The Importance of Good Writing and Editing

Isn’t it amazing that no matter how good a design looks, if there’s a couple typos or bad grammar, it falls down a couple notches? Great copy can help a design shine. Good writing and editing refines a project. It’s often underestimated… until it’s poorly done. Here are my thoughts on making your writing process better:

Step One: Think about your audience. Who will read this? Will this relate to them? Will this influence them? Will they enjoy reading this? Usually it’s best to keep things simple and to the point, as often as possible.

Step Two: Create visuals that work with your copy. Think of some of your favorite designs — posters, books, album art, etc — and you’ll see that most often there is a unified look.

Step Three: Edit! A good edit (or multiple edits) can make your copy shine. Edit it yourself, then hand it over to someone else. You’ll feel better knowing two (or more) sets of eyes have read through it and given feedback.

Step Four: Make it all fit. This can also include another round of editing. Odd breaks in sentences or words left by themselves at the end of a paragraph will distract the reader instead of help them. Check for consistency in the styles, the body text being formatted with a universal typeface and size, using the same style for headers and other design elements. Are calls-to-action clear and easy to understand?

Your copy will evolve and take new shapes throughout this process, and that’s okay! You want it to be the best it can be, right? Great copy, combined with solid design, will make a remarkable difference in any project you start. Happy writing!