Voice + Tone
Voice is a reflection of who you are. You should always sound like yourself.
At the same time, some aspects of your personality may be more or less apparent depending on the context. That’s tone.
Writing for voice
Identifying your brand or product’s voice is a really fun part of writing! Are you fun and casual or formal and scholarly? Whatever you decide, being consistent with that choice will make your product better as a whole. What follows are general voice guidelines based on my own content design and UX writing experiences and observations. Users typically respond well to the following principles, so feel free to incorporate them into your own work.
Be clear
Many newcomers to web3 struggle to understand the technical jargon and abstract concepts that underpin blockchain, smart contracts, and other decentralized technologies. We should aim to use plain language, analogies, and visual aids to explain these concepts in a more accessible and relatable way. For example, use descriptive action verbs instead of vague phrases on buttons and labels.
✅ Save
⛔ Complete
Be concise
Every word on the screen should serve a purpose. Use short, simple words. Make every word earn its place.
✅ Next
⛔ Take me to the next page
Be consistent
Identify synonyms and eliminate them. Each important object and action should have a single word to represent it. Inconsistency can blur the lines for users between an authentic experience and a shady replication.
✅ Send
⛔ Export transfer
Be human
Above all, the decentralized web is for everyone. This means you’re building for every experience or background. Remember that there’s a person on the other end of everything you do and let that guide your writing.
💡 Tip: Read your copy out loud. If it’s awkward to say, it’s probably awkward to read.
Writing for tone
Tone adapts to context. Consider the user’s state of mind when writing for tone. Sometimes content can be informative, or sometimes it might be an alert to danger.
The closer the user is to a potentially stressful outcome, the more your writing should be adjusted accordingly. No one wants a pithy line when they’re just trying to remember their password.
Everyday tasks
When everything is working as it should, our goal is to give users what they need, without getting in the way or drawing attention to ourselves.
✅ Enable camera access
⛔ Let MetaMask access your camera!
Error messages
Error messages can be frustrating. Give the user enough info to understand how to get out of the situation. Avoid jargon, numbers, and scary words.
Keep blame to a minimum. Focus on next steps where possible and stay away from negative words or phrases. Everyone makes mistakes, after all.
✅ Incorrect password. Please try again.
⛔ You entered a bad password. Forbidden. 404 error.
Warnings or danger
Warnings should be clear and descriptive while laying out any inherent risks. We shouldn’t aim to scare folks, but we should do our part to help them understand the potential consequences when they’re in a sketchy situation.
💡 Tip: Be clear and educational about the risks involved. Never blame or shame the user.
✅ You're granting access to all the NFTs on this contract, including any you might own in the future. The party on the other end can transfer NFTs from your wallet at any time without asking you until you revoke this approval. Proceed with caution.
⛔ By clicking approve, you are granting access to all of the NFTs you currently own on this contract and any NFTs on this contract you may acquire in the future until you revoke this approval. The party to whom you are granting approval will be able to transfer your NFTs from your wallet without further notice. Be sure you know what you’re doing.
Announcements or updates
Keep your content brief and to the point. Users aren’t always excited about updates, but it’s our job to make sure that they understand what’s changing and when. When announcing something new, focus on educating and explaining what it is, what it’s used for, and what the user can expect.
✅ Kovan will no longer be on our default test network list. You can add it as a custom network.
⛔ Exciting news, test network users! We’re making changes to our default list and Kovan will no longer be available. You can always manually add it back as a custom network, so no worries.