Guidelines
My aim when writing informative or directive content is to alleviate user friction. I accomplish this by eliminating excess, delivering instructions in a consistent pattern (IA), and reducing areas of misinterpretation.
The process of renewing a passport at the Italian Consulate of San Francisco is supported only by the Consulate's website. No live support is available. The Consulate's website is plagued with unclear requirements and poorly worded guidance (Fig. 1) often leading to delays, missed appointments, and low customer satisfaction.​
Fig. 1
My Process
When writing this type of content, I consider:
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What are the basic steps that will lead the user to getting the task done?
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What should the information architecture look like?​​
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Are there areas of friction where those with limited comprehension of the language may misinterpret the content?
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Is this content going to be translated into another language?
I extracted the basic elements of the process:
The Results
Broken into digestible sections, the process is much more comprehensible (Fig. 2). I eliminated technical terms, framed the content into sections, and lead the user through the steps in an intuitive manner.
Fig. 2
N.B. This project has been presented to the Italian Consulate, but due to government processes, has not yet been executed.
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