Content
Content foundations help Landcare write clearly, consistently, and inclusively across websites, applications, forms, signs, social posts, learning materials, videos, grant guidance, and print artefacts.
Content is part of the brand system. Good Landcare content should help people understand what matters, what to do next, and how they can participate.
Content Guidelines
Use these guidelines to make content useful before it becomes decorative. The aim is not to make every group sound identical; it is to make Landcare communications feel clear, credible, welcoming, and brand consistent.
| Area | Use | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Start with the reader's task, question, or community outcome. | Avoid opening with internal process, history, or organisational detail unless it helps the reader act. |
| Structure | Use descriptive headings, short paragraphs, lists, tables, captions, and clear calls to action. | Avoid long walls of text, vague headings, and information hidden only in images or PDFs. |
| Plain language | Use familiar words first, then define technical terms where needed. | Avoid jargon, acronyms, or scientific terms without explanation. |
| Inclusion | Use respectful, specific, and people-centred language. | Avoid assumptions about ability, age, culture, location, income, technology access, or prior Landcare knowledge. |
| Learning | Support people with examples, steps, diagrams, keywords, captions, and multiple ways to understand the same idea. | Avoid relying on one dense explanation when the content is educational or instructional. |
| Action | Make the next step visible: register, contact, download, bring, report, volunteer, learn, or share. | Avoid passive endings where the reader is left unsure what to do. |
Voice And Tone
Landcare content should sound practical, knowledgeable, local, and encouraging. Use a calm voice that respects community experience and scientific evidence.
| Context | Voice | Example direction |
|---|---|---|
| Community invitation | Warm and direct. | Tell people what is happening, why it matters, and how to join. |
| Education | Clear and supportive. | Explain the idea, show an example, then give the next action. |
| Safety or risk | Firm and unambiguous. | Put the required action first and avoid softening critical instructions. |
| Governance | Precise and accountable. | Use exact terms for approvals, licensing, protected rules, and responsibilities. |
| Celebration | Human and specific. | Name the place, people, action, and outcome rather than using generic praise. |
Writing Patterns
Use repeatable patterns so content is easy to scan across different artefacts.
Use headings such as Register for the field day, Check the approved logo, Prepare your site notes, or Report your planting data.
Avoid headings such as Information, Important, More details, or Things to know when a more specific heading would help people scan.
| Pattern | Use it for | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Task page | Forms, instructions, group setup, downloads. | What this is, who it is for, what you need, steps, help. |
| Event listing | Field days, workshops, training, launches. | What, when, where, who can attend, what to bring, access notes, registration. |
| Learning guide | Schools, volunteers, landholders, citizen science. | Purpose, key idea, materials, steps, examples, reflection or reporting. |
| Alert or message | Errors, success states, deadlines, risks. | What happened, why it matters, what to do next. |
| Case study | Project stories and outcomes. | Place, challenge, action, partners, result, what others can learn. |
Bold Keywording
Use bold keywords to help readers find meaning quickly. This is especially useful in long pages, learning resources, forms, field sheets, and safety instructions.
| Use | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Bring gloves and closed shoes for the planting activity. | Bring gloves and closed shoes for the planting activity because the site has uneven ground and some thorny vegetation. |
| Record the location before uploading photos. | Bolding every noun so the sentence becomes visually noisy. |
| Use approved colours in public-facing templates. | Using bold as the only way to communicate a warning or required action. |
Links And Calls To Action
Write links so they make sense out of context.
| Use | Avoid |
|---|---|
| Download the approved logo pack | Click here |
| Read the accessibility guidance | More information |
| Register for the Coastcare workshop | Submit |
| Contact the local coordinator | Learn more |
Use one primary action per section where possible. Secondary links can support the task, but they should not compete with the main action.
Dates, Times, Places, And Contact Details
Landcare content often depends on local participation, so practical details need to be complete and easy to find.
- Dates: write dates clearly and avoid ambiguous numeric-only dates.
- Times: include timezone when people may join from different regions.
- Places: include access notes, parking, meeting points, and wet weather instructions where relevant.
- Contact: include a role or team name as well as the contact method.
- Accessibility: include information about terrain, toilets, seating, captions, transport, online access, and who to contact for support.
Inclusive And Accessible Content
Content must work for people using different devices, assistive technologies, languages, reading abilities, and levels of Landcare experience.
- Use plain language before specialist language.
- Define acronyms the first time they appear.
- Use descriptive headings in a logical order.
- Write meaningful alt text for informative images.
- Caption videos and provide transcripts for important audio or video.
- Do not justify body text in long-form reading.
- Avoid text embedded in images when real text can be used.
- Use more than colour to communicate meaning.
For broader guidance, use Accessibility and the Australian Government Style Manual.
Content Governance
Content can be local, but brand-critical rules remain protected.
| Content type | Group can customise | Protected upstream |
|---|---|---|
| Local introduction | Group name, region, project description, contact details, and local calls to action. | Brand names, logo rules, colour rules, typography rules, licensing language, and trademark guidance. |
| Event or activity content | Dates, locations, local partners, registration details, access notes, and practical instructions. | Approved brand expression, safety-critical clarity, accessibility expectations, and source attribution. |
| Templates | Local examples and approved variable fields. | Token names, brand palettes, type hierarchy, logo geometry, and required governance notes. |