🔤 Multilingual Writing: Design Pages Readers Can Use

Good layout helps people find, understand, and translate information.

Design is part of communication. A confusing page can make clear words harder to understand.

People who use English as a second or additional language may need more time to read. Translators and interpreters may need to see how ideas connect. Good layout helps everyone follow the meaning.

Use clear headings

Headings help readers find information quickly. They also show how the page is organized.

Less clear:
Additional Information

Clearer:
How to apply for help

Less clear:
Important Details

Clearer:
Documents you need to bring

A good heading tells readers what the section is about.

Put the most important information first

Readers should not have to search for the main point.

Less clear:
Our office has updated several procedures because of staffing changes, budget limits, and new state reporting rules. The application deadline is now Friday, May 10.

Clearer:
The application deadline is now Friday, May 10.
Our office changed the deadline because of staffing changes, budget limits, and new state reporting rules.

Put the action, deadline, warning, or decision where readers will see it.

Use short paragraphs

Long blocks of text can be hard to read. Short paragraphs help readers pause and understand each idea. As a guide, use two to three sentences in most paragraphs. For instructions, forms, notices, web pages, and materials that may be translated, one or two sentences may be better.

A paragraph should usually focus on one main point. If the paragraph explains several steps, choices, or requirements, consider using a list, table, or separate subheads.

Use lists for steps, items, and choices

Lists help readers see separate pieces of information.

Use a list when readers must:

Follow steps
Bring several items
Compare choices
Meet several requirements
Remember several dates or actions

Do not use a list just to decorate the page. Use a list when the list makes the information easier to understand.

Number steps that must happen in order

Use numbers when readers must do things in a sequence.

Less clear:
Complete the form, sign it, attach your documents, and submit it by Friday.

Clearer:
To apply:

Complete the form.
Sign the form.
Attach your documents.
Submit everything by Friday.

Use bullets when order does not matter. Use numbers when order matters.

Use tables for comparisons

Tables can help readers compare dates, costs, choices, offices, languages, or requirements.

Less clear:
The morning class meets on Monday and Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. The evening class meets on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. The Saturday class meets from 10 a.m. to noon.

Clearer:

Class Days Time

Morning class Monday and Wednesday 9 to 11 a.m.

Evening class Tuesday and Thursday 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday class Saturday 10 a.m. to noon

Use tables only when they make comparison easier. Do not use a table when a short sentence is clearer. Make sure the rows and columns are aligned clearly.

Keep labels and links clear

Labels, buttons, and links should tell readers what will happen.

Less clear:
Click here.

Clearer:
Download the application form.

Less clear:
Submit.

Clearer:
Send your application.

Avoid vague labels such as More, Next, Info, or Learn more when a clearer label is available. See Make labels match at Use Consistent Terms.

Keep formatting simple

Simple formatting helps readers and translators. It also helps when text is copied, translated, printed, read on a phone, or used with assistive technology.

Use formatting to show meaning, not to make the page busy.

Avoid:

Too many fonts
Too many colors
Underlining that is not a link
Long passages in ALL CAPS
Text placed inside images
Important information shown only by color
Complicated layouts that break when translated

Translation can make text longer or shorter. Leave enough space for translated text to expand.

Be careful with images and icons

Images and icons can help, but they can also confuse readers.

Use images and icons only when they support the words. Do not depend on them to carry the whole message.

Less clear:
A page uses only a snowflake icon to show that the office is closed because of weather.

Clearer:
The page uses the snowflake icon with this sentence:
The office is closed today because of snow.

Images, icons, colors, and symbols may not mean the same thing in every culture. When the information matters, use words too.

Make translated versions easy to find

If translated information is available, readers should not have to hunt for it.

Use the name of each language in that language when possible. For example, use Español instead of Spanish if the link goes to Spanish-language information:

Español
Tiếng Việt
中文
한국어
Русский
العربية

If your website or publishing system does not display a language correctly, use the English name of the language and ask someone who knows the language to check the page.

Do not hide translations behind a vague link such as Other, More, or Additional information.

Design for phones

Many readers use phones instead of computers. A page that works on a large screen may be hard to use on a small screen.

Check whether readers can:

Read the text without zooming
Tap links and buttons easily
See the full table or form
Find translated information
Complete the main task

If a table is too wide for a phone, consider a shorter table, stacked sections, or a downloadable version.

Check the design before you finish

Before you finish, ask:

Can readers find the main point quickly?
Are the headings clear?
Are paragraphs short enough to read easily?
Are lists used only when they help?
Are numbered steps in the correct order?
Are tables easier to use than paragraphs?
Do links and buttons say what they do?
Is important information available in words, not only images, icons, or colors?
Can readers find translated information?
Does the page still work on a phone?
Will the layout still work after translation?

Good design helps readers understand the words. It also helps translators, interpreters, reviewers, and teachers see how the information fits together.

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