/voice-and-tone

name: voice-and-tone
description: Use when establishing or applying brand voice — defining voice attributes, tone adaptation across contexts, vocabulary lists, writing examples, and ensuring consistent personality across the interface

Voice and Tone

Voice is who you are. Tone is how you say it right now. Voice stays constant. Tone adapts to context. This skill defines both so every word sounds like the same person wrote it.

When to Use

• At the start of a project, during or after `design-strategy`
• When the content-writer agent needs voice guardrails
• When interface copy sounds inconsistent across screens

Step 1: Define Voice Attributes

Choose 3-5. For each, define "this, not that":

| Attribute | This | Not that | |-----------|------|----------| | Warm | Friendly, approachable | Sycophantic, emoji-heavy | | Knowledgeable | Confident, precise | Academic, condescending | | Direct | Clear, action-oriented | Blunt, cold, robotic | | Encouraging | Celebrates effort | Patronising, fake-cheerful |

The "not that" column prevents drift.

Step 2: Define Tone by Context

| Context | Feel | Example | |---------|------|---------| | Success | Celebration, warmth | "Your monstera is happy. Next water Thursday." | | Error | Calm, helpful, no blame | "We couldn't save that. Check your connection and try again." | | Onboarding | Welcoming, confidence-building | "Let's get to know your plants. About 30 seconds." | | Empty state | Inviting, action-oriented | "Your windowsill is empty. Add your first plant." | | Loading | Reassuring, brief | "Checking your plants..." | | Destructive | Clear, calm, reversible | "Remove this plant? You can undo this." |

Step 3: Build the Vocabulary

| Always use | Never use | |-----------|----------| | water | irrigate | | happy | optimal | | check it out | investigate | | you | the user |

The content-writer agent uses this as a constraint.

Step 4: Set Reading Level

| Audience | Target | |----------|--------| | General consumer | Grade 6-8 | | Professional tool | Grade 8-10 | | Technical docs | Grade 10-12 |

Voice Audit Checklist

• [ ] Every screen sounds like the same person wrote it
• [ ] Voice attributes are present in the copy
• [ ] Tone matches the context
• [ ] Vocabulary list words used consistently
• [ ] Reading level at or below target
• [ ] Copy works read aloud by a screen reader

What You Deliver

• Voice attributes table (3-5, with "this not that")
• Tone guide by context with examples
• Vocabulary list
• Reading level target
• 3-5 before/after examples

Integration

• **Informed by:** `design-strategy`, `design-discovery`
• **Feeds into:** `content-writer` agent, `accessible-content`, `design-critic`