Celebrate International Plain Language Day by learning how to find out whether your communication really works for the people who use it.
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 1:30-3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Online
Cost: $45 for Center members | $75 for non-members
A recording will be available to registrants
Register nowWhat better way to celebrate International Plain Language Day than by putting your work to the test?
One of the best ways to know whether a communication works is to test it with the people it is intended for: the readers, customers, clients, patients, website visitors, or others who will use it. In user testing, we ask those people to interact with a communication and help us understand what works, what doesn’t, and what could be clearer.
The ISO plain language standard promotes user testing throughout the development of a communication. Yet in real life, user testing is often the exception rather than the rule.
Why? What holds us back? And how can we make user testing a practical part of our work?
Join three experts with diverse experience in user testing for a discussion about what user testing is, practical tips for doing it, and how to overcome common barriers. The session will include audience polls, real-world examples, panel discussion, and plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
In this webinar, you’ll:
- Learn what user testing is and how feedback from the people you’re communicating with can improve your work
- Hear practical approaches for finding the right people to participate in a test
- Explore how to develop useful questions for a user test
- Learn how practitioners address time, cost, client buy-in, and other common barriers
- See how user feedback can uncover blind spots and lead to better content and experiences
- Review examples from legal information, government website design, and a major consumer brand
Presenters
Rebecca Schur
Rebecca Schur has been a member of the Quebec bar since 2021. They have an educational background in rhetoric and communications, as well as in civil and common law. Rebecca has been creating legal information and legal education content for Éducaloi since 2022, with a focus on Quebec’s English-speaking communities.
Karen Hewell, Content Strategist, Anthro-Tech
Karen is a seasoned content strategist and information architect renowned for designing intricate, information-rich websites. At Anthro-Tech, she works closely with clients to optimize their digital platforms, focusing on creating intuitive information architectures and effective content strategies. She excels in facilitating workshops and driving collaborative design processes that meet user needs and business goals. Outside of work, Karen pursues her interests as an amateur dancer and aerialist, while always on the lookout for the next captivating sci-fi novel.
Grace Berry
Grace Berry is an accomplished UX copywriter, content strategist, and designer who uses language to bridge the gap between business goals and user needs. Currently leading content design at Comcast, Grace shapes intuitive product experiences for more than 30 million customers across North America. She believes that clear, conversational language is essential for untangling complex user flows and crafting scalable information architecture. As an advocate in the UX writing community, Grace loves exploring the intersection of functional microcopy and brand personality. When not championing readability, she can be found roller skating in Philadelphia.