Voice and Tone

Voice

The voice, or personality, of Seattle.gov helps users decide whether they can relate to and trust what we say. It’s how we communicate the essence of the brand and our key messages. Although different topics may call for variations in voice, aim for the overall Seattle.gov brand voice to be approachable, honest, positive, and practical.

• Approachable: Use a professional yet inviting voice. Avoid jargon and uncommon acronyms. Convey a friendly, caring tone.
• Positive: Show visitors how Seattle.gov will help them understand city guidelines and take advantage of city services. Convey an inspiring, confident tone.
• Honest: Use a voice that’s knowledgeable but not pretentious or intimidating to provide information visitors care about. Convey a sincere, helpful tone.
• Practical: Use a straightforward voice that makes content meaningful and cuts through complex information by communicating clearly and succinctly. Convey a sensible, reliable tone.
• Concise: Great writing is like a conversation. Omit information that the audience doesn’t need to know. This can be difficult as a subject matter expert so it’s important to have someone look at the information from the audience’s perspective.

Tone

• Tone is the attitude or feeling expressed by the Seattle.gov voice. City of Seattle digital content is:
• Welcoming: Be inclusive, celebrate diversity, and promote community engagement.
• Convenient: Provide useful services to get stuff done.
• Reliable: Provide timely information and valuable services when users need them.
• Helpful: Provide services and tools that help users reach their goals.
• Inspiring: Model modern and effective digital properties for other cities to follow.