Meghan Mackay

This week’s readings have really made me reflect on how I approach writing, especially in my career as a multimedia designer, where I happen to do a lot of copywriting. In particular, Donnell King’s article “Writing for (not by) the Ear” stood out. He made me realize how important it is to tailor content for the medium—whether it’s written for the eye or the ear.

One key point King emphasizes is the importance of simplicity when writing for the ear. He advises using shorter sentences with a clear structure: “Use shorter sentences with a basic structure. Avoid compound or complex sentences.” This really resonated with me, especially when creating social media content. I often need to get my message across quickly, so simple, direct sentences work best in posts or captions. Most social media users aren’t interested in reading a long-winded paragraph on their feed.

I also appreciated King’s suggestion to use the “you” and “I” forms to make writing more personal and relatable: “One shouldn’t create such distance between oneself and one’s readers.” This is something I’ve worked to incorporate into my copy for my freelance business, banditkatdesigns.com. I believe that the closer my language can connect with a viewer, the more trust I build in the brand and the more likely they are to see me as a real person behind the screen. For example, I’ve included a screenshot of an email design above from Anthropologie, where the headline reads: “We’ve broken down this electric look into five focal points—now where will you start?” In this case, the email engages with the reader on a personal level, inviting them to connect with the brand and encouraging them to make a purchase.

I’ve realized that in both my freelance work and my corporate job, the more I embrace simplicity, the more my message lands with people. Whether it’s through social media or email campaigns, clarity is key to making an impact.

All in all, this week’s material helped me to focus on clarity, simplicity, and engagement in my writing, whether for a blog, social media post, or advertisement.