Writing a Memorandum Avoid unnecessary explanations, repetitions,

Business Communication and Report Writing wordy expressions, and amplification.

Definition Ensure that the memo makes its point with the
fewest possible words
 A memorandum is considered “inside” correspondence.
 It is written to someone in your company. Unity of Theme
 A written statement you prepare specially for a person
or communicate an order to give them information  A memo which does not have unity of theme, distracts
about a particular method. the reader and ceases (terminates) to be purposeful.
 The word memorandum is derived from the Latin word
‘memo rare’ which means “to remember”.  An important way of ensuring unity in a memo is to
 In law, a memorandum means a document recording make sure that it deals with only one topic.
terms of contract.
 The plural of memorandum is memorandums or  A single topic is developed , and related ideas are
memoranda. subordinated.
 It is commonly known by its abbreviation, viz., and
memo. Informal Tone

Advantages of Memos  In memo tone is usually informal and conversational.

Memos are:
 As the writer is likely to be familiar with the reader,
 Quick & Convenient personal tone may be used in memos.
 Inexpensive
 A Written Record  A very formal tone might sound intimidating.

Memos Parts of a Memo

 A memo should be designed to get your message across Standard memos contain four parts:
quickly.
Heading
 Busy people do not want to waste time reading Opening
unnecessary information. Body
Closing
Purposes of Memos
1. Heading:
 To Inquire
 To Inform The heading segment of a memo includes four elements:
 To Report
 To Remind To: (Name and designation of the recipient)
 To Promote Goodwill From: (Name and designation of the sender)
Date: ( Complete and Current)
Characteristics of Effective Memos Subject : ( Topic of the memo)

Good memos share certain characteristics,

which include the following: 2. Opening

 Clarity state purpose of memo, give the facts.

 Conciseness
 Unity of Theme Examples:
 Informal Tone
“Here is a summary of the measures the Campus
Clarity Security Department is taking to ensure that only
authorized people are allowed into the
A memo must be clearly written because an administrative offices.”
unclear and vague memo will confuse the
reader, leading to delay and no action. “As you requested, here is a copy of the annual sales
report for our new product ‘Mint Candy’,
Conciseness launched in December 2015.”

Concise and direct memos are more effective. 3. Body

A memo should contain only essential
information. Body of the memorandum—single spaced
  Use underlining and side headings to show natural
The body of the memo contains the message of the breaks
memo.
 Use bullets to emphasize several points
It describes, explains, and discuss the central idea of
the memo and includes all the details that support the  Use boldface and italics when appropriate
senders’ ideas.
 Use color coding to attract attention
The body may contain a brief statement of the key
recommendations the sender has reached. Important “Nevers” in Memo Writing

4. Closing  Never write memos or any other communications which

are unnecessary.
Make a courteous closing statement. Do
NOT use “sincerely” or other letter-like  Never write complicated, hard-to-understand memos.
ending.
 Keep them simple and to the point.
Example:
 Never write rude, blunt, or thoughtless memos.
“Please send your recommendations to me by
October 5, 2016 so that we are able to  Never send memos that have typos, misspelled words,
complete the project by the end of or grammatical errors.
November, 2016.”
 They are a poor reflection on you!
Optional Parts of a Memo
 Never waste space with unnecessary introductory
A few optional elements may be used in memos, material.
as per requirements.
 Plunge in!
These elements include:
 Never leave out necessary details causing people to
 Reference ( response to other memos, notices, reports have to follow up with questions.
and other documents)
 Never use a closing line or a signature in a memo.
 Attachments ( lists, diagrams, pictographs, tables, and
other sources of data) Memo

 Distribution lists / c.c (persons who might be receiving Make sure the memo is
copies of the memo)
 Clear
Memorandum  Concise
 Correct
 A memo is less formal than a letter.  Concrete
 It usually conveys one idea and is likely to be short.  Complete
 Effective memos are clearly written with the objective
stated in the first sentence. Memos

Organization of the Memo Make sure the memorandum is

 Statement of Purpose  Well placed

 Message  Has correct punctuation and spelling
 Statement of Future
 Action Be sure the memo

Special Formatting and  States the purpose clearly

Mechanical Techniques  Presents message effectively
 Uses a courteous tone
 Use enumerations to list important items  Gives reader complete, accurate details
 Use solid capitals and centering to emphasize an  Concludes appropriately
important detail
 Use columns with headings to make reading and
understanding easier
TECHNICAL REPORTS

Report RECOMMENDATION REPORT

Report is an statement of the result of an Investigation or any  A recommendation report proposes a solution to a
matter on which definite information is required. problem or evaluates possible solutions and
recommends one. Before proposing or recommending a
Report Writing solution, the report needs to identify the problem.

Report writing is an art of arranging data or information in  In this type of writing, you compare several options
particular format is called Report writing. against a set of requirement as a way to find one
specific action to recommend
REPORT
 Analyze a problem, determine the best solution and
 It is used in Decision Making. recommend the best solution
 It is purely based on Facts.
 It discusses particular problem in Detail.  Present data, draw conclusion from the data
 It refers to specific Periods, Events, Occurrences,
Subjects.  Make recommendation based on data
 It may be communicated in Oral or Written form.
 It may be in the form of Graphic or Tabular form. FEASIBILITY REPORT
 It uses Descriptive Language.
 It is usually in Present Tense.  A feasibility report is a document that assesses
 It is used for find Out the Facts. potential solutions to the business problem or
opportunity, and determines which of these are possible
TECHNICAL REPORT for further analysis.

Meaning:  It is a document that evaluates the practicality and

potential success of a proposed project or idea.
A technical report is a document written by a researcher
detailing the results of a project and submitted to the  It is primary and most important thing in development
sponsor of that project. of a project

Technical reports are today a major source of scientific and Based on extensive research
technical information. Contain wide range of data
Supporting evidence
Technical reports are usually produced to report on a specific
research need. They can serve as a report of accountability to BACKGROUND REPORT
the organization funding the research. They provide access to
the information before it is published elsewhere  A background check or background investigation is the
process of looking up and compiling criminal records,
TYPES TECHNICAL REPORT commercial records, and financial records of an
individual or an organization.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
 Intended to provide background details on a technical
 Policies and procedures are an essential part of any reports.
organization. Together, policies and procedures provide
a roadmap for day-to-day operations. They ensure  Focus on a specific topic meeting specific audience
compliance with laws and regulations, give guidance for needs.
decision-making, and streamline internal processes.
 Two essential infrastructures of the background reports
 Policies and procedures report design to influence and are definition and classification.
determine all major decision and actions, and all
activities take place within the boundaries set by them. BUSINESS PLAN REPORT

 Policies-address important issues, such as what  A business plan is a document that describes a new
constitutes acceptable behavior by employee. business, its products or services, how it will earn
money, leadership and staffing, financing, operations
 Procedure-sequence of step to be followed in consistent model, and other details that are essential to both
manner such as how organization will respond to any operation and success.
policy violation 
 These are proposals for starting a new business.
 Business plan report gives information to the audience, VISUAL RHETORIC
consider the idea.
 It refers to the way the visual topographies of a
 Format for business plan: use the format for formal message and the overall design of a document
report, the format for proposals or some combination of communicate not only the message but also the
these two. Business plan even those for small business communicators’ professional credibility. These
operations, can run over 15 pages. features include not only photos, drawings, charts
graphs, and tables, but also the document design such
RESEARCH REPORT as font styles, size, color, placement of text on a page,
paragraph length, and the use of the headings.
 Research report is a condensed form or a brief
description of the research work done by the researcher.
 As long as your purpose is to design a message and to
 Presenting findings culled for researches, both from present them visually for the best readability that can
laboratories on certain field. persuade the readers/ viewers and see your message
worth reading and worth spending time on, you are
 Content of report is actual work someone does in a creating a visual rhetoric.
laboratory or in the field.

