💬 Communication

Written communication

British English

We use British English for all written documentation.
Sentence style titles

We write titles in sentence style, means we avoid capitalisation (aka title case).

Tone of voice

Our “tone of voice” includes a few core elements to standardise our communication across all platforms. It is authentic, direct, cooperative, and understandable.

Direct

Straight to the point. No poetry, just transparent and honest what and why we are doing it.
Understandable

Clear, uncomplicated, and to the point. Focus on the statement.
Sovereign

Credible and experienced, although mostly informal.

Application tips

Stay factual and transparent

Is the core message clear? Is the reason for a statement clear? Can you prove the statement?
Choose clear words

Watch out for complicated words and jargon. Choose understandable terms and avoid long sentences and nesting. We are experts and can make difficult things look easy.
Speak only the truth

Avoid guesswork and assumptions. Make sure to back up your statements. If there are examples, all the better.
Use active instead of passive speech

In active language, the subject acts, in passive language, the action happens to the subject.

Hint

If you are not sure whether it is active or passive speech, you can add «by monkeys». If the sentence still makes sense, it is a passive sentence.

Passive: You have been logged in. … by monkeys

Active: You have logged in. … by monkeys
Swap formal words with normal ones

We are friendly people and not a cold, faceless organization. That’s why we write the way we speak to people.
Hint

You can test this by reading aloud what you have written. Does that sound like something you would say?
- assistance → help
- set in motion → begin
- make available → give
- request → ask
- use → need
Make negative statements positive

no shipping fees → free shipping.
Restrict exclamation points

Choose more words to describe emotions instead of relying on punctuation.
Check the adjectives

Are they all necessary? Would a more specific noun be a better choice?
Be precise

Use short words and sentences, avoid superfluous and irrelevant.
Use only common abbreviations and acronyms

Avoid abbreviations and acronyms to minimize misunderstandings. Otherwise, mention the abbreviation in parentheses the first time you use it such as Continuous Integration (CI). Except for abbreviations and acronyms that are generally valid and known, such as API or HTML.
Use contractions in English text

Use contractions in the English language. They’re great! They give your writing an informal, friendly tone.
Use more verbs than nouns

To sound more professional, we prefer nouns over verbs in written language. When we speak, it’s vice-versa and we prefer more verbs. Nouns are generally considered more stylish and professional, but they also make sentences long.
Hint

We wouldn’t speak like that. e.g.:
- “We made the decision that” vs. “We decided”
- “We did an analysis” vs. “We analyzed”
Structure sections with subtitles

Content is often only skimmed over. Good subtitles give an overview of the following section, and pick up the main message of it without describing all the details.

Tips for good story telling

Communicate the “why”, not the “how” or “what”

When communicating the why, you automatically communicate emotions and inspire people.

Hint

Have a look at Simon Sinek’s “How great leaders inspire action” Ted talk for more informations.
Describe benefits over functions

Communicating over benefits is more emotional and people can identify themselves with it.

Hint

“Introduce faster access to portfolio” vs. “Add portfolio button to dashboard”
Identify what you want to communicate

Stick to what you really want to communicate. Don’t add extra words just to sound more intelligent.
Describe cause & effects first

First describe the purpose of your idea first, only then describe how it works.

Note

We were inspired by these sources: