Case study · Content design

The internal writing guide that aligned the agency's content choices

I led the creation of an editorial guide with 9 chapters of standards, each with general guidelines and real examples. Built together with the UX Writing team, it's an internal agency tool to guide content choices — not something delivered to the client.

Role · Content designerMethod · Double DiamondUse · internal to the agency
The challenge

Inside the agency itself, each UX Writer worked their own way, with no shared standards for numbers, punctuation, titles or error messages. The result was noise, rework and lost consistency. They needed an internal guide with real backing, usable day to day.

The method

Built on Double Diamond, grounded in official sources and recognized UX writing principles.

9

chapters of editorial standards

100%

of guidelines with real backing

Weekly

research-and-decision ritual with the whole UX writing team

The process

A weekly ritual, built by many hands

I started and lead the project, but the guide is collective: every chapter comes from research and joint decisions with the whole UX writing team.

  1. 01

    Skeleton from benchmarking

    I began by sketching a direction for which chapters to create, based on an initial benchmarking, and presented the structure to the UX writing team, bringing everyone into the project.

  2. 02

    Weekly meetings

    We meet every week to discuss one chapter at a time, chosen by how relevant it is at the moment.

  3. 03

    Research in official sources

    For each chapter, we research official spelling sources, Inmetro (Brazil's metrology authority), Nielsen Norman Group articles — a global UX reference — and a lot of benchmarking.

  4. 04

    Deciding the guidelines

    From the research, we decide together which rules and guidelines each chapter will hold.

  5. 05

    Avoid / prefer / applied rule tables

    Each week, a different UX writer is responsible for breaking down the guidelines and building tables with avoid, prefer and applied-rule examples.

  6. 06

    Consolidation and rollout

    I lead the consolidation