I project-managed the second edition of the COBUILD Learner’s Illustrated Dictionary of American English. My aim was to address two key pieces of feedback made about the first edition:
- The language used in some definitions was considered too difficult for a group of key target users: American school students with English as a second language
- The text itself looked somewhat dense and intimidating
The second edition was a major overhaul of the title and involved extensive rewriting of definitions, as well as a review of the dictionary’s headwords.
By removing redundant words that target users would be unlikely to encounter, while still ensuring coverage of all vocabulary required by school subjects, we were able to increase the font size and create a full-colour dictionary that is truly a pleasure to look up.
