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Simplify Language


Permission to be simple
“My sisters and I are the first people in our family to have college educations. I had a founder I worked with once tell me that he did...

Lee Shainis
Nov 13, 20241 min read


Why is it so difficult to simplify communication?
"I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." - Mark Twain. You probably prefer a shorter version of...

Lee Shainis
Oct 30, 20242 min read
Simplifying Builds Trust
Around 20 years ago, a friend who works at a financial institution said something about trust. He said “When people understand our...

Lee Shainis
Oct 23, 20241 min read
Simplifying is essential for language justice and language access
It’s awesome that governments, schools, and other institutions are talking about language justice and language access. Many are...

Lee Shainis
Oct 17, 20242 min read


How simplifying impacts data collection and data sharing
Data helps you to better understand your audience, make better decisions, and improve services. Sharing data effectively can generate...

Lee Shainis
Oct 11, 20241 min read


Shift the Responsibility – Don’t ask “Do you understand?”
If I write something or say something and you don’t understand what I say or write, is that my fault or your fault? Who is responsible? ...

Lee Shainis
Oct 2, 20242 min read


Being great at simplifying language requires 3 key things
Many people think using complex or unnecessarily long communication is a problem other people have. The truth is, few people have paid...

Lee Shainis
Sep 25, 20242 min read


Two problems with the word “stakeholder”
I see the word “stakeholders” a lot. I want to make sure that you have more information to make conscious choices about using the word. ...

Lee Shainis
Sep 21, 20241 min read


Fluffy or Brief?
We often make our written communication longer than it needs to be. When the goal of your communication is to inform your audience, most...

Lee Shainis
Sep 14, 20242 min read
Years 1 and 2 at Simplify Language
Hello! My first two years with Simplify Language were amazing. I've learned so much, and I’m excited to share learnings and a short...

Lee Shainis
Sep 11, 20242 min read
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