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Tone & Voice

Straightforward

We try to write so everybody can understand what we want to say.
While we want to keep enough emotions to demonstrate our empathy and passion, we need to make sure to get to the point. We don’t want to hide the main ideas inside a lot of fluff.
If there is a potential problem, state it directly. If you have a potential solution, bring it up. We are busy traveling, planning our next trip, or designing the perfect travel experience. We don’t have time to wait for someone to get to the point.

Be clear

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Make everything more obvious than you might think was necessary. Remember to still
keep your content conversational
⁠
—don’t get so caught up in being clear that you become robotic.

Be specific

Make sure it’s clear what you’re writing about. This includes using full terms (not abbreviations). Unless you have space to clearly explain a term, don’t shorten it.
It’s fine to use contractions like “it’s” as long as it’s clear what you mean.
Avoid general terms like “stuff” to substitute for actually explaining what you’re talking about.
We look forward to helping everyone get to their destinations.
To access your boarding pass, enter your booking number.
The booking includes extra services (such as extra bags, insurance, or a schedule change) purchased after the main booking.
We look forward to helping all PAX get to their destinations.
To access your BP, enter your BID.
The booking includes stuff purchased after the main booking.

Structure what you write

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Studies have shown
⁠
that people don’t read online, they scan. They’re just looking for answers to specific questions rather than reading everything linearly. Help them find what they need by structuring your content.
Add structure with headings and subheadings
Front load content (put the most important ideas first)
Format with lists and bold

Make every action clear

For actions in the app, use simple text to describe what the action is. The button text should be actionable so users know exactly what to expect when clicking.
You can add additional context around the button, but the button itself should be a short, clear action.
Find out more
Book
Pay fee
Agree
More information about our processes
Add this flight to your itinerary
Continue with payment of your cancellation fee
OK

Be explicit

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Aim to share everything necessary. Provide the context that you know so well that other people might not have.

Share the background

When space allows, share the information you have. Make it clear what led to the current situation so people start from the same place.

Share context

Don’t assume everyone has the same knowledge and context you have. Instead, give it to them.
This includes writing copy that describes the relevance and importance of various options.

Be concise

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Don’t take too much time or space to explain your point or you will lose your audience. Especially online,
people will only scan your text
⁠
– they don’t want to waste time or effort. Keep things short.
Remember to balance this with other things, such as the
need to be clear
⁠
.

Remove unnecessary words

To
If
The problem is
In order to
In the case that
Basically, the problem is

Focus on actions

Make verbs the center of your sentences. Focusing on nouns often adds length without any more meaning.
We help travelers
We decided
We enable you to develop, implement, and evaluate travel apps.
We provide help to travelers
We made a decision
We create possibilities for you in the development, implementation, and evaluation of travel apps.
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