Writing guidelines template

You’ve worked hard to cultivate a distinctive brand voice. Adapting that voice to different contexts, so you can be sure you strike the right tone, takes work. Start by describing the type of message you’re targeting with this pattern, then outline how content designers should adjust voice and tone to write effective messages of that type. If your brand voice has different dimensions (for example, the Atlassian brand voice is bold, optimistic, and practical, with a wink), consider adding an image to illustrate how these dimensions will come together for this type of message.

The next step is to identify the Writing principles for this pattern. Think about what the people who use your product are trying to accomplish when they encounter this message type, as well as what they may be feeling in that moment. Then, come up with 3–5 principles that speak to those goals and emotions. Include good and bad examples with each principle to illustrate your point and explain what makes each example good or bad.

If you’re writing a content pattern, you probably have a lot of experience writing a particular message type. Use your expertise to teach other content designers the tips and best practices you’ve picked up along the way. These tips can be things to avoid (think “5 common traps content designers fall into”), thoughts on how to balance competing writing principles, or creative approaches that have worked for you in the past. You can even link to research or external resources to provide additional context.