 Consisting of data, conclusion, methodology and  Visual Literacy denotes the “ability to understand,
background on the problem. interpret and evaluate visual message.” Thus, visual
rhetoric makes a presentation conducive to its
 To make reader can easily understand the purpose and recipients, helping them to assess same image that may
results of research. mean differently to people from varied context and
culture.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS REPORT
 Rhetoric by Merriam- Webster Dictionary, means the
 A technical specification is a document that defines a art of speaking or writing effectively as a means of
set of requirements that a product or assembly must communication or persuasion. It is a nutshell, visual
meet or exceed. rhetoric is how a person interprets and analyze the
things he sees and how these things make an impact to
 A document that defines a set of requirements that a him.
product or assembly must meet or exceed.
MODES OF PERSUASION
 These documents present descriptive and operational
information. Ethos or the ethical appeal means to convince the audience
of the communicator’s credibility and character.
 Created for new products.
Pathos or the emotional appeal is a way of convincing the
audience of an argument through stimulating an emotional
EVALUATING VISUAL RHETORIC purpose on however the communicator wants him to feel
based on the visual cues.
In our growing visual culture, having the millennials and Gen
Z down to Gen Alpha, it is incontestable that people of the Logos or logical appeal is the communicators’ way of
modern day would always opt to seeing and evaluating things convincing the audience based on logic and facts.
through visual images, may they be moving or still. In any
aspect of the society, reading long text and articles became Visual Rhetoric is not limited to pictures neither to a text
problematic to the way we understand them in one sitting or alone, rather a combination of visual and verbal expression of
so. Even the Power Point presentations that are crammed arguments with an effort to stimulate a desired response
with verbose contents are no longer ideal and acceptable to from the audience.
the eyes and judgement of the viewers.
HOW TO GENERATE VISUAL MATERIAL?
Effective business communicators must realize the need of
being understood particularly on how their visual Text elements are relatively important as displayed on one
representations affect audience’s ability to comprehend and particular image. Text are highly visual and powerful to catch
respond positively to the message they want to convey that someone’s attention that they naturally become invisible at
also reflects their professional credibility. Therefore, visual times. Thus, communicators need to give emphasis on what
rhetoric is seen as a vital part of solving problems in the “type” does do their design of information. Font conventions
business world. must be considered because they convey and create distinct
meaning to one’s mind when viewed and paid attention.

Fonts also vary in perceptual traits:

1. For Serif vs Sans- Serif Am I a cartoonist?

Serif fonts are more readable via print while Sans- Serif fonts Am I a producer of short films?
are more readable via screens.
QUERIES TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING FONTS
Serif fonts denotes elegance and rationale while Sans- Serif
fonts imply informality and innovation. 3. What kind of text am I typing in various fonts? Is it for
headlines or fine print? Body text or bulleted list?
2. For Light vs Bold
4. How far is my text being viewed by the audience? Is it on
Light fonts signify beauty and femininity while bold fonts billboard, poster, flyer, sticker or greeting card?
convey power and masculinity.
5. What are available fonts that can register on majority of
However, medium weights are most readable. my audience’s computers if I will post n my website in case
they are using an old version of OS.
3. For Rounded vs Angular
HOW COLORS AFFECT CUSTOMER’S MOOD AND
Rounded fonts indicate comfort, softness, and femininity BRANDING?
while angular fonts show formality, durability and
masculinity. Same as text, colors are as essential as our “type” choice, not
to mention that some people are color blind. Still, colors
4. For Simple vs Complex attracts the audience, in general, as it paints all sort of
emotions and triggers the creativity in people to think and
Simple fonts represent directness while complex fonts appreciate something.
embody uniqueness.
Colors have many meanings depending on the context and
5. For Slanted vs Straight field. But let us focus on the technical side where Ciotti
(2018) wrote this article “ The Psychology of Color in
Slanted fonts show movement while straight fonts show Marketing and Branding”
stability.
There are metaphors of colors that affects people’s mood.
6. For lowercase vs UPPERCASE First things first, business communicators must understand
how their choice of colors for their brand may affect the
Lowercase symbolizes compassion and innovation while consumer’s mood toward their products or services.
UPPERCASE represents power and strength.
Not all people have bipolar disorder yet many people change
While mixed case letters are most readable. mood from time to time. This one aspect may be answered
by one of many factors- colors around us. It is true that colors
7. For Separated vs Connected have different meanings depending on cultures.
There are certain colors that generally align with particular
Separated letters indicate fragmentation and individuality traits such as brown with ruggedness but can be used to
while connected ones signify unity and collectivism. create warmth feeling in another context, people with
sophistication, red with excitement, and green with calmness
8. For Condensed vs E X T E N D E D but sometimes used to brand environmental issues.

