Free resources

Tips to help you manage some of the challenges of communicating complex information.

We created these resources to respond to some of the common challenges we help our clients with. This guidance is backed by more than 20 years of experience in communicating complex information, and can be used to supplement existing style and editing resources, such as the Australian Government Style Manual.

Explore the quick guides by topic below, or download one of our more comprehensive guides.

Biotext guide to effective content

Everything you need to create effective content, and to design and run a content project from start to finish.

Biotext guide to effective data visualisation and infographics

Practical help to present data and infographics accurately, clearly and effectively.

Strategy and planning

Understand ways to make your content more effective and accessible.

Content strategies – maximising your content’s impactPDF Planning content for now and the futurePDF The basics of developing good contentPDF Understanding users and meeting their needsPDF Framing and narratives – how to support your messagingPDF More than words and more than design – using an information design approachPDF Making content accessible onlinePDF Solving accessibility problemsPDF Web content format – HTML, Word or PDF?PDF

Structure and writing

Learn some key tips to improve the flow and impact of your writing.

Effective structure and IA – your content GPSPDF Readability – more than using short wordsPDF Tips and tricks for writingPDF Avoiding the main writing pitfallsPDF Web writing basicsPDF Eliminating wordinessPDF The language of evidencePDF Effective grant applicationsPDF First Nations – ethical and respectful stylePDF First Nations – Traditional Knowledge and referencingPDF

Style and editing

Keep our style and editing tips handy for consistent, correct text.

Bare bones editing checklistPDF Stages of editingPDF The little marks really matter – punctuationPDF Bullet list basicsPDF Using numbers and unitsPDF Keeping content consistent – some basics of stylePDF Compound adjectives – to hyphenate or not to hyphenatePDF ‘The’ or no ‘the’ – abbreviated organisation namesPDF Using words to describe coloursPDF Are you speaking my language – common medical prefixes and suffixesPDF

Visuals and data

Use our guides to help you produce accurate and engaging visuals and data.

Improving visual impactPDF What type of graph is best for my dataPDF Tips for using tables and graphsPDF Making effective infographicsPDF

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