Date: December 18, 2009

To: Kevin Brooks

From: Brittney Frey

Subject: Explanation of Personal Fact Sheet Information

I have designed a personal fact sheet tailored to my writing needs on both an individual and professional
level. The information I chose to include will be applicable for all of my future endeavors in school and
work. The following topics are discussed in the fact sheet:

 Kliment’s 8 Principles of Writing

 A selection of three styles of writing
 Useful internet resources
 APA citation guidelines

The Facts
The first thing I have listed on my fact sheet is Kliment’s 8 principals of writing for impact. I feel these
eight rules are the basis for any successful piece of writing. It is important to establish a good
foundation, regardless of the style of writing. Often times, I get caught up in trying to jazz up my papers
with big words and clever phrases. This list should keep my grounded in my writing and serve as a list
that I can refer to often throughout the writing and editing process.

I also felt it would be beneficial to include a few quick facts about the different styles of writing that I
will use most often in the design profession. I have listed, what I think are the most important parts of
the proposal, memo, and cover letter. I know that first impressions often have the ability to make or
break the deal.

In the architecture profession, I will have to collaborate on a variety of proposals as well as requests for
proposals. Because of the need for excellent execution, I have included in my personal fact sheet the
necessary parts of a proposal along with some potential hot button issues as suggested by Kliment. I feel
it is important to remind myself of these key areas going into writing a proposal so that the firm I
represent has a fair chance in competing for the proposed project.

I felt that the memo style of writing would continue to present itself throughout my practice as a
designer and even in other professions should I chose to venture down that path. The memo presents
itself in a variety of styles but I chose to list only the basics of any memo. This genre of writing is
important to me because it appears to be something so simple, but great communication skills are more
effective on both a personal and professional level.

The cover letter was the third style of writing that I felt would be most beneficial to my current
situation. I will be applying for internships and jobs over the course of the next few years. My quest will
be much more successful if I am able to obtain an interview with a firm because of my cover letter. I also
felt that this particular genre often gets confused with abstract summaries and such like that. For this
reason, I wanted to list the key areas that make a cover letter distinct from any other style of writing.
On the bottom fifth of the first page, I chose to list the internet sites that I use most often when writing
or designing for any class. I frequently have numerous internet browsers running simultaneously but do
not have these particular sites listed anywhere. I spend more time searching through my bookmarks
trying to find the site that I need. I listed them, in no particular order, for quicker referencing while I am
working on an assignment.

The final quarter of my fact sheet spread is devoted to APA citation style guidelines. All throughout high
school and college, I used the MLA citation style. I have done a little with APA in the past but I am not
familiar with all of it yet. I have listed the basic citation guidelines as well as three example citations
based on the resources I use most frequently. There is a sample citation and in-text citation for books,
online journal articles, and websites.

The Basics
I have chosen to list only the information that I felt was most important to my needs. There are certain
areas that I excel in better than others and so I wanted to create a “cheat sheet” for the areas that I
often need help developing. At first glance, it may appear to be lacking substantial information but I live
by the motto that less is more. I felt that too much information would be overwhelming when referring
to my fact sheet.

I did not feel that it was necessary to include categories such as the paramedic editing method, the five
factors writers should consider, persuasive strategies, etc. Often times, when it comes down to it, I care
more about the final product and the message that is being conveyed. I wanted my personal fact sheet
to include information that would help me reach the bigger picture and less of the details within the
picture. I want to clarify that the resources already available for these issues persuaded me to create a
fact sheet about the issues that are discussed in less depth.

I chose the design of my fact sheet based on personal preference and past experience. It pains me to see
gridded papers and symmetrical lines. When the manner of presentation is boring, I often suffer from
lack of inspiration. For that reason, I chose to really indulge in the design of my fact sheet. I chose
sweets and treats as the theme of my spread because I have always had a weakness for sugar. The
layout of my information also stems from my education in design in addition to my need to be different.

Having briefly reviewed the reasoning behind my content, and perhaps lack thereof, I feel that my
personal fact sheet will prove to be extremely useful in all of my future endeavors as an individual,
writer, and designer. It covers the areas that I know will prevail time and time again and organizes them
in an easy-to-read manner.

Attachment: Personal Fact Sheet

 Personal
Fact Sheet
Writing for
the Design
Professions
Brittney
Frey

Proposals
Cover letter
Executive summary
Writing for Impact Table of contents (long proposals only)
Write as you would talk Statement of your understanding of the problem
Keep sentences short Scope of offered services
Shun “designer-babble” Organization of the team and reporting relationships
Be specific
Resumes of key team members

Keep it simple Proposed schedule for completing work
form
Use the active Record of experience on like projects

Don’t forget people Firm honors, awards, and publications
Know what
you want to say References
Fee (if asked)
Other supporting materials
Hot Button Issues
Availability to handle overseas language and practices
Proposer’s skill in helping promote project to voters
Concern for environmental features
A desire for breaking the mold
Concern over operating costs
An inflexible schedule
Minority participation
Concern for security
An ironclad budget

Internet Resources
www.wikispace.com/ http://library.ndsu.edu/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
www.wordpress.com
www.scribd.com www.deviantart.com/
www.dictionary.com www.flickr.com
Memos
What’s the issue, why’s it important, who’s dealing with it, and when
Bottom line paragraph to start; all information in the memo condensed
Sub-headings for long memos
Bullets when appropriate
Block paragraphs Cover Letters
Single spaced Short; two-thirds of a page
What you’re interested in and why
Date: Show enthusiasm for working for the firm; do your research!
To: Select qualifications from your resume
From: Indicate readiness to travel
Subject: Show confidence (will vs. would; must vs. should)
Ask for an interview

APA Guidlines
When referring to any work that is not a journal article, only capitalize the first letter
of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a
dash in the title, and proper nouns

Capitalize all major words in journal titles

Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals

Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes

APA Example Citations around the titles of shorter works
Book such as journal articles
Dolce, A, & Gabanna, B. (2009). Buying designer handbags 101. or essays
Paris, France: New York, NY Publishers.

(Dolce, & Gabanna, 2009)

Online Journal Article

Jefferson, A. (2008). Flying model airplanes: a beginner’s how-to
guide. Journal of Modern Technology, 25(3), Retrieved from
http://jstor.com

(Jefferson, 2008)

Website
Ausphauger, K. (2008, March 14). Women’s lacrosse making an
appearance in the midwest. Retrieved from
http://www.sportsfanatic.com/lacrosse_womens/

(Ausphauger, 2008)