Various methods are available for the formative evaluation of public information brochures. An important objective of scholarly research in the field of document design is the development and validation of text evaluation methods. Following a description of two research projects, the authors discuss the development of a text-focused evaluation method based on a functional analysis of brochures about laws and regulations. This approach appears to be particularly suited for detecting high-level deficiencies in brochures concerning, for instance, the macro-structure, navigational aids, and possible omissions in the information given.