Use Simple Terms – Otherwise you are just talking to yourself

Published on April 20, 2013

I was reading TIMES on an article about IMF chief Christine Lagarde.

Lagarde is a lawyer by training, and it is kind of misfit for a lady to work in the finance industry, with so many men. But it is not just about her background or gender.

At times, she cannot understand the opaque language that the ministry of finance, or the central-bank governor, or whoever is using.

It turned out to be an advantage for her.

She said this to them:

“Stop it. You’ve lost me. You have to use simple terms that people out on the street will understand, otherwise you are just talking to yourselves.”

children talk tin can

How true is that.

Applying the concept to product development, we have to write content in simple language that most people can understand, otherwise we are just writing for ourselves, not the users.