Ideas are often better explained than sold. They still need to be attractively presented of course, but the information structure and tone of voice will be different from promotional or even corporate work.

A prime example is the EU section of the Foreign Office website. Working with designers Rufus Leonard I've rewritten these pages to explain to an interested layman how the EU works, what it has achieved, and the British government's current policies. This is a continuing project.

Other recent government-related work has included printed materials on IT in schools for the Department for Education and Skills, writing consultancy on a substantial questionnaire for maths teachers on the A level curriculum, and a large web site covering the work of the National Burn Care Group.

With designers and brand consultants The Team I have produced a sequence of materials (online and in print) for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in London. A BID is a government-sponsored means of involving local businesses in environmental improvement programmes, which in turn can bring better trading conditions. Although these materials are designed to get local businesses to vote in the ballot to approve a BID proposal, they have to present the case for the BID in strictly factual terms.