Tips for Presenting Complex Information to Users

During my studies of technical communication, I have learned many techniques to help deconstruct complex ideas to different audiences. Here are three methods that I, and hopefully others, find useful:

1. Make your presentation scalable.
The best presentations are modular-the presenters can expand or compress ideas given the constraints of time and their audience. Depending on your audience, make your presentation have as little or many words for readers to understand how to repair a device, or perform a task. Whether it means expanding all the information for an expert, or simplifying it for a layman, both presentations should accomplish the same task.

2. Write in active sentences.
Technical communication employs talented writers, but they should not write for the sake of sounding fancy. Readers demand information that’s easy to read and scan. Avoid the passive voice, as that fills sentence with verbs and slows readers down. By taking an active voice, sentences are simpler to write, and readers will have an easier time figuring out what the process’ meaning is.

3. Welcome the user with open arms.
Readers should not feel servile to new technology or experiences. They want to become well acquainted with new experiences. Instead of forcefully directing users to perform certain functions like, encourage the users to use the device in a positive tone. Once users see how easy a complex process is, they will feel confident to take on more difficult tasks. Also, they’ll build trust with your company for providing a user-friendly experience.