Staff Memos 2.0

Staff Memos 2.0

Regular staff memos are one of many effective communication strategies school administrators utilize during the course of the year. As tech tools improve, there are more and more options for creating these documents. They are becoming more interactive and collaborative. As a result, the memo of today is more enjoyable and effective in communciating the messages administrators need to get to their staff. 

But which creation tool is right for you? I did a little experiment last year that might help you answer that question. While there are many choices, we are a GSuite district, so I devoting a full quater last year to each of their four publishing tools (Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings), testing the strengths and weaknesses of each platform. In the meantime, I collected staff feedback on the usability, enjoyability, and effectiveness of each memo format.

Before I share what I learned, here is the completely non-scientific, FSM-style key:

• Familiarity - could also be thought of as ease of use, both for the creator and reader.
• Word processing tools - features that allow you to add and manipulate words on the page.
• Design tools - features that allow you to add and manipulate shapes and images on the page.
• Printability - the ability to make a hard copy.
• Screen appeal - the ability to view and interact with the memo on a device.
• Multimedia - the ability to add pictures, audio and video.

Docs 

Familiarity: A

Word processing tools: A-

Design tools: C

Printability: A-

Screen appeal: B+

Multimedia: C

Docs is built for creating things like a staff memo, and is easily the most familiar, comforatble tool for the job. It rates high in word processing, printability, and screen appeal, although each have their own glitches to navigate. The design aspect is where Docs falls short. Adding and manipulating graphics can be tricky, and while you can hyperlink to anything you want, the lack of ability to embed content, such as video, really limits its digital impact. That said, this is a solid tool that is only getting better. Not surprisingly, it was the format most preferred by my staff.

Overall grade: B+
Example of Staff Memo done in Docs

Slides

Familiarity: B

Word processing tools: B

Design tools: A

Printability: B+

Screen appeal: B-

Multimedia: A

Slides was my favorite format to create with as it has the best combination of word processing and design. Everything you need to create a clean, easy to read document is there. Plus you have the ability to bring your memo to life by embedding multimedia directly into the slides. The main drawback is that your audience needs to click "present" in order to make use of the digital content. That extra step caused my staff a lot of headaches, especially those who wanted to access the memo on their smartphones.

Overall grade: B+
Example of Staff Memo done in Slides

Sheets

Familiarity: B

Word processing tools: C

Design tools: B-

Printability: C-

Screen appeal: C

Multimedia: B

Of all the tools I thought would flop as a memo creator, it was Slides. Boy, was I wrong. With the ability to merge and move cells, wrap and rotate text, add hyperlinks and color, the design element was surprisingly easy and fun. Word processing features, such as editing text (especially paragraphs) is cumbersome. Placing and sizing photos and graphics is also tricky. For me, the biggest frustration with Sheets however, is the lack of ability to define margins as you work. The only way you know how well you are fitting on the page is in the print preview menu. Not only is this an issue as you are designing your page, but it also creates problems printing hard copies and interacting with the page on mobile devices.
Overall Grade: C
Example of Staff Memo done in Sheets

Drawing

Familiarity: C

Word processing tools: C+

Design tools: A-

Printability: C

Screen appeal: B

Multimedia: C

Two things surprised me while creating the staff memos using Drawings. It is a stronger word processor than I originally thought, but not quite as good a design tool. All the word processing needs I had were well handled using the text box tool. And while I love the design features of Drawings, a strange limitation is the lack of ability to embed video. This actually makes it a weaker publishing tool than Slides, for what I need. The other big negative is the fact that you are limited to one page per drawing. Drawings can be amazing, but as a memo tool it was the most difficult one for me to utilize. Ultimately, I decided not to create my fourth quarter memos using Drawings, opting to return to Docs for both my staff and my own sanity. That doesn't mean I didn't use it a bunch and create some amazing things (see example).
Overall grade: C

Online Chess in Drawings

At the end of the day, none of these tools offer me everything I wanted in a single package...yet :) Still, I was glad to be able to put them through their paces. Learning the ins and outs of each was very beneficial and I believe I have a much better feel for the types of creations each can offer. More than likely, I will stick with Docs for my staff memos, but I'm sure there will be a few "special presentations" using the other tools based on the content and message I intend to communicate.

What are the different platforms and layouts of your staff memos? Feel free to share in the comments below. I look forward to learning from you.