A capability statement, proposal or product sheet has work to do after you send it. Someone may skim it on a phone, forward it to a colleague or use it to compare options. Start with that situation. A polished cover cannot compensate for information that is difficult to find or keep current.
Choose the format around the task.
A PDF can be useful for a stable document someone needs to download or print. A web page may suit information that changes often or needs to be easy to read on a phone. An editable document makes sense when your team must tailor the material for each enquiry.
Sarah Winters' content-design approach starts with the information need before selecting the form. Ask how this particular document will be used, rather than producing a PDF simply because the last version was one.
Reading behind this section: Sarah Winters, Content Design London
Put the working information where people can find it.
A capability statement needs to explain relevant experience and what the business can take on. A proposal needs a clear description of the work, inclusions, exclusions, responsibilities and next steps. The right order depends on the decision you are helping someone make.
Keep qualifications near the statements they affect. Use descriptive headings and readable tables where comparison helps. Remove a page when it adds no useful information, rather than filling a template to make the document feel substantial.
Test the editable version with real changes.
Use a small set of heading, body and table styles. Then try a longer project name, another row, a different image and a page break. These checks show whether the template is practical for the person maintaining it.
Keep recurring business facts in an agreed source, with a named person to check changes. Separate that source and the editable master from the copy sent to a customer. Record font and image permissions so the next editor knows what can be reused.
Check the file someone will actually receive.
Open the exported file, follow its links and read it on the intended device. Check page breaks, text selection, image clarity and any information repeated in the footer. Commercial printing may need different file settings from a digital download; agree those with the printer.
Accessibility also needs an export check. W3C describes tagged PDF headings that assistive technology can use for navigation. Proper authoring styles help, but inspect the resulting tags and reading order. Attractive pages alone do not establish that a document is accessible.
Reading behind this section: W3C Web Accessibility Initiative; W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
Put it to use
A useful check for your business.
- Where and how will someone use this?
- Can they find the scope, relevant detail and next step?
- Can your team update the master without rebuilding the layout?
- Has the exported version been checked?
The thinking behind this guide
Sources & further reading.
Our practical interpretation, with the references below for the specific principles and further detail.
- Editing copy or designing content: what's the difference?
Choosing how to present information around the audience's need. The specific document-format recommendations here are practical applications of that approach.
- PDF9: Providing headings with heading tags in PDF documents
Authoring styles, tagged headings and checking the exported PDF. This technique addresses headings and is not a complete PDF accessibility assessment.
- PDF3: Ensuring correct tab and reading order in PDF documents
The need to check logical reading and tab order in the exported document, particularly when a complex layout does not convert correctly.
