not use bold text instead of a heading. Screen readers will not announce it as a section, so users with visual impairments will miss the structure of your page.

Example: a subheading on a licence renewal page

Good:

What about renewing my licence?

Even better:

How to renew your licence

Write a clear page title and summary

Most people land on government pages from a Google search. The title and the short summary underneath it are the only things they see before deciding whether to click.

A good title:

• says exactly what the page is about
• uses the words people would actually search for
• is under 65 characters (Google cuts the rest off)
• makes sense on its own, out of context

Example: a page about renewing a vehicle registration

Good:

Vehicle Registration – Renewal Process Information

Even better:

How to renew your vehicle registration

Things to avoid

A few habits creep into government writing. They all make content harder to read.

• Block capitals. They are 13–18% slower to read, and online they read like shouting.
• Ampersands (&). “And” is easier to read and easier to skim.
• “Please” and “please note”. They add words without meaning. Just give the instruction.
• Footnotes. They are designed for print, not web pages. If the information matters, put it in the body. If it does not, leave it out.
• FAQs. Answer the question where the user expects to find it. People search for the thing they want, not for “frequently asked questions about” the thing.
• Unexplained acronyms. Spell them out the first time you use them on a page – even ones that feel obvious. “Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA)”, then BRA after that.
• Latin. No i.e., e.g. or etc. Use “for example”, “such as”, “and so on”.
• Hedging. “May be able to” is weaker than “can”. “It is recommended that you” is weaker than “you should”.
• “Kindly”. Just say what you mean. “Kindly submit” is “send”.

Test it

You will not know whether your content works until someone reads it.

Before you publish, do at least one of these:

• read it aloud – if you stumble, your reader will too
• ask a friend or relative outside government to read it and tell you, in their own words, what they think it means
• check it with someone whose first language is not English
• do a quick comprehension check: after reading this, can the reader say what they need to do next?

Better still, test it with real members of the public. The GovTech User Research team can help you set this up.

A content testing tool – coming soon

GovTech is building a tool to help MDAs check the readability of their content before they publish, so you can pick up problems early without waiting for a full user research session. We will add it to this page when it is ready.

Where to get help

• The Barbados Digital Service Standards require services to be designed around user needs. Content is part of that.
• The Barbados Government Design System includes patterns for forms, error messages and other public-facing text.
• Contact GovTech at info@govtech.bb if you would like a content review or help writing for a specific service.