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Voice and tone

Voice

Here are the Springer Nature brand attributes that apply to writing for digital and some tips on how to apply them:

  • friendly
    • write things as you’d say them out loud (for example: ‘We’ve sent you a security code’ instead of ‘You have been sent a security code’)
    • use positive contractions like ‘you’ll’ instead of ‘you will’
    • do not use negative contractions, they are known to confuse some people
    • say sorry when something has gone wrong (for example, ‘Sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Try again in a few minutes.’)
    • use 'please' and 'thank you' carefully and sparingly, they can come across as dishonest or otherwise out of context and often just get in the way
  • transparent
    • be specific about what will happen and when (for example, ‘We’ll email you within 24 hours’)
    • make costs clear upfront – there should be no unwelcome surprises
    • avoid or explain acronyms
    • use the active voice to make clear who is doing what
  • simplified
    • write short sentences (max 25 words)
    • choose easy, conversational words over formal ones
    • avoid idioms that may translate to an international audience
  • confident
    • be direct and remove unnecessary filler words

Tone

We want to sound human and empathetic. Using empathy in writing means being sensitive to the user’s context, particularly in stressful moments.

When it comes to error messaging, payments and transactions, time-based interactions, clarity always comes first.