Part of the Easy Read Bundle

Ask people what they think in a way everyone can answer

SurveyMaker puts one question on each page, in big clear words, with Photosymbols pictures on the questions and the answers. People can listen to each question, make the text bigger and check their answers before they send them.

See how it works

No login needed to answer. Works on a phone, a tablet, a computer – or on paper.

A survey question, Question 3 of 5 from Our summer garden party: What did you enjoy? It has a picture of two people thinking, and a Listen button. Below are answer cards, each with a picture: The people, The food and The activities. The people and The food are ticked. Each answer has its own Listen button, and a fourth, The venue, is below.
Two women looking at a tablet together. One is a wheelchair user.
Answer on your own or with support
One question on each pagePictures on questions and answersListen, bigger text and a check before sending

Your first survey in three steps

Everything happens inside the Photosymbols Library, beside the pictures you already use.

  1. Start the way that suits you

    Pick a ready-made Easy Read survey, start from scratch, say what you want to find out, or upload a letter, form or report. For the last two, AI writes the first questions for you to check.

  2. Add pictures from the Photosymbols library

    Put a picture beside each question and on the answers, so people can see what each one means. The ready-made surveys come with their pictures already chosen.

  3. Share a link, a QR code or a paper copy

    Copy the link, put the QR code on a poster, or print the survey to fill in by hand. Type paper answers back in and they sit beside the online ones.

What people see when they answer

Built around the Easy Read Standard: big text, big pictures, plenty of space, and nothing that rushes people.

  • One question on each page

    Big words, a clear picture and large buttons that are easy to tap. A bar shows how far through you are. Press Listen to hear the question, or the text size button to make the words bigger.

    On a phone, a tablet or a computer

    A survey on a phone. Question 1 of 5: How did you feel at the event? A picture shows a group of people playing music together. Below are three big buttons with faces: Unhappy, OK and Happy, then a Continue button.

  • Check before sending

    Before anything is sent, people see all their answers on one page and can change any of them. If they stop part way, they can carry on later on the same phone or computer.

    At the end of every survey

    The Check your answers page, with a Listen button. It lists each question with the answer given, such as How did you feel at the event? Happy, and What did you enjoy? The people, The food. Each has a Change button. At the bottom is a Send your answers button.

Screenshots show a made-up survey from a made-up day service.

Making a survey

No survey experience needed. Start from something ready-made and change it to fit.

  • Four ways to start

    Use one of four ready-made Easy Read surveys, start from scratch, describe what you want to find out, or upload a document. When AI writes the first draft, it finds pictures for the questions too. You check and change every one.

    In the Library: SurveyMaker, then New survey

    The Make a new survey screen, asking How do you want to start? Four cards, each with a picture: Start from a template, Start from scratch, Describe your survey, and Upload a document.

  • 13 kinds of question

    Yes or no, smiley faces, stars, multiple choice and agree-or-disagree scales, plus written answers, numbers, dates and email addresses. Move questions with the arrows, or drag them.

    In any survey: Questions

    A draft survey called Our summer garden party, with Preview, Print, Duplicate and Publish buttons. Three questions are shown, each with its picture: a smiley face question, a 5 star rating and a multiple choice question whose answers have small pictures too.

  • See what people said

    Totals at the top, then a chart for every question and the written answers in full. Download a CSV for a spreadsheet, or a PDF of the charts to share. Get an email for every response, or one a day.

    In any survey: Results

    The results of Our summer garden party: 18 responses, all sent. A bar chart shows how people felt, with most choosing the happy face, and a star chart shows an average of 4.2 stars. Buttons along the top: Type in a paper response, Download CSV and Download PDF.

Screenshots show a made-up survey and made-up answers.

Why not use a general survey tool?

General online survey tools are made for people who read easily. For Easy Read, this is what you'd have to sort out yourself.

SurveyMaker A general survey tool
Pictures on the answers Photosymbols pictures on questions and answers, from the library you already have. Find and upload your own pictures, where the tool allows them.
Easy Read words Ready-made surveys and AI first drafts written in Easy Read: short sentences, everyday words, one idea per question. Templates written for people who read easily.
Listening A Listen button reads each question out, and the answers on yes-or-no, choice and agree-or-disagree questions. People need their own screen reader.
One thing at a time Always one question on each page, with big text and large buttons. Often a long page of questions.
A privacy notice people can read An Easy Read privacy notice is written for you from your survey's settings. Write your own, often in legal language.
Paper and online together Print a paper copy, then type the answers back in beside the online ones. Paper answers are kept somewhere else.
Where it lives Inside the Photosymbols Library, beside your pictures and EasyMaker Packs. Another account to sign up for and pay for.

Based on what general survey tools usually offer. Some have more kinds of question, skip logic and translation, which SurveyMaker doesn't have yet.

Good to know

Here's exactly what to expect, including what SurveyMaker doesn't do yet.

  • No login needed to answer

    People open the link or scan the QR code and start. You choose whether to ask for their name, and whether they must agree to the privacy notice first.

  • You choose how long answers are kept

    6, 12 or 24 months, or until you delete them. Older answers are deleted for you. You can delete one response, or all of them, at any time.

  • Check every AI draft

    When you describe your survey or upload a document, AI writes the first questions. Read and change every one before you share it.

  • Questions come in order

    Everyone answers the same questions in the same order. A survey can't yet skip questions because of an earlier answer.

  • Once people answer, the questions stay put

    You can still change the words and pictures. To add, remove or reorder questions, make a copy of the survey.

  • Tell us what you think

    We keep improving SurveyMaker. Tell us what works and what doesn't at ask@photosymbols.com.

SurveyMaker comes with the Easy Read Bundle

The Easy Read Bundle is the Photo Library and EasyMaker together, with SurveyMaker, PictureMaker and DateMaker included.

See Easy Read Bundle pricesAbout PictureMaker
  • Photo LibraryThe full Photosymbols picture library, to search and download.
  • EasyMakerTurn a document into an Easy Read Pack: a web page, a PDF and a Word file.
  • SurveyMakerEasy Read surveys with pictures, Listen and paper copies.
  • PictureMakerMake the picture you can't find.
  • DateMakerCalendar and clock pictures in seconds.

Already have the Photo Library?

You can move up to the Easy Read Bundle part-way through your subscription. Email us and we'll sort it out for you.

Email ask@photosymbols.com

Questions

Anything else? Email ask@photosymbols.com.

Who can make surveys?

Everyone on an Easy Read Bundle subscription. SurveyMaker isn't part of the Photo Library or EasyMaker on their own.

Do people need an account to answer?

No. Anyone with the link or the QR code can answer, on a phone, a tablet or a computer. Nothing to download and nothing to sign up for.

Can people answer on paper?

Yes. Print the survey and people can fill it in by hand, with someone to help if they like. Then type each paper form back in, and its answers go into the same results as the online ones.

What do people answering get told about their data?

Every survey has an Easy Read privacy notice, written from its settings: who is asking, why, what you keep, for how long, and what their rights are. You add your organisation's name before you publish.

Is AI used on people's answers?

Only in the results PDF, and you can download it without. When you download it, AI can sum up the written answers. It only reads answers from people whose privacy notice told them about it, so they could leave the written questions blank. We try to take out names and contact details first, and the summary doesn't say who wrote what.

Can my team work on surveys together?

Yes. Share a survey with your team and your colleagues can open it and see the results.

What happens to my surveys if my plan changes?

You can still close your surveys, read and download the results, and delete answers, so you can look after what you collected. You can't make or publish new surveys until you have the Easy Read Bundle again.