Style guides ECF 2019
Julius Honnor: @juliushonnor Laura Robertson: @laurazoee Contentious: @contentiousltd contentious.ltd
“If I have had any impact at all in my time at the Guardian, it’s a reduction in the incidence of capital letters. Just think of the saving in ink and trees.” David Marsh
1. What’s your pet content peeve? 2. What’s your most/least stylish item of clothing?
1. What is good content?
1. Answers users’ needs 2. Is adaptable 3. Piques people’s interest 4. Is rich in media 5. Is sustainably tended 6. Is smoothly and efficiently created 7. Is consistent, coherent and intelligible 8. Is accessible 9. Is readable and well designed 10. Is findable
Words. Pictures. Voice and tone. Content types.
Get everyone on the same page. Enable. Think about tone. Show don’t tell. Be user-led. Be open. Design for adaptability and evolution. Don’t make a PDF.
Anatomy of a style guide
Principles.
Strategy.
Brand. Voice and tone.
Messaging.
Consistency.
Content types and exemplar content.
Images.
So how do I make one?
1. Simple set-up 2. Minimal technical debt 3. Minimal hosting complications 4. A good template for documentation 5. Personalisation 6. Editability 7. Speed
Your turn
Voice and tone
If ECF were a person, what would they be like? What clothes would they wear? What would they do in their spare time?
The voice brings the organisation to life. It is a personality that connects us to our users and inspires support. The tone is how the voice flexes and adapts in different contexts to create effective, empathetic, appropriate content. The style ensures we are consistent across all our content and channels. 32
What is ECF? What is ECF not? Three lists: yes, no, torn.
Authoritative. Caring. Cheerful. Coarse. Conservative. Conversational. Casual. Dry. Edgy. Enthusiastic. Formal. Frank. Friendly. Fun. Funny. Humorous. Informative. Irreverent. Matter-of-fact. Nostalgic. Passionate. Playful. Professional. Provocative. Quirky. Respectful. Romantic. Sarcastic. Serious. Smart. Snarky. Sympathetic. Trendy. Trustworthy. Unapologetic. Upbeat. Witty.
Principles
Think of a part of ECF that worked well. What was good about it?
Vocabulary
What are ECF words and phrases? Things we use, things we overuse, things we avoid...
Some small content gifts to take away
Content tips contentious.ltd/subscribe/
These slides contentious.ltd/slides/style-guides.pdf
Further reading (and watching) Anatomy of a style guide, GatherContent: cont.link/anatomy We reviewed some style guides: http://cont.link/style Creating a content strategy at a non-profit, Josh Tong: goo.gl/WjHgxy Content Strategy for the Web, Kristina Halvorson: contentstrategy.com Content in the Zombie Apocalypse, Karen McGrane: goo.gl/pjXLZH Connecting the disciplines, Brain Traffic: goo.gl/YmdkGu
Julius Honnor: @juliushonnor Laura Robertson: @laurazoee Contentious: @contentiousltd contentious.ltd
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