Customer letters that explain themselves
Welcome to Information Design Unit. Part of Enterprise IG, we help organisations write letters that customers can act on.
Why letters go wrong
A letter is often written in a hurry, after a complaint or a change of terms. The customer reads it slowly and carefully, looking for what is being asked of them.
Information design helps by putting the request first, using short sentences and leaving room for the reader to respond.
The opening paragraph states the reason for writing in a single sentence, so the reader knows at once whether action is needed.
Structure that supports a reply
A good letter makes its next step obvious. Each section has a clear purpose, and the reader can find the reference number, the deadline and the contact route without searching.
- A subject line that names the matter
- One request per paragraph
- Deadlines written as calendar dates
- A reference number repeated in the closing
Correspondence that belongs to one case is filed and referenced together, so a customer who writes again is answered in context.
Drafts are read aloud by someone who did not write them. Sentences that stumble in the reading are rewritten before the letter is sent.
Tone is a design decision
Warmth and firmness can sit together in a letter. The choice of words, the length of each paragraph and the amount of white space all shape how the message is received.
Apologies should name what went wrong and say what will change, rather than relying on general regret.
The envelope and the first page are part of the message. A clear address window and a plain title help the letter get opened.
Continuing the conversation
Letters are one part of how an organisation speaks to its customers. The same care applies to statements and to the financial documents that explain the wider picture.