Condensed fonts imply tightness and precision while You may consider the following using color psychology:
extended fonts denote space and relaxation.
BLUE - Indicates trust and appeals of discipline, formal
9. For Short vs Tall calmness, trustworthiness, clarity, security, and articulation.
(e.g. Petron, Unilever, Social Security System, Pfizer, United
Short fonts signifies heaviness and stability while tall fonts Airlines, Globe)
show lightness and aspiration.
GREEN - denotes prosperity, progress, peace, environment,
QUERIES TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING FONTS balance and freshness (e.g. Potato Corner, Cebu Pacific,
Landbank and Smart)
1. What does my audience expect from my use of fonts? Are
they people in the academe, netizens, athletes, beauty gurus, RED - Conveys energy, excitement, vibrancy, passion,
film enthusiast, or religious people? enthusiasm, rebel, masculinity and action. (e.g. McDonalds,
Jollibee, National Book Store, Lucky Me, BPI, Robinsons)
2. What do I embody in my font choices?
YELLOW - is a cheerful color. It is warm, active and
Am I an online seller? innovative. (e.g. McDonalds, Jollibee, Lucky Me, Sun Cellular,
and Duty Free)
 Learning and social impact: Learn, contribute to causes, and
BLACK - Signifies power, class, elegance, uncompromising engage in diverse communities
behavior, strength, security and evil. (e.g. HUGO BOSS, Nike,
Adidas, Chanel, Vans, Zagu and Tokyo Tokyo.) To be able to thrive as a beginner content producer, here are
some points that you must enliven first:
ORANGE - Exudes extroversion, confidence, youthfulness,
and fun. (e.g. Hermes, The Home Depot, Potato Corner and 1. Engage in meaningful and active communities that talk
Meralco) about concepts where they are good and interested at.

SILVER or white stands for quality and workmanship (e.g. 2. Know that your purpose is to establish rapport and create
Toyota and Datu Puti) discussions, so be persistent.

DESIGN AS RHETORICAL ORGANIZATION 3. Take things and process one at a time. Remember that it
takes one, his friends, and your account in an established
1. Design based on Significance- Meaningful contents use website to discover your skill and content.
large font size, customized fonts, and carefully chosen color.
4. Focus on one concept or with subcategories that reflect
2. Design based on purpose- Images that will be used should who you really are and expose the things you really love.
directly get the meaning and purpose across the reader. Do
not include unnecessary graphics, text or even punctuations. 5. Conduct your research and further readings before being
involved.
3. Design to Build up, Highlight, and Zoom In- More than
delivering the message or contextual meaning to the 6. Get ready to refer one another. Helping others build and
audience, it is no doubt that you design to be noticed, may it enhance their own web content will help you eventually.
be positive or negative, you publish your design because you
want people to see and criticize it. 7. Expect to fail, learn, change, improve and
prosper.
4. Design Based on Uniqueness- One design cannot easily be
noticed or appreciated if it is not new. Always bear creativity THE BEST AND WORST OF BOTH SOCIAL MEDIA AND
in mind. Design based on who you are and who you want ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
to be known for.
Staying Secured in Digital World
SOCIAL MEDIA AND
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION Some of the possible incidents that might happen if one is
not prepared in the digital world.
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?
1. Sudden malfunction of electronic devices such as personal
 Social media and electronic in the 21st century are the or office computer, smartphones, tablets, and cameras.
most progressing fields used to connect, communicate,
and network with others. Although majority of their 2. Spread of virus from one device to another.
platforms are merely used to be in contact with friends
and family, they have also recently been used by small 3. Loss of electronic devices due to theft, forgetfulness, and
and big companies to connect more directly with negligence.
prospect clients. They use social media platforms as
their way to advertise and send their message out 4. Unexpected loss and corruption of data in devices like data
regarding their recent activities in just one click. in your laptop and smartphones.

 Overall, social media is a versatile tool that can enrich 5. Exposure to spams, phishing and scams.
your life, facilitate connections, and offer a window into
the broader world. It'sa platform where you can learn, 6. Identity theft leading to financial damages and any others.
share, and engage in meaningful ways, enhancing both
your online and offline experiences. Here you have Cybercrime Cases
some purposes of social media:
Below are lists of cybercrime offenses that are punishable by
WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA? the law in the country.
-Offenses against confidentiality, integrity, and availability of
Personal connections: Connect with others, share moments, computer data and systems.
and express yourself
 Illegal access
Information and entertainment: Stay informed, discover  Misuse of device
diverse content, and enjoy entertainment  Cybersex
 Child pornography
 Libel
Cybercrime Technology 4. To secure your privacy or personal cyberspace…

