Voice and Tone Design in UX Writing

What is voice and tone design, and what does it mean for UX writers?

Imagine you’re out on a first date with your crush. You’re at a cozy restaurant, and you expect that you’re in for a beautiful dinner, and you’re excited to get to know them. Your crush begins to speak, and you lean in eagerly. You want to know more.

They describe themselves as fun, friendly, and adventurous. You want to believe all that, but something is off. Your crush is not fun. They talk a lot, but their tone is bland. There is no excitement in their voice, and they’re too formal.

Your excitement starts to fade as well; you expected a better experience. Something less boring You begin to question this person, and your crush begins to dissipate.

There is something inauthentic and distrustful about the interaction. This is because the crush’s words and mood are contradictory. If the crush is fun, they should have a lick of enthusiasm while speaking.

This could be likened to the relationship a brand and its customer would have when the voice and tone design were flawed. While the brand’s message might resonate with its customers, it breeds distrust if a different, contradictory tone is used.

Voice and tone design can be applied to general marketing or branding efforts both online and offline. It is used to create an authentic and trustworthy brand image. When applied to digital products like websites and apps, this concept helps create excellent UX copy that shines.

The voice and tone design is simply a brief that answers questions before writing product-related content and microcopy. It keeps the brand's language in line with its core values and supports them. This brief answers questions like;

• What degree of formality should be used?
• What degree of humour should be used?
• will the brand use slang or not?
• what is the pace of speech?
• What degree of warmth should be used?
• What is the brand’s degree of friendliness?

Benefits of Voice and tone design

Voice and tone design keeps the brand language in line with its core values and supports them. This prevents dissonance and builds trust. The blend and tone design determines the degree of formality, humour, use or non-use of slang, pace of speech, warmth, and friendliness. Here are some reasons why voice and tone design is important for UX writing;

1. To make users fall in love with your brand

Unlike formal language, casual and simple language makes your brand appear friendlier. This makes it more likely for users to want to use the brand more and even recommend it to their friends. This applies to industries that might ordinarily be boring. This does not mean a loose use of humour, as this might undermine authenticity. It just means the tone should match the emotional needs and concerns of the brand’s users.

Source: https://buninux.com/learn/how-to-design-striking-cta

2. To prompt users to take action.

One of the most important functions of UX writing is to motivate users to take a desired action. The voice and tone design first provides clarity concerning the brand’s value proposition and then explains how to effectively communicate this value to users.

A firm grasp of voice and tone design can significantly increase conversion. The experience of digital products should stir enough emotions in the user to prompt action. Voice and tone design help you write the copy in a way that is appealing to your brand’s target audience.

Source: https://www.mobilespoon.net/2020/09/all-in-one-guide-high-converting-cta-buttons.html

3. To establish authenticity

When the message your brand tries to pass is in sync with the brand’s personality and mood, trust is established. On the other hand, when there is a disparity, the brand could come off as inauthentic.

4. To make writing simple and effective

With proper voice and tone design, writing becomes super easy. You can always refer to the brand’s voice and tone design when writing copy for buttons or figuring out how to make words appear on a screen.

5. To help writers stay consistent

Every writer has their unique writing style, and allowing the different writers to write in their own styles creates an inconsistent voice that might be dangerous for your brand. But with an existing template, the brand’s voice can remain consistent and recognizable.

6. To make the most out of the already existing branding

Designing a voice and tone strengthens an existing brand by giving it depth and increasing cohesion. If otherwise, it raises user distrust and compromises engagement.

When you need a voice and tone design

• When creating a new brand
• Releasing a new product
• Sharpening the brand’s differentiation
• Setting a new digital campaign
• Creating or upgrading the company’s written communication infrastructure
• Before entering a new market with a new target audience.
• You understand that the words you currently use does not work.

The voice and tone design process

Step 1: know the brand

First, you need to understand what the brand is all about. To do this adequately, you need to read the company’s vision and value statements. Read briefs that were created for advertisement-designer purposes.

Study the presentation introducing the business. Study the UX concepts and personas made for the brand. You also need to research brand perception and customer satisfaction. If the brand is new and you are assisting in the building process, these are topics that should be discussed with the marketing team.

Step 2: Listen to what your users say

Listen to what your users or target audience are saying. Their words are the most effective copy. Extract quotes, phrases, and words and find out what users see as a motivator or a setback.

Step 3: Complete the story with updated Information

Here, hold a meeting with the company’s key personnel, like digital managers, sales representatives, and customer care representatives. Ask a series of relevant questions about the brand and its target audience.

This research should be done in two sessions. One should be about the brand, and the other should be about the users. Make it a group interview so conflicting views are quickly resolved.

Step 4: Put your pieces together and create the document.

Using your preferred word processor, you should present the details you have gathered about your brand and its users or target audience. At this point, you’ll be ready to establish authenticity for the brand and increase engagement.

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