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Writing

Copy rules that apply across every SE brand. They cover voice, language, formatting, and the product microcopy patterns that keep apps feeling coherent. Brand-specific tone can extend these rules but shouldn't contradict them.

Voice and tone

How to sound

  • Friendly and approachable, with warmth behind the professionalism
  • Convey enthusiasm through word choice, not punctuation
  • Stay positive. Focus on what to do, not what to avoid
  • Clear and concise. Simple phrasing beats complex wording
  • Use contractions to drop formality (you'll, don't, we've)
  • Modern and concise. Use fewer words where possible

Words to avoid

  • No slang. No abbreviated words (congratulations, not congrats)
  • Avoid currently, actually, obviously, ensure. They read as condescending
  • No marketing jargon: leverage, unlock, seamless, robust, source of truth
  • No filler that signals directness: honestly, to be clear, frankly
  • No formal verbs: write led not conducted, started not implemented, helped not facilitated
  • No business speak: reach out, moving forward, circle back
  • Don't use etc. or and more. Give specific examples instead

Language

English

  • American English across all brands (color, center, optimize, traveling)
  • Abbreviate common countries without periods: UK, USA, UAE

Voice

  • Third person for the brand ("Camp Leaders places staff...")
  • Second person for the reader (you, your)

Formatting and mechanics

Cases and punctuation

  • Sentence case for headings and titles. Never Title Case, never ALL CAPS
  • Application stages and placement statuses use Title Case without quotes (Ready to Hire, On Review, Deposit Paid)
  • Never use em dashes. End the sentence and start a new one
  • Avoid dashes inside sentences in general

Numbers

  • Spell out one through nine
  • Use numerals for 10 and above
  • Always use numerals for specific amounts, dates, and measurements ($100, 30 days, 2MB)
  • Thousands separator at 1,000 and above
  • Abbreviate large counts only when density matters (1.2k, 1.4M)

Bullet points

  • Start each bullet with a capital letter
  • No punctuation at the end
  • Keep bullets concise. One line ideal, two maximum
  • Keep structure parallel. All noun phrases or all verb phrases, not mixed
  • Use numbered lists for sequences

UI microcopy

Product copy patterns that apply across every app built on SE UI.

Buttons

  • Lead with a verb that describes the outcome
  • "Save changes" beats "OK". "Delete file" beats "Click here"
  • Match the label to the specific action, not a generic acknowledgment
  • Never include the word "Click" anywhere in a button label
  • Prefer "View" over "See" ("View profile", not "See profile")

Links

  • Link text should stand on its own and answer "where does this go?"
  • Never use "read more", "learn more", or "click here". They fail for screen readers

Form labels and placeholders

  • Labels are nouns, not questions. "Email", not "What is your email?"
  • Placeholders give format hints. They don't replace labels
  • Mark optional fields with "(Optional)". Required is the default and needs no mark
  • Helper text explains what or why, not the obvious

Empty states

  • Name what this is, then what to do about it
  • Example: "No applications yet. Start one from the dashboard."

Error messages

  • Say what happened, then how to fix it
  • Don't blame the user
  • Be specific. "Email is already in use" beats "Invalid input"

Confirmations

  • Confirm the consequence, not "Are you sure?"
  • Name the object and the action. "Delete 3 files" beats "Are you sure you want to delete?"
  • The primary button repeats the verb: "Delete", "Archive", "Send"

Tooltips

  • Supplementary detail only. Never load-bearing information
  • Keep tooltips to one line
  • Icon-only buttons always need an aria-label, even with a tooltip

Counts and plurals

  • Handle zero, one, many explicitly
  • "No items", "1 item", "12 items". Not "0 items" or "1 item(s)"