A cybercrime offender is not like any other criminal who - Choose the “secret conversation” feature on messenger and
does not need to be technically intelligent to commit a crime. “direct message” on twitter and Instagram.
He/ she is usually well- educated, intelligent, and creative -Customize or limit you post audience on Facebook, Youtube,
human being that has enough knowledge in ICT. Instagram and messenger story.
-Make your accounts private so unexpected guest or friends
Cybercrime happens due to lack of editorial measures or would have to wait for your confirmation, before they see
quality assurance in the World Wide Web. your profile on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

How To be Safe in Cyberspace? Common Internet Problems and their Solutions

Naturally, all of the digital natives must be cautious and Personal computer lags forever with pop- up ads everywhere.
aware of the probable, though not the least thing they can do
for their own safety and security in the virtual world.  Inability to send large e-mail files and attachment.
 Forget password.
1. To avoid and/ or respond to malware (malicious  People know everything about you
software) issues…  Unlimited exposure to PC, tablets, and
 smartphones or Internet Addiction.
- have updated software devices.  Common Internet Problems and their
-use password for your ISP (Internet Service Provider)  Solutions
-do not easily go to websites, download, and
install files with high chance of infecting your device. 1. Personal computer lags forever with pop- up ads
-Make it practice to scan and safely remove drives that you everywhere.
install to your device.
-Do not entertain spam messages.  You may try using antispyware software programs:
-Back up your files always. Microsoft Windows Defender which is free and already
-Dispose your device properly. included in your updated Windows.
-Buy and use only verified and reliable anti-virus, firewall and
web security software; and 2. Inability to send large e-mail files and attachment.
- do not attempt to misbehave online.
 To resolve this, you may use Google Drive which allows
2. In case you deliberately want to misbehave, stop thinking the user to get access to files anywhere through secure
of the following: cloud storage and file backup photos, videos, stories,
designs, recordings and other types of files up to 15GB
-exploiting your office or employer’s system, devices and of storage for free. Simply use your google account.
facilities.
-Reproducing confidential data of other people and sharing it 3. Forget password.
without their notice.
-leaving offensive, insensitive, and slanderous comments on  The mandatory advice is to create password from a
someone else’s posts only to defame them, and combination of letters, numbers and symbols that are
-Hacking other’s devices by installing malware to theirs. meaningful to you., to memorize them and not write
them anywhere for security reason, and to regularly
3. To avoid being a victim of identity and data theft… change password.

- you should have various passwords on all your electronic  You may also choose the option “Remember or Keep
devices and social media accounts but make sure not to Password” on browsers and smartphones every time
forget them by providing secured backups. you enter password for the first time.
-use strong passwords such as combining lower and
uppercase letters, or the new forms now such as the use of  Do not choose a password that is common which is easy
your email, finger print, face and photo detector and many for someone to guess.
others.
-Do not click to any unknown link through email, website, 4. People know everything about you.
chat rooms or even SMS to avoid pishing.
 Remove spyware in your PC; use VPN (Virtual Private
3. To avoid being a victim of identity and data theft… Network) apps which offer a safe and encrypted
connection over a less secure network.; always clear
-limit your sharing of personal electronic devices and history of internet activities on browsers and
personal accounts. smartphones.
-carefully link your accounts to your email so you can monitor
if a person opens your account in another device.  Avoid linking accounts to other accounts which is
-lock your device when not in use. rampant now to those who want to make all their
activities in public mode; do not be careless by putting
 all your personal information on the Web if you do not
want others to know those things about you.

5. Unlimited exposure to PC, tablets, and smartphones or

Internet Addiction.

 -First things first, do not install a Wi-Fi router at home.

But if you really need it, you may set schedule of usage
and apply the reward system to your kids while
suggesting netter apps to your husband where you may
be involved together at the same time.

 You may also choose the privacy and safety options for
kids (Kids Mode) which are present in some of social
media and entertainment apps or usually already
installed for free.

 For employees, realize integrity of not using company

owned properties for personal use such as their internet
connection, working computers, and paid subscriptions
for personal use.

 For students, in line with one’s internal government,

you may opt to deleting your apps and simply use the
browser to access them. Through this, you may feel
impatient to wait for the loading of the feed that will
make you want to log out or discontinue.

 Also, ask for an accountability partner or people around

you to remind you to limit your use of it or simply
discipline yourself by setting alarms or time allotment
when to stop and give yourself a favor by committing to
digital detoxification. Remember a cliché. “IF THERE’S A
WILL, THERE’S A WAY”