Writing goals and principles
Use these editorial guidelines to provide a better user experience, enhancing the clarity of your digital documents.
We believe these editorial decisions give the user a better experience, with text styles rooted in economy of characters and maximum clarity at a glance.
With each piece of content, we aim to:
- Translate: Take complex information and communicate it in a clear and understandable way.
- Educate: Provide students with clear options, so they can make informed decisions.
- Respect: Be approachable and inclusive.
- Represent: We are an extension of the UW-Madison brand.
That means we must write content that is:
- Actionable: Give enough information so users can take appropriate and immediate action.
- Useful: Think about what you expect users to do with this information immediately.
- Concise: Be clear and brief. Use simple short ideas.
- Engaging: It’s OK to break a few rules in making your copy relatable, warm, and human.
- Informative: Let users make their own choices. Don’t try to “sell” a product or service, but rather demonstrate an understanding of their needs and inform them of appropriate choices.