Brands and digital products have a voice, just like humans do.

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Our voice is usually the same but our tone changes according to:

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  • The type of message we're hoping to send

  • The state of mind of our audience

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The Tone of Voice design will enable your company or brand to speak with one cohesive voice, while detailing how to adjust your tone to different situations.

Tone of Voice Design 

About the process

The Tone of Voice design process is comprised of the following stages:​

  1. Getting to know the brand \ product - by reading existing design and branding documents in order to understand the brand’s \ product’s mission, vision, core values and personality traits.

  2. Getting to know the audience - by reviewing interactions with the customers in order to learn the lingo they use when discussing the brand \ product and build a dictionary, as well as understand their motivation and setbacks.

  3. Group interview with the company’s key personal - in order to fully comprehend the brand \ product personality, answer any open questions I may have and receive any missing data required for the design.

  4. Tone of Voice design document - write a comprehensive tone and voice design document (usually, in the form of a presentation), that fully details the brand \ product personality and the messages that will best influence its target audience\s. 

All stages require cooperation and open communication with relevant personnel.

Click here for use cases and ToV design samples.

Frequently asked questions

This is exactly what I need! How do we start?

Excellent! Contact me and let's get this show on the road!



What does ToV mean?

ToV is short for Tone of Voice.



How long does the ToV process take?

Typically, once I have the material I need to begin, the process takes around 2 to 3 weeks of continuous work.



What languages can you do this in?

English (global), Hebrew or both.



What will it take from me and my team?

A ToV design process is a byproduct of the organizational culture, and therefore requires the management’s full support and encouragement in order to succeed. Furthermore, it requires cooperation and open communication with all relevant personnel throughout its different stages (mainly marketing, sales, product management and customer success). ​ I do most of the work on my own, but require the following in order for the process to succeed:

  • A contact person in the organization, who will be available throughout the entire process duration to answer my questions, provide requested materials and connect me to other relevant personnel.
  • Once we schedule the process timeline, I will provide a list of documents I need in order to begin work. Failure to produce those documents in time may result in delays in me handing-on the finished product.
  • We will also preschedule one or more meetings (either online or in your offices) during stages 2 and 3.



What will I get in the end?

A document detailing the brand’s \ product’s personality, audience and messages in detail as well as writing guidelines, tips and examples. ​ You can use this document as your guideline in creating all copy and microcopy, similar to the way you would use a style guide for your visual designs, from now on. Or at least, till it is time to refresh your ToV design for new products, audience or markets.



How much does it cost?

A lady never discusses money in public. But seriously, would you trust a dentist that gives you a price before even looking in your mouth? Contact me to get a quote for your specific requirements.



When is the right time to get a ToV design?

There is no specific right time, though the sooner in the product life-cycle you do this, the less effort you will have to invest in implementing the design. A good time to invest in a ToV design can be:

  • When designing a new brand or product (software, feature, website and so on)
  • When rebranding an existing brand or product
  • Before launching a digital marketing campaign
  • When targeting a new audience or market
​I can also help you update your existing English ToV design to Hebrew and vice versa.



What happens once we get the finished ToV design?

Review and discuss the draft I send you with your team. Send me any feedback, comments or questions you may have and I will clear them out for you and make the required alterations to the design in order to complete it. Remember, the end of the ToV design process is just the beginning for your team. It is up to you to decide how to implement it in your daily work.



Can you help us once the process is complete?

You can hire me to help you with microcopy and copy (tech writing and marcom) on an hourly basis. ToV customers get a special price.



Is there a fast-track lower-price option?

Yes, but remember – you get what you pay for. ​ I can tailor-make an abbreviated version of the comprehensive ToV design process for your brand or product and price it accordingly. ​ You can also hire me to perform a quick-update to your existing ToV design or to adapt your existing English ToV design to Hebrew and vice versa



What is microcopy (UX writing) and how is it connected to ToV?

Microcopy (or UX writing) refers to the bits of text used in digital products (websites, mobile applications, software interfaces and so on) that are directly related to user actions - either before, during or after the action. Examples for microcopy include error and success messages, text on buttons and user input fields, contact forms, tooltips and more. ​ Microcopy combines calls to action with providing true value to the user in an extremely restricted space, and is therefore directly linked to the ToV design. Changes in tone (for example, when addressing different audiences or in different stages of the customer journey) have significant effect on the microcopy.



 

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Website designed, written and created by Sharona Reouveni, Tel-Aviv 2020

Illustrations by Amir Percia