a single source, nothing corroborates it

Set your voice by naming what you refuse to be

Rather than hunting for a house style in the abstract, read other companies and finish the sentence about why a slogan grabs you or an about page makes you wince. Turn those verdicts into a rule you will not break, then let the rule decide every piece of writing. Copying something you admire makes a fine first draft as long as you edit it into your own register instead of keeping the impression.

The method

1. 01

   Define your voice by what you refuse to be, then let that rule every piece of communication.

2. 02

   Find your writing voice by criticising other companies: work out precisely why a slogan appeals to you or an About page repels you, and finish the sentence about what you love or hate and why.

3. 03

   Start from an imitation of writing you admire and treat it as a rough draft to edit into your own, aiming at influence rather than duplication.

What it returned

• Either direction works: banning formality outright, or deliberately sounding like adults because you dislike companies that strain to be jokey.

• His prompts include whether the thing was funny, clever, specific, confident, or on the other side too formal, too long, childish or arrogant.

Sources

• Human + Fallible = Love; Corporate + Sterile = RefundJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · Human + Fallible = Love; Corporate + Sterile = Refund · 2010-06-28