Tone & Voice

Summary: Guidelines for clear communication, emphasizing plain language and active voice. It suggests using short sentences, familiar words, and clear link labeling. To improve readability, incorporate subheadings, bulleted lists, and visuals, while prioritizing key information. Error messages should be non-blaming, and content should be in the present tense, ensuring accessibility for users.

Do:

• Write sentences in an active voice.
• Use plain language. Write short sentences and familiar words, avoid slang and jargon.
• Name things for what they are.
• Links should provide information on the associated action or destination. Avoid saying “Click here” or “Learn more.”
• Too much information can overwhelm users. Provide additional information as a supplement.
• Links and navigation labels contain the "trigger words" that users will look for to achieve their goal.
• Use subheadings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to make content more scannable.
• Create a hierarchy, with the most important information first.
• Use bulleted and numbered lists in preference to narrative text.
• Long texts are lightened up by using images, spacing, illustrations, graphs, flow charts, separation lines, info boxes.
• Start with the objective. Do: Add to basket by tapping on it. Don't: Tap on it to add to basket.
• Write in present tense Do: Image downloaded Don’t: Image has been downloaded
• Consistently label elements and components that have the same functionality.

Don't:

• Avoid double negatives. Don’t: I do not want to unsubscribe.
• Use more words than necessary. Don't: You must be logged in to be able to download the image. Do: Log in to download image.
• Use long blocks of text, users scan texts.
• Blame the user. Error messages are written in a non-derisory tone.
• Forget that we are TT - TT-språket