ABSTRACT
Kleimann communication group started work on the (Truth in Lending Act-Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) TILA-RESPA project in early 2011. This chapter explores the TILA-RESPA project showing how Kleimann communication group used plain language, iterative processes, and usability testing to create clear, usable forms for consumers and professionals involved in purchasing homes. It describes how the TILA-RESPA project addresses a BUROC (Bureaucratic, Unfamiliar, Rights Oriented, and Critical) situation, how Kleimann communication group completed the project, and how organizational culture and ethics affected the TILA-RESPA project. During the usability-testing phase, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published draft versions of the disclosures on its website while Kleimann communication group conducted usability testing. After the CFPB issued the proposed TILA-RESPA rule and disclosures, the project team revised the disclosures with information from the public comments and also created disclosures in Spanish. The chapter concludes with lessons that plain-language professionals may take away from the TILA-RESPA project.
