How to sound like Genesys
Our voice
Genesys is a friendly and confident expert:
- We are focused on the customer.
- We are optimistic and encouraging.
- We speak directly to the user.
- We use clear and simple language, including only the most important details.
Our tone
The tone of Genesys is different depending on the situation, but it is always:
- Empathetic - demonstrate that we understand the userās needs
- Respectful - maintain the dignity of Genesys and the user
- Casual - friendly, approachable, and helpful
- Thoughtful - consider the situation and the type of information you are delivering
This grid can help you identify what tone to use based on the copy your are writing. Generally, we are casual and concise, but there will be times when a more formal and detailed approach is better for providing information to the user.
UX writing standards
Capitalization
The use of capitalization varies based on what youāre writing and where you are writing it.
Sentence case
Capitalize the first letter of the first word and use lowercase for all other words.
Note: Capitalize user titles/roles, product names, and acronyms within the sentence, and Genesys Cloud features or product names in all writing including when they are the only words in the header.
Use sentence case for:
ā
Tooltips
ā
Body content
ā
Blank states
ā
Toast and alerts
ā
CTAs and buttons
ā
Form field labels
ā
Links
ā
Headings
ā
Titles
Sentence case has a more casual tone.
Capitalizing each word can sound too formal.
Sentence case is easier to read.
Capitalizing each word is harder to read and can add unnecessary emphasis to words.
Title case
Capitalize all words except articles (a/an), prepositions (of, in, to, out, from ), or conjunctions with fewer than four letters (and, or, so, for).
Do not use punctuation.
Use title case for:
ā
Genesys company and brand names
ā
Personas
ā
Product features and product names
ā
Professional titles
Title case helps to identify official Genesys branding.
The formality of roles and professional titles is reflected by using title case.
Using title case clarifies that you are referring to a specific branded product.
Professional titles are formal roles and should be capitalized.
All caps
Using all uppercase letters, or āall caps,ā can reduce accessibility and be read as shouting or yelling if used inappropriately. Use all caps sparingly and with purpose.
Dos and donāts
ā
Use all caps for acronyms, such as accepted product and feature names on second attribution (e.g., Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) without a period between the letters).
ā
Use all caps for names of file extensions (e.g., TIF, ZIP, or PSD files).
ā
Reference the Resource Center glossary for Genesys-specific abbreviations and acronyms.
ā ļø If an acronym might not be known, spell it out the first time, but not for common ones like PDF, CEO, AM/PM.
ā Do not use all caps for emphasis.
ā Do not use all caps for CTAs or buttons.
Acronyms are capitalized, even when used in flow text.
Multiple acronyms within a sentence should be capitalized without a period between the letters.
Contractions
Use contractions for a more conversational and friendly tone.
Dos and donāts
ā
Be intentional with your use of contractions, too many can be difficult to read.
ā Do not use uncommon, old-fashioned, or colloquial contractions.
ā Do not use contractions for destructive actions.
ā Avoid contractions for pairings that end with "have", "was", "is", "has", "does", āwouldā.
Use common contractions to sound more conversational and natural.
Contractions keep sentences from feeling out-of-touch, robotic, or overly formal.
Sometimes "cannot" provides more emphasis than "can'tā when caution is needed.
|
DO USE |
DONāT USE |
|---|---|
|
ā can't ā don't ā won't ā you'll ā youāre ā they'll ā they're ā we'll ā weāre |
ā y'all ā ain't ā shouldāve ā itās ā thatās ā whatās ā weād |
Colloquial contractions are usually regional and difficult to translate.
Contractions with āisā, ādoesā, āhasā, or āwasā can make the noun seem possessive and cause confusion.
Punctuation
Punctuation is important for clarity or emphasis, but not always necessary.
Dos and donāts
ā Use periods for body content.
ā Use the Oxford comma (or serial comma) to identify the last item in a lists.
ā Use hyphens for date ranges and compound adjectives or descriptors.
ā Do not use ampersand (&) unless is it part of a branded product name.āØ
ā Do not use periods for CTAs, tooltips, titles, or headers.
Body copy is casual and should be written as full sentences ending with a period to sound more conversational.
CTAs, tooltips, titles, and headers are short phrases and do not need punctuation.
Include a serial (or Oxford) comma to ensure clarity for the user.
Ampersand and other symbols can be difficult to read, challenging to translate, and confusing to the user.
Hyphens separate words to provide more accurate information and reflect date and number ranges.
Font styles
Font style is dependent on what content you are writing and what typeface you are using.
Dos and donāts
ā
UseĀ boldĀ in moderation and only for high emphasis.
ā
UseĀ semi-boldĀ in moderation and only for low emphasis.
ā
Reserve underline exclusively for links.
ā SkipĀ italicĀ and useĀ boldĀ for emphasis.
Use bold text sparingly and only to highlight important information.
Use semibold text sparingly and only for less important emphasis.
Underlined text should only be used for in-line links.
Italics do not format appropriately in many fonts; avoid using italics to highlight important information or links.