Ensuring clarity, brevity, usefulness, empathy, a conversational tone, and scannability helps users navigate our content confidently and efficiently.

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Clear

Ambiguity undermines the user experience, especially when users depend on our software to complete their work.

Do

Check your internet connection and try again.

Don't

An error has occurred, please try again later.

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Concise

Use the minimum amount of text needed to convey your message. Before rewriting copy, consider how much is truly necessary and whether a design adjustment could solve the problem instead.

Do

Select the line tool and draw a line from point A to point B.

Don't

To draw a line, you need to select the line tool from the toolbar at the top of the screen. Once you have selected the line tool, you will see a cursor on the screen. You need to click and hold the left mouse button to start drawing the line. Move the cursor to point A and click again to set the starting point of the line. Then, move the cursor to point B and click again to set the end point of the line. Release the mouse button to finish drawing the line. You can then modify the properties of the line by clicking on the line and using the toolbar at the top of the screen.

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Useful

Ensure that what you write helps the user achieve their goal. Avoid copy that distracts from user or business objectives.

Do

Your file has been successfully uploaded.

Don't

Thanks for uploading your file. We appreciate your business.

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Empathetic

Consider what the user might be experiencing. Tailor your wording to reflect understanding of their context.

Do

Correct your payment information and try again.

Don't

Invalid input. Correct your entry and try again.

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Conversational

Use the words your audience uses. While we must remain understandable, our audience may be experts, so using appropriate industry terminology is acceptable when it provides clarity rather than complexity.

Do

Select the “Rebar” tool to add reinforcement bars to your concrete structure.

Don't

Utilize the “Rebar” tool in order to insert tension-resisting steel bars into the structural element of your project for improving load-bearing capacity and reducing deformation.

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Scannable

Place essential information at the start so users can quickly understand what to do. Write for scanning first, reading second.

Do

  1. Click on the ‘Add Element’ button in the toolbar at the top of the screen.

  2. Select the element you want to add.

  3. Drag it to the desired location on your design.

Don't

To add a new element to your design, click on the ‘Add Element’ button in the toolbar at the top of the screen. This will open a drop-down menu with a list of available elements. Scroll through the list and select the element you want to add. Once you have selected the element, drag it to the desired location on your design.

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Writing Style

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General Guidelines

  • Never combine bold, italic, and underline on the same text. Stacking multiple styles (e.g. bold italic underline) creates clutter and reduces legibility​
  • Ensure the document is understandable without reliance on styling. Important information should be evident from context or labels, not just from being bold/italic (crucial for accessibility, as screen readers might ignore purely visual styling)​

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Bold

  • Use bold to highlight key action items or important words in instructions
  • Use bold sparingly for key terms or critical points so that it retains its impact​
  • Avoid bolding large blocks of text—extended bold passages degrade readability​
  • Each bolded word or phrase should truly warrant attention.

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Italics

  • Use italics for titles of documents, manuals, or other publications referenced in your text​
  • Use italics to introduce or define new or uncommon terms (or when referring to a word as a word) in your writing​
  • Avoid long sections in italics—they are harder to read​
  • Limit italicized content to short phrases or single words for emphasis.

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Underline

  • Do not underline text for emphasis in modern documentation​
  • Underlining is now reserved for hyperlinks, where the underline indicates clickable text​
  • Avoid underlining anything in printed or PDF materials as well, since readers may still confuse it with a URL/link or find it visually distracting​
  • If you need additional emphasis beyond bold/italic, consider other methods (color, callout boxes, icons), but underlining is almost never the solution.