Written CommunicationDanica Schieber

Introduction

RPC at ISU Business Communication Transfer

Backgrounds

Poll everywhere.com What best prepared you for your

job with the city? Introduce yourself and where you

are from.

Professional Writing

What are some words that come to mind when we talk about business/professional writing?

Let’s discuss.

Problems

What are some problems that occur with miscommunication?

Famous examples? Day-to-day examples?

Audiences

External Internal

Rhetorical Principles

The Rhetorical Situation: Audience Purpose Context

ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS

Source: newliteracyteacher.wordpress.com

Ethos - What to look for in writing… How does the author attempt to

establish authority / credibility? Expertise on topic / subject? Personal experience related to

topic? Documentation / Quality of

Sources? Balanced or one-sided? Comprehensive approach to

topic?

Pathos – What to look for in writing…

How often or when does the rhetor play on emotions?

Which emotions is the rhetor going for (fears, insecurities, anger etc…)? Are the emotions tied to a motive?

Are deeper issues of justice, mercy, social responsibility, acceptance etc…at hand?

Are arguments and claims emotionally-charged?

Nostalgia stories or anecdotes?

Logos – What to look for in writing…May appear as:

• Facts – numbers, statistics, data, science-stuff, research

• The text tries to show well-reasoned ideas

Uses sources:• Researchers, doctors, specialists,

people with credentials• Surveys, interviews, the stuff that

represents groups of people and their opinions

Why use all three at once?

Appeals

EthosIf you trust me, I

can persuade you to listen…

PathosLet me appeal

to your emotions

/imagination

LogosLet me appeal

to your intellect

Analysis Example- Memo

Who is the audience? What do they want/need?

Ethos?- build credibility? Pathos?- evoke some kind of

emotion? Logos?- logical information?

Is anything missing?

Basic Document Design

1. Use white space- use lists/bullets

2. Use headings- be specific, keep them parallel

(p. 164 and 165)

Don’t Do This

Improved

#3 Limit the use of all caps WHEN PEOPLE READ TEXT IN ALL

CAPS, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH IT IS SHOUTING AT YOU!

ALSO, NEVER DO THIS! EVER!!!

#4 No more than 2 fonts

Serif fonts- Times New Roman, Palatino

Sans Serif fonts- Tahoma, Arial

Fonts can influence how the reader responds to your document.

#5 Decide whether to justify margins

Full justification- type lines up evenly on both and right and left margins More formal Uses fewer pages

Ragged right- margins line up only on the left, but the right lines up in different places More informal Very short line lengths

#6 Important stuff in top left and lower right We read in a “Z” pattern (left to

right)

#7 Use a grid to unify graphic elements 2-3 imaginary columns The graphic elements have to

line up

#8 Use decoration in moderation

Highlighting Decorative Devices Color

Specific Genres

Memos Minutes MD & A

Document Design

Memos- typical format? Discuss- Where did we learn

formatting?

Minutes- format?

MD & A- format?

Analysis of Minutes

This is an example of a city’s minutes.

What do we notice about it? What will the audience think of

it? How can it be improved upon?

Practice

Let’s analyze the following example of an MD & A.

Rhetorical Situation? How can it be improved upon? Is there anything that the

audience would find confusing?

Guidelines for Effective Visuals

Check the quality of the data Determine the story you want to

tell Choose the right visual or data

display for the story Follow conventions Use color and decoration with

restraint Be accurate and ethical (No Chartjunk!)

The right visual for the story Use a table for exact values Use a chart or graph for

relationships Use gantt charts to show time

lines Use photographs to create a

sense of authenticity Use drawings to show processes

or dimensions Use maps to emphasize location

For each dollar of federal income tax we pay in 2010, the gov’t spends about…

Pie Chart

Misleading?

Wrap-up

Most important things to remember when creating any document:

The Rhetorical Triangle: Audience Purpose Context

Be clear and concise!

Questions?