When it comes to content creation in UX writing, consistency is key for maintaining and enhancing the user experience. Whether you’re a UX writer, content designer, or part of a marketing team, a well-crafted content style guide is your blueprint for maintaining a unified voice across all platforms.
But what is a content style manual, what exactly makes a style guide effective, and how can you create one that truly stands out? If you’re asking these questions, then you’re at the right place. We’ll be talking about everything you need to know about writing style guides, how to create and implement them, and how to use a style guide.
With Our UX Writing Hub’s training program – which has a dedicated module on content style guides – and our Facebook community members at Microcopy & UX Writing, we’ve collected the top 16 content style guides for you to use on your next content style guide creation journey.
Let’s dive in.
Key takeaways
- Style guide definition: A reference document that aligns with your brand’s voice and tone. It outlines the specific standards, guidelines, and conventions for writing, grammar, punctuation, and overall tone that need to be followed across all content produced and designed. It also ensures that writing across the board is consistent irrespective of an individual’s writing style.
- Examples of top content writing style guides: Find inspiration and understand how an organization with a style manual like Intuit, Mailchimp, Google, or Apple stands out and differentiates itself from competitors. We’ve listed some of the best style guides for writing across industries here.
- Common mistakes to avoid: Creating a comprehensive document can be a daunting task, especially if you’re making it for the first time. However, there are some mistakes like not updating the style guide regularly that even a mature organization can make – know more about such mistakes to avoid while maintaining a writing style manual.
- Tips for writing an effective style guide: 4 tips that can make it easier for you to create and implement the style guide: define your brand voice and tone well, involve key stakeholders like the product and design teams in the creation process right from the start, ensure easy accessibility of the style guide in the organization, and include examples and templates that demonstrate the application of the style guide.
What is a content style guide?
A style guide can be a document that outlines the standards for writing and designing content, ensuring consistency across all communication channels. It serves as a reference for the right usage of brand voice, language, tone of voice, formatting, grammar, punctuation, and even visual elements like typography and imagery.
Think of it as a guideline that allows you to maintain the brand voice and enhance the overall readability and professionalism of content across channels.
Why do you need one?
Now that you know that the style guide helps to maintain consistency and preserve brand identity, there are other reasons as well to have one:
- Consistent brand identity: A style guide can be particularly helpful if your team has multiple content creators. With the guidelines set, you can be assured of producing content that aligns with the brand’s values and message, regardless of an individual team member’s writing style.
- Efficient content creation process: Creating an efficient content creation process is easier with predefined standards. This ensures that writers and designers spend less time deliberating over stylistic choices and more on creating high-quality content quickly and effectively. This also helps new team members get up to speed faster, as they have a clear reference to start with and follow.
- Scalability: As and when your organization (or team) grows, having a guide in place ascertains that the new content continues to be of the same standards or higher as before – maintaining coherence and professionalism across all touchpoints, new and old.
What is in a style guide?
A well-crafted content style guide is essential for serving as a reference document. Given it outlines the standards for various elements of content creation, there are a few key components that need to be typically included while writing a style guide:
1. Tone and voice
Defines the overall personality of the brand’s communication style, like formal, casual, friendly, or authoritative. It is needed to keep your brand’s voice consistent across all platforms and content types. For example, you might use a friendly and approachable tone for customer interactions, while maintaining a more formal tone in official documents.
2. Grammar, punctuation, and formatting
Provides rules for grammatical consistency, such as the use of serial commas, capitalization, and specific punctuation marks. This section helps avoid common errors and maintains uniformity in writing. It can also outline standards for formatting documents, including headings, bullet points, numbering, and the overall layout. It ensures that all documents have a consistent appearance.
4. Terminology and word choice
Lists preferred terms and phrases, as well as words to avoid, ensuring homogeneity in terminology and reducing ambiguity. For instance, the writing style guide can include recommendations for using “customer” instead of “client” and “product” instead of “item.”
5. Accessibility standards
Ensures your microcopy is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, by providing guidelines on text readability, alternative text for images, and color contrast. This element also considers the local accessibility practices that must be adhered to in the country of operation.
Top 16 content writing style guide examples
A good writing style guide can not only help build a smoother and more efficient content creation process but also provide you with a competitive edge. Organizations with a style manual have differentiated themselves in the market, or become a golden standard for writing style guides – like Mailchimp or Google whose content manual is used by companies that do not have one or are planning to build.
Here is a list of some of the best style guides for writing examples that you can take inspiration from:
Intuit
When I first heard about Intuit’s style guide, or rather content design system, it completely blew my mind. Intuit is the fintech organization behind finance solutions like TurboTax, Quickbooks, and Mint. They decided to develop a whole system where everyone – content designers, copywriters, marketers, designers, developers – can find not just language advice, but also a library of content patterns that they can use in their work.
