How the emotional journey map helps to shape the Tone of Voice
Hey, my name is Ira. As the UXW Lead at Tutu and the author of a UX writing course, I’ve created Tone of Voice Maps and I am passionate about helping brands communicate more effectively.
In this article, I’ll walk you through how to design a unique Tone of Voice, connect it with users’ emotions using an Emotional Journey Map, and apply these insights to make your content resonate with customers.
Overview
- What is Tone of Voice
- How Tone of Voice is Designed
- Emotional Journey Map and How to Create One
- How to Apply Emotional Journey Map Results to Tone of Voice
What is Tone of Voice
The Voice is the way in which the product feels, communicates, and keeps its distance from the user. The product can have a real voice, like Siri and Alexa, or an imaginary one, the one we hear inside our head reading the text within the digital product.
The way we change the voice according to the situation is called the Tone, which is similar to the emotions of human communication. When we hear something good, we feel joy, while bad news makes us sad and empathetic.
The Tone of Voice (TOV) changes depending on whether we are talking about the primary or secondary scenario.
The primary scenario is the main reason why the user engages with the service. For example, in a taxi app, the primary scenario would be ordering a taxi. The secondary scenario, on the other hand, is something extra, like paying with bonuses or rating the trip. While the secondary scenario is not essential, its purpose is to engage the user and encourage them to do something beyond the immediate need.
In this case, the text for the primary scenario is impersonal, short, and neutral. This is intentional, so there’s no distraction for the user.
For the secondary scenario, the TOV would be different.
Notice how the communication changes when we move to onboarding in the App Store. The goal of onboarding is to attract the user and promote the application so they want to download it. That’s why we see emotive verbs and adjectives.
How Tone of Voice is designed
Well, many people use the Nielsen Norman Group Matrix, and some rely on common patterns like apologizing to the user if there is an error.
In my experience, I’ve often seen colleagues and industry specialists apply these approaches. While these options are fine, they aren’t without their drawbacks.
The downside of the NNG Matrix is the fixation on the product.
Here is how to design the TOV according to the ‘Establishing Tone of Voice’ video.
- Analyze the app screens.
- Select the ones you like or don’t like based on the TOV.
- Show users the screens with the good TOV and ask them what they think. If they like those, you are a winner!
See the trick? We are relying on something that is already part of the product, rather than the feeling and the context that users experience in the specific situation.
The downside of common patterns is that they may not fit your product.
Let’s look at a few examples of different tones for different situations on Spotify. We’ll see how carefully chosen microcopy can strengthen the connection with users and reflect the brand’s values.
Oops, something went wrong — basic error
This classic “Oops!” is commonly used, but it doesn’t necessarily fit the Spotify brand. It could belong to any app, and it lacks distinctiveness.
One band, no solo artists — Career landing page
This screen highlights Spotify’s culture and values, focusing on teamwork and a shared philosophy.
The reference to a “band manifesto” emphasizes unity and purpose, inviting users to explore Spotify’s values further. The tone is inspiring and inclusive, using the band metaphor to create a sense of belonging.
We’re all mixed up — yet another non-crucial error
This error message uses a lighthearted tone to acknowledge a temporary issue. The tangled cassette tape is a nostalgic reference to the pre-digital music era, adding charm and familiarity. It softens frustration, evokes nostalgia, and encourages users to be patient while the issue is fixed.
The cassette is a reminder of the past, when music was recorded and played using analog media, creating a warm connection for old-fashioned users.
So how to shape the TOV then? Great question! And here is an answer — focus on your users and their feelings. And that’s where the Emotional Journey Map comes in.
Emotional Journey Map and how to create one
The Emotional Journey Map (EJM) is a map of the emotions a person feels while using the product.
Simple EJM for the taxi app. Reactions are based on Paul Ekman emotion theory
Sometimes EJM is part of the Customer Journey Map, sometimes it is a separate product.
I am convinced that the separate detailed EJM is necessary to shape the TOV. First, you can work through both primary and secondary scenarios, like rare errors, bonus payments, and so on.
Second, you can go through the pain points. Users complain that the app is manipulative at checkout? Let’s look into that!
How to create EJM from scratch? Ideally, run discovery & usability tests, and then — product reaction cards.
The first step is a usability test. You give a person a task, let’s say, to order a taxi from the office to their home. In addition, you need to set conditions, e.g. the order has to be paid with bonuses and then refunded. These conditions are necessary to see how the person switches between different scenarios.
The second step is the product reaction cards. To test product scenarios with emotion cards, prepare cards representing different emotions and select key user scenarios. Have participants interact with the product, choosing a card after each step to reflect their feelings. Ask follow-up questions to understand their choices and identify emotional triggers. After completing each scenario, you ask the person how they feel and offer to choose an emoji card, usually one of the three 🙂, 🤔, 😡. Analyze the results to spot patterns, refine the product, and retest as needed.
There may be more cards, like this one 😇. The point is for the person to easily identify the emotions through the emoji card.
After 5 tests (or a bit more), you can conclude how users complete tasks and feel about them. This aligns with the 5-user rule by Jakob Nielsen, founder of NN Group, who argued in his article “Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users” that five users reveal 85% of usability issues, with further insights often repeating.
How to apply Emotional Journey Map results to Tone of Voice
Let’s transfer emotions from EJM to the coordinate system where the axes are emojis and situations. Then we will describe their Tone and give examples.
Here, we analyzed what people feel in different scenarios and then figured out how the app would respond, not the other way around.
It is crucial that the product is aware of the user’s emotional state. For example, if something good happens, it should be able to celebrate with the person, or empathize if there are any issues.
EJM helps shape the TOV of the product based on people’s needs and emotions rather than existing screens and patterns. This approach gives us perspective, allowing us to understand the type of response users expect and how to translate that into text.
According to Smallbiggenius, 89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values. This highlights the importance of aligning with users’ emotions and values to build strong connections. EJM can be a great addition to a brand’s identity, becoming a part of the brand book and brand platform. By incorporating EJM, a product can not only refine its Tone of Voice but also enhance brand loyalty and establish deeper trust with its audience.
Conclusion
- The Voice of the product remains consistent, while the Tone adapts to the user’s context and emotions.
- The Tone often differs for primary and secondary scenarios, with the primary tasks being more functional and the secondary tasks more engaging to encourage additional actions.
- To create an accurate TOV, it’s essential to rely on users’ emotions, and EJM can help achieve this by providing insights into emotional triggers.
- By using EJM, brands can develop a more relatable and effective TOV, which improves user engagement, conversions, and overall satisfaction.
- A thoughtful and consistent TOV strengthens the relationship between the product and its users, enhancing brand loyalty and contributing to better performance metrics.
Thanks for reading ✨
