Writing guidelines

Proximus' brand voice above all

Like all our digital products, the Design system is a part of Proximus' DNA. Our way of writing must reflect our brand personality.

What do we mean by voice?

Proximus' voice is how we address people. It's the interplay of personality, substance, tone, and style.

Four voice principles

• Human
• Enthusiast
• Trustworthy
• Innovative

Get more information about the tone of voice in the Copywriting section.

Make every word matter

Articles have limited space, there is no room for meandering, no space for encyclopedic completeness. Try to spare reader's time when writing.

Clarity first

Design system readers are experienced web professionals with different backgrounds and various domains of expertise. Avoid unnecessary jargon, vagueness and buzzwords. Try to be specific and concise in your explanations.

Bias-free communication

We are collaborating with a wide range of people, all our communication must be inclusive and diverse.

• Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms
• Don't use gendered pronouns (like he, him, she, her, etc.) in generic references.

Writing good practices

Use the correct pronouns

Address the reader at the second person (you). When speaking at the third person, construct your sentences to have plural nouns and pronouns.

Capitalise

When you're talking about product or components, use sentence-case to keep consistency through articles.

Reference articles instead of rewriting content

If you need to contextualise or reference an article with another component of rule, avoid rewriting content. Instead, write down a link to the referenced article.

Verb tense, mood & voice

To make a message clear, concise and understandable, use the proper tense: present. Using indicative mood, you address the reader crisply and straightforwardly, avoiding being bossy. Try to keep your voice active instead of writing in the passive voice.

Scannable content

Content available in the Design system tends to grow exponentially. This can be overwhelming for the user. Part of the job as writer is to help user find what they need quickly. Write to facilitate scanning.

Put first things first

Content displayed above the fold is the most likely to be read. Many readers won’t scroll further without a compelling reason. So keep it short and straightforward. Use the space available to give a complete overview.

Be brief, be bold, be clear

Long spans of dense text are daunting and unapproachable to readers. Write short headings, short sentences, and short paragraphs that are easy to read—and more visually appealing.

• Use short, simple words.
• Get to the point.
• Then stop.