Fixing voice & tone in UX Writing
Fixing voice & tone in UX Writing
Quick and dirty!
“How dare you talk to me like that?!”
We’ve all heard people say that when a minor accident during rush hour turns into a yelling match. The context changes from who’s getting late and who’s at fault to the tone of voice.
Let’s say, one of these parties gets out of their vehicle and says,
“I’m sorry, but I think our cars scratched with each other. I’m running late, so could we discuss this at an appropriate time? Here’s my card.”
If you were the other party, you would be surprised if someone acknowledged and apologized without knowing who was to blame. And then, an appeal to discuss civilly and a way to follow up (card)? 🤯 An utterly different experience filled with respect and humility.
Now imagine receiving a similar message after your system crashed, and files were yet to be saved,
Awareness of the tone of voice is beneficial in more than high-pressure situations. Defining a product's voice and tone helps create an emotional bond between the user and the product and makes it more authentic, trustworthy and relatable. This, in turn, gives users an unforgettable experience.
👉 This newsletter is a highlights-version of a course I’m developing—Defining your product’s UX writing style guide. Want to take the full version? Just DM me on Instagram, and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s live!
Voice and tone: Aren’t they the same?
It’s easy to confuse the two. So, always go back to this:
It's the tone of voice, not the voice of tone.
This should remind you that tone is mutable, but the voice is not.
Think of a guitar. It will always sound (voice) like a guitar, but the scale (tone/tune) can change based on the player’s or song’s emotion.
The most common voice and tone issue, and how to fix it
What’s the most common issue?
Not knowing your product’s voice and tone! Let’s fix it.
Step 1: Understand your brand/product
Visit the mission and vision pages.
Jot down what your product stands for and strives to do.
Discuss internally how the brand wishes to be perceived - authoritative, friendly, warm, passionate, inclusive, etc.
You could also take inspiration from the brand archetypes framework.
These keywords will help you create a brand/product persona, its character and its voice.
Step 2: Understand your audience
Talking to the users directly or via customer support is one way.
Another is going through reviews and feedback.
Make a list of their expectations, frustrations, touchpoints with your product, and their life in general.
Add different contexts against each personality characteristic. You may have to dial up and down the emotions, and you’ll get the tones of voice.
Don’t lose sight of your brand personality, though.
For a bank targeting teens, being funny, casual, enthusiastic, and slightly irreverent might help. However, adopting the same voice might be lethal for a bank targeting the wealthy dealing in millions worth of investments.
Step 3: Map tones with user journey
Once you've established the different tones, you need to consider how to apply them in practice. Again, take the time to think through the different scenarios and contexts.
Creating a tone map is a great way to plan your strategy and ensure you know the right tone. In addition, this artefact helps you avoid coming up with your tone on the spot.
Creating a generic tone map based on the user journey will do the trick when starting out.
Plot any of your two tones and their contrasting tones on each axis like in the image below, and add different user touchpoints to the graph.
Repeat the same for other tones.
Zendesk has created and plotted its tone map beautifully. Take a look at it here.
Step 3 (Advanced): Map tones with users’ emotional states
It’s crucial to focus on emotion for a cohesive brand voice. Don't stress if it doesn't come naturally the first time. Just continue mapping tones to users’ emotional states as you gain more insight into your users.
Step 4: Create guidelines for each tone
Create a list of words that should or should not be used. Take a look at how Adobe does it.
Jot down instances where contractions like can’t and what’s can be used.
Write a sample copy with an explanation of why it works and why it doesn't.
Step 5: Test and iterate
Test your voice and tone to ensure it resonates with your audience. A/B test different versions and ask for feedback to identify which words and phrases work best and which don't. Then, be open to changes and refine your voice and tone to reflect your brand.
Don’t forget to create artefacts to keep everyone on the same page.
🔔 Quick updates
These days, I’m testing out Super.so for my UX writing portfolio. So far, the free plan and website are functioning well. I'll keep you updated on how the pro plan performs and if it's worth your time and effort.
If you’re also looking to create or revamp your portfolio, I have a short, free email course for you. No need to look for case-study-worthy projects. You can turn your everyday work into a case study. Sign up here. Batch 4 starts on Feb 15, 2023!
Until next time,
Mansi
Your UX Writing Bud
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⭐ Find of the week
Portfolios of UX writers tend to look dead and uninspiring to recruiters who are used to seeing more visually-appealing work. That. Ends. Now!
If you envied portfolios of designers and wanted to include agency-quality 3D mockups of your UX work, here’s the tool to make it happen.
Just drop the wireframes or screens in a pre-made template and hit create!
💗 My Favourite things
Book: Strategic Writing for UX - Full of practical tips, it’s a fantastic book for beginners in User experience. Although written primarily for writers, there are a ton of helpful content and strategy frameworks for designers too.
Tech: Doggo wooden lamp - Three warmth settings, cordless, artistic looking, touch-controlled lamp. I have loved it since the moment I laid my eyes on it. Super helpful on nights I want to ditch Kindle for a physical book.
Important update: I plan to start a YouTube channel for the UX Writing community. Send me the topics you want to learn about in the subscriber chat.
Don’t forget to follow UX Writing Bud on Instagram.