Content design

How to write for digital HSE services.

Most people visit HSE.ie because they need something - like trusted healthcare information, or to find a service. We work to ensure that everything published on HSE.ie meets our users' needs.

We follow a content design process which helps us to understand what people need, and to write in a way that’s easy to understand. We also continuously improve content based on user feedback.

Style guide

Our style guide is for anyone creating content for the HSE. It helps us to create content in a consistent way. The guide includes an A-Z of terms, voice and tone guidelines and advice on things like how to write good links and bullet lists.

We regularly update the style guide to include new items and respond to changes.

Plain English

We write using plain English so that everyone can understand us. If people can’t understand what we say, they can’t follow our advice. We have an obligation to make our content accessible to everyone who needs it.

Plain English is better for people who have literacy difficulties - that’s 1 in 6 people in Ireland. But research shows that everyone prefers plain English, no matter their level of education or reading ability.

Contact the content design team

If you have a question about content design, or would like to suggest an addition to the content guide, email digital@hse.ie.