Informing uninformed?

How to write an information sheet?

Learning how to write an information sheet -also called leaflet- is very important when you need to inform, instruct or help an audience. What are the most important things to have in consideration when writing a leaflet? What should you do before and while you are writing it? This information sheet will answer all of these questions!

What makes a good leaflet?

To create a great leaflet there are a few factors you should take into consideration so as to make the reader understand clearly what you are trying to say.

Layout:
The layout of a good leaflet or information sheet should include an introductory paragraph which catches the reader’s attention, a body divided into categories with different headings and a conclusion.
In order to organise the leaflet in a clearer way, you can make use of bullet points. However, the excessive use of them can make the information sheet lose its original format.

Titles and headings:
An information sheet should be as clear as possible for the reader to understand. In order to succeed in this, the use of titles and headings is really important to divide the information. A good organisation makes the audience undstand the topic easily.

Text:
In a leaflet you should not include much information. Its main aim is to capture the public’s attention and transmit a simple message. You should avoid unnecessary information and evaluate whether what you are writing will interest someone who knows nothing about the topic.
Also include phone numbers, websites or e-mail addresses so that those interested can have access to more information.

Lettering:
The lettering should be attractive enough to catch the reader’s attention but sober enough to make your information sheet look serious.
You should use bold to highlight important concepts; underline headings and subheadings; use italics when you are using a foreign language, scientific names, nicknames or titles of books and movies.
Apart from that, the use of colours is important if you want to make a clear distinction of the different topics and it is important to have in mind that the size of the headings should be bigger than the size of the text.

Before you write
The main points to take into account before writing a leaflet are:
* Knowing the topic you are going to inform
* Choosing the best information to write so as to make the reader interested
* Getting the information separated into categories.

Making notes and writing
The basic steps on how to select information for an leaflet are:
* Brainstorm different ideas
* Dismiss unnecessary or irrelevant facts
* Select important information and express it as simple as possible.
* Choose a suitable and relevant heading.


By following these guidelines, you will express your knowledge in an information sheet that will surely hook people's attention!