PORTFOLIO
Charles Darwin University
Website copywriting
about this project
Pared back website content to give students clear and concise answers in plain English
Overview
Charles Darwin University (CDU) needed copywriting for two major web projects - the Vocational Education and Training website, and the Current Students website. The previous content on these sites had various challenges:
- The content was too dense
- Students couldn’t couldn’t easily find the answers they were looking for
- Information was explained in complex language
- There was no consistency in tone
The approach
One of the vital features of writing content for a large organisation like CDU is making sure that the brand voice is consistent between the new web content and existing web content.
Before getting started on writing, our copywriter studied CDU’s Written Communications Guide to get an understanding of brand tone and voice. The focus was on using inclusive, student-first language and communicating CDU’s voice of openness, inclusivity, reassurance and engagement.
The development of new content pared back information to give students clear and concise answers, while excluding jargon and using plain English. This involved framing topics from the perspective of a problem a student might be experiencing, making it relatable and creating a clear path for answers. The content was also broken up into smaller chunks to make it scannable for a student, and headings were used strategically for this purpose too.
Refined approach to content
As large, content heavy sites, the process of creating content needed to be as streamlined as possible. We use the collaborative cloud-based content platform, GatherContent, for large scale web projects that require input from various stakeholders.
Both content projects had customised workflows to ensure the process for content development was clear. This involved getting approvals necessary from appointed stakeholders and subject matter experts while adhering to timelines.