I was so curious about their work that I recently invited their Principal Content Designer Stephen Curran to the Writers in Tech podcast (for the second time!). Listen to the episode here to hear how they developed their content design system. We also created a whole blog article on the subject of content design systems. Check it out!
Mailchimp
The holy bible of content style guides. Honestly, people post about it on our Facebook group Microcopy & UX Writing at least once a month.
Monzo
The neobank Monzo has a very distinct, friendly voice and tone. Their style guide is available to the public and it’s an absolute delight to read. Check it out for a tip on how monkeys can help you spot passive sentences. 🐒 In 2020, I had the pleasure of chatting with their lead writer Harry Ashbridge on the Writers in Tech podcast.
Microsoft
The Microsoft Writing Style Guide replaces the Microsoft Manual of Style, a respected source of editorial guidance for the tech community for more than 20 years.
Canada Post Corporation
Discover the writing principles for the ways that Canada post add value to their digital products with concise and meaningful language.
Material Design is one of the most famous design systems out there. Explore their content section and learn how to write content like Google does.
Shopify
Shopify’s ambitious content design system Polaris will help you understand how to think strategically about the language in your products and apps.
Conscious
The Conscious style guide contains the latest observations, opinions, and style advice all in one place. It’s a top resource for everyone who wants to be more mindful about the language they use.
GO-JEK
The mission of the UX writers of Geo-Jek is to allow users to use their app effortlessly — without friction.
UK Government
The single government representative on our list. I am happy a governmental service realized that they too can actually lead when it comes to creating conversational interfaces.
BBC
Highly detailed content style guide created by the UX writers and content creators of the BBC.
Atlassian
The Atlassian writing style is an open source system of their core company values, company mission, design principles, and voice and tone.
Buffer
One method for creating a content style guide is to base it on another guide. In Buffer’s guide, they claim to follow Mailchimp’s style guide with some extra sauce made by Buffer.
Salesforce
To connect with their customers, Salesforce needs to talk in a way that resonates with them. They published their content style guide that shows how to do that.
University of Leeds
This content style guide was created to help the people of Leeds University write more creatively and effectively in their day-to-day life at the University of Leeds.
Apple
The Apple Style Guide provides editorial guidelines for text in Apple instructional materials, technical documentation, reference information, training programs, and user interfaces. The intent of these guidelines is to help maintain a consistent voice in Apple materials.
Common mistakes to avoid when writing style manuals
Creating and writing a style guide can be intimidating and complicated. Often the simple elements are overlooked in the bid to accommodate the rules of your brand and standard practices. However, writing a style guide can be a seamless process, if you can avoid these common pitfalls.
- Lack of clarity and specificity: Vaguely written content style guidelines lead to inconsistent application and confusion among content creators. You can avoid this by writing clearly defined, actionable instructions and adding relevant examples.
- Overly complex guidelines: Excessive detail can overwhelm users, making the guide difficult to follow and apply. Instead, use simple language and apply logical structure to your style manual that aids in its scannability and usability.
- Ignoring user feedback: Without considering user input, the guide may not meet the needs of those it’s intended to help. To ensure its practical application, periodically collect feedback from users as well as stakeholders and update it as required.
- Infrequent updates: An outdated style guide can result in inconsistencies with current brand practices and trends. Maintain periodic checks and updations in your content calendar so that your style guide is aligned with latest industry and brand practices.
- Neglecting digital accessibility: Overlooking accessibility can make content unusable for audiences with disabilities. Ensure that your writing style guide is compliant by including guidelines for alt text, color contrast, readable font sizes, and other accessibility laws and best practices.
- Focusing solely on written content: A style guide that only addresses text may neglect other crucial content forms such as visuals, multimedia, or other interactive elements. While creating the style guide, ensure you look at the bigger picture of the usage and applications and not limit yourself to textual content.
Tips on how to write a style guide that reflects your brand’s voice and tone
Below are some actionable tips that can help you build a detailed and user-friendly style guide:
Define your brand voice and tone
Clearly outline your brand’s personality and how it should be reflected in your content. Specify the tone for different types of communication, such as marketing materials, customer support, and internal documents.
This can be done by creating detailed descriptions and examples of your brand’s voice in various scenarios. For instance, if your brand is friendly and approachable, provide examples of how this tone should be used in emails versus social media posts.
Involve key stakeholders
Gather input from different departments, including marketing, customer service, and design, to ensure the style guide meets the needs of all content creators. While writing your style manuals, ensure you make it a collaborative approach by organizing workshops or meetings with representatives from each department to discuss their specific requirements and challenges.
Make it accessible and easy to navigate
The content style guide must be easily comprehensible and quick to navigate. You can achieve it with a well-organized table of contents and searchable digital format. Consider using online platforms that allow for easy updates and access, such as shared Microsoft Document, Google Slides, or a dedicated style guide tool like Frontify, Figma, or InDesign Publish.
Include examples and templates
By providing sample documents, such as emails, social media posts, and blog articles, that adhere to the style guide, you demonstrate to your team (or anyone using the style guide) how to apply the guidelines in reality. You can further streamline the content creation process by including templates for common content types like emails.
Final thoughts
Writing a style guide may seem daunting, but it’s a necessary step in creating a user experience that is aligned with your brand voice and tone. By investing time and effort into developing and maintaining your style guide, you set the foundation for clear, cohesive, and impactful communication across all your content channels.
As a UX writer, you may end up working in companies or on projects that take different approaches to their content style guides. If you join an organization that is already implementing a content style guide, great! Your job is to follow and optimize it continuously.
If you’re working as a consultant UX writer, or you are the first UX writer in your organization, you may need to build a brand new style guide from scratch.
Return to this list to find your inspiration and get that content style guide up and running!
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
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Is a style guide a design system?
No, a style guide is not the same as a design system. A style guide primarily focuses on the consistency of language, tone, and branding elements in content creation. It includes rules for grammar, punctuation, terminology, and visual elements like logos and color schemes.
On the other hand, a design system is a comprehensive collection of reusable components, guidelines, and standards for the creation of digital products. It typically encompasses UI components, design patterns, and coding standards to ensure a cohesive and efficient development process across various platforms and products.
Regardless of their differences, both tools are essential for maintaining brand voice and consistency.
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What are the design principles of style guides?
The design principles of style guides include clarity, consistency, usability, and accessibility:
- Clarity ensures that the guidelines are easy to understand and follow
- Consistency guarantees that the content adheres to the established brand voice and tone
- Usability involves making the style guide easy to navigate and apply in everyday content creation tasks
- Accessibility ensures that all content meets the necessary standards for inclusivity, catering to diverse audiences and those with disabilities
By adhering to these principles, a style guide helps maintain a high standard of content across all communications.
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What is the difference between a style guide and a stylesheet?
The difference between a style guide and a stylesheet is a function of their purpose in content creation and design. A style guide provides comprehensive guidelines on language usage, tone, branding, and visual elements to ensure consistency across all content. It covers various aspects such as grammar, punctuation, typography, and logo usage. Conversely, a stylesheet is a technical document used primarily in web development and design. It contains rules for styling HTML elements using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), including specifications for fonts, colors, layouts, and other design attributes.
Moreover, while a style guide sets the overall content and brand standards, a stylesheet focuses on the visual presentation of web content.
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Who uses a brand style guide?
A brand style guide is used by all professionals who are directly or indirectly involved in content creation and brand management. This includes writers, editors, designers, marketers, and even developers.
Writers and editors use the guide to maintain consistency in language, tone, and terminology across all written content. Designers refer to it for guidelines on visual elements such as logos, colors, and typography. Marketers use the guide to ensure that all promotional materials align with the brand’s identity. Developers rely on it for integrating visual and stylistic standards into digital products.
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How big is a style guide?
The size of a style guide can vary significantly depending on the needs and complexity of the organization. A style guide can range from a few pages to a comprehensive document spanning hundreds of pages.
Smaller companies or projects might have a concise writing manual focusing on key elements such as tone, terminology, and basic visual guidelines. While larger organizations or those with diverse content needs might develop extensive guides covering detailed rules for different types of content, comprehensive visual standards, accessibility guidelines, and more. Regardless of size, the effectiveness of a style guide lies in its clarity, comprehensiveness, and ease of use.
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What is the difference between templates and style guides?
Even though templates and style guides are both tools used to ensure consistency in content creation, the difference between them lies in their purpose. A style guide provides the overarching rules and standards for language, tone, branding, and visual elements. It sets the guidelines for how content should be created and presented to maintain brand consistency. Templates, on the other hand, are pre-designed documents or layouts that follow the style guide’s standards. They provide a framework for specific types of content, such as newsletters, presentations, or web pages, making it easier for creators to produce content that adheres to the established guidelines.
In a nutshell, the style guide defines the rules, and templates offer examples and practical implementation of these rules.
Keep exploring
- Everything you need to know about content design systems (and how they differ from content style guides) (article)
- Building a content design system (podcast episode with Stephen Curran at Intuit)
- Copy in the age of digital banking (podcast episode with Harry Ashbridge at Monzo Bank)
- Try our free UX writing course – A Taste of UX Writing
- AI writing tools for content creation
