3D Writing and Planning

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3D Writing and Planning

• Training Day One

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The Communication Gap

• Readers needs
• Accessibility
• Organised content
• Identify content quickly
• Accurate content
• Complete information
• Priorities clearly stated
• Overall clarity

• Writers challenges
• Getting started
• Organising content
• diverse audiences
• identifying readers needs
• Updating/revising
• Meeting deadlines
• Indexing

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Components of the Method

• Analysis
• Organisation
• Presentation

Completed Document
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The Five Principles

• Chunking
• Labelling
• Relevance
• Consistency
• Hierarchy

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The Chunking Principle

• Group information into small manageable
• modules of text

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Chunking

• Before chunking
• Finance Customers Taxes Rentals Engineers
• Salaries Local community Benefit Research
• Raw materials Pensioners Legal Suppliers
• Advertising Sales Employees Insurance
• Shareholders Personnel Rates Production

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Chunking

• After chunking
• Finance Benefits Sales
• Customers Research Employees
• Taxes Raw materials Insurance
• Rentals Pensioners Shareholders
• Engineers Legal Personnel
• Salaries Suppliers Rates
• Community Advertising Production

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Relevance

• Place like items together
• Exclude unrelated items

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Relevance

• After relevance
• Sales Salaries Employees
• Personnel Benefits Customers
• Research Raw materials Suppliers
• Production Rates Shareholders
• Engineers Taxes Pensioners
• Legal Insurance Community
• Finance Advertising
• Rentals

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Labelling

• Name each module of information

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Labelling

• After labelling
• Departments Costs Groups
• Sales Salaries Employees
• Personnel Benefits Customers
• Research Raw materials Suppliers
• Production Rates Shareholders
• Engineers Taxes Pensioners
• Legal Insurance Local community
• Finance Advertising
• Rentals

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Consistency

• Use consistent labels, terms, formats

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Hierarchy at All Levels

• Text block Chapter

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Hierarchy at All Levels

• Expanded to
• a section

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Units of Information- Blocks

• An information block consists of
• one or more sentences, tables or diagrams, about
  a logically coherent fragment of subject matter
• a label that describes the purpose, function or
  content of the block

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Creating an Information Block

• Identify a single purpose for the reader
• Include only one idea relevant to the readers
  task
• Include only information that develops the main
  idea
• Exclude non-relevant information

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Managing Block Size

• Create new blocks
• Insert sub-labels
• Add white space

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Block Labels

• A block label is one to five words that
• describe the purpose of the block
• identify the contents of the block
• visually separate the block from the other blocks

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Three types of Block Label

• These are
• subject matter independent (generic)
• subject matter (specific)
• a combination of these two.

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Generic Labels

• A generic label is a word or phrase that
  describes
• the type of information in the block or
• the function of the information in the block
• Examples Procedure
• Process
• Background

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Specific Labels

• A specific block label is a word or phrase that
  summarises the key content of a block
• Examples 30-day loan
• Monthly responsibilities
• Salary impact
• Calculating overtime pay

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Combination Block Labels

• A combination block label contains
• a generic label
• a specific label
• Examples Alternative 1
• Money market
• Alternative 2
• Savings account

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Guidelines for Block Labels

• Creating block labels
• Make sure it describes purpose, function or
  content of the block
• Use as few words as possible (5 max)
• Use words consistent with the content
• Use familiar words rather than jargon

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Units of Information- a Map

• A map consists of
• several related blocks about a given topic or an
  aspect of that topic and
• a title that describes the shared content of the
  blocks and the purpose for writing them

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Creating an Information Map

• Creating a map
• Use no more than 7-2 information blocks
• Include only blocks that are relevant to the map
  topic
• Make a title that reflects the subject matter and
  purpose of the map
• Limit the length to no more than 2 pages

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Apply the Five Principles
Due to information overload and a rising
incidence of employee burnout, we are announcing
a new policy. Each employee will report to work
five days each week for three weeks out of four
and four days during the fourth week. Salaries
will continue at the current rates.
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Information Types

• All information can be broken down into
• six information types. These help you to present
• your information to suit your readers needs
• principle/policy
• procedure
• process
• structure
• concept
• fact

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Principle or Policy Information

• A principle or policy is a statement that tells
  the reader what must or must not be done.
• Principle or policy information includes rules,
  laws or mission statements.

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Principle or Policy clues
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A Policy Document

• Problem Sales calls are being missed because
  the sales desk is left unattended around
  mid-day
• Policy The sales team must arrange their
  lunch breaks so that at least one person is
  on call throughout the day
• Exceptions This does not apply to online
  personnel

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Procedure Information

• A procedure is a set of steps that a person
  performs to achieve a specified outcome including
  decisions that need to be made.
• Procedure information tells you how to do it.

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Procedure Clues
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A Procedure Chart
A procedure is a series of steps that has a
definite start and finish. An individual follows
the steps.
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A Procedure Table
A procedure is always expressed as Step
Action. The instructions begin with an imperative
verb.
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Process Information

• A process is a series of stages or phases that
  take place over time and that have an
  identifiable result.
• Process information tells you what happens or
  how it works.

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Process Clues
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A Process Chart
A process is an overview of how a system works.
A process is usually made up of a series of
procedures.
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A Process Table
A process is always expressed in 3rd person. This
is because the whole sequence is being described.
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Structure Information

• A structure is a physical object or anything that
  can be divided into parts with identifiable
  boundaries.
• Structure information tells you what it looks
  like or what its parts are and how they relate to
  each other

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Structure Clues
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A Structure Document
Structures are often best represented by a
diagram. If the diagram becomes too complex
divide it into details
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Concept Information

• A concept is a class or group of items that
• share a unique combination of critical attributes
  not shared by other groups.
• can be referred to by the same generic name or
  symbol.
• Concept information tells you what it is or
  why it is what it is.

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Concept Clues
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A Concept Document

• A monkey is an animal that
• has four legs
• is covered in fur
• has a tail
• can climb trees
• It is not a squirrel

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A Concept Template

• a ( ) is a ( ) that
• name of concept name of larger group
• (attributes)
• (critical attribute)
• (distinction from nearest concept)

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Fact Information

• A fact is a statement made with certainty,
  assumed to be true and usually presented without
  supporting evidence.
• Fact information includes specifications,
  statistics, chronologies, dates, and times

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Fact Clues
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A Fact Document

• Introduction Regional accent has been the
  subject of much dispute for many years
• Fact Fewer than 4 of the population of
  Great Britain speak in Received
  Pronunciation.