Rob Waller

Information designer, University of Leeds, UK
www.robwaller.org

Rob Waller is semi-retired from a career in information design, where he has long advocated the close connection between plain language and design. He is Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds School of Design, and sits on the board of the International Institute for Information Design. Rob has worked on simplified communications for many UK government departments, as well as service brands such as Vodafone, Barclays, and British Gas. He has been a member of Clarity International since the early 1990s, and is a member of the drafting group for ISO 24495, the international plain language standard.

Rob’s thoughts on writing:

Literacy is about writing as well as reading

People struggle with reading because organisations struggle with writing. The concept of literacy needs to be turned on its head. People often blame themselves when they find a document hard to use, but the organisation who sent it is the ‘illiterate’ one.

People read the design as well as the words

Readers do more than just decipher the words – they search for answers, make connections, compare options. Information design makes this easier.

Meet the judges for the Plain Language Awards

How the judging process works