Tone of voice guide

A shared voice for the text guests and staff read, across a self-service kiosk, a guest web app and admin tools.

Context

The text in our products had grown over time, written by different people. Terms varied between products, phrasing was often passive and full of filler words, and there was nothing to check new text against. The text is also translated, so an unclear source text becomes unclear in every language.

Impact

Approach

Starting with how people feel

I ran workshops with the team. In the first exercise, we mapped what guests and staff need and expect, and how they feel before and after using our products. In the second, we chose the traits the voice should have: humane, confident, respectful and reliable.

People first

One principle sits above the rest: the people are the business. The technology should help hotel staff give guests a better stay, not replace them.

This, but not that

A trait is easy to overdo, so each one comes with a limit.

• Friendlybut not casual
• Confidentbut not cocky
• Professionalbut not cold
• Clearbut not over-simplified
• Directbut not insensitive
• Respectfulbut not distant

We also agreed to avoid humour, and sarcasm in particular, since it leaves too much room for interpretation.

Rules the whole team can use

The guide is written in English, so designers and developers in an international team can use it, both for new text and for translation. It covers the writer's role, the principles and a list of dos and don'ts. A few of the rules: use active voice ("We found your booking"), drop "please", always use "Continue" to move forward, and put the most important information first.

A checklist from the user's side

Before a text goes in, it is checked against four statements, written from the guest's or staff member's point of view.

1. I know what I have to do.
2. I know the order of the steps, and how long they take.
3. I know what my choices lead to.
4. I get help when I need it.

Text in one place

I connected the text in Figma to the same translation files the developers use, through shared variables. Then I reviewed the kiosk texts against the guide. A text change now happens once, in one place.

Learnings