Memo design
Month Day, Year
To: Recipient’s Name
From: Author’s Name Initials
Subject: 3-5 Key Words
Contact Information
- If there are multiple recipients, list the names in alphabetical order according to last name.
- You can also include a “CC” line below the “To” line and list the names of your secondary audience–that is, people who may be interested in the memo but are not directly responsible for responding to it.[unique_solution]
- After the sender’s name, it is customary for the sender to write her/his initials next to name on the memo. This acts as a signal that the sender has verified and approved the memo content.
Organization Of Ideas
- Confine your memo to a single purpose
- Begin your memo with the main idea.
- Elaborate on your main point in the body of the memorandum. Consider using bullets to clarify information.
- Close your memo with an invitation for further discussion and how you can be contacted.
- Do not use a closing salutation for a memo, as you do with a letter.
- Do not sign the bottom of the memo
Margins and Spacing
- The margins for a typical memo are a 1 to a 1.5 inch left margin, a 5/8 to a 1 inch right margin, and 1 inch margin at the top and bottom of the paper.
- Margins may be adjusted slightly to make your memo fit on one page, or to space the information so that page breaks do not happen at awkward places.
- Create a straight, left margin. All paragraphs and headings should be lined up with the left margin. This is referred to as block-style paragraphs. It isn’t necessary to indent the first line of a paragraph.
- Single space within each paragraph of a memo.
- Double space between paragraphs.
- Skip three lines between headings.
Headings
Simplified Format
- If your memo is more than two or three paragraphs, including headings can be helpful for your reader.
- Be sure to use headings that capture the key topic of that section and capitalize each major word of the heading.
- Bolding or underlining the heading will help the visual design of your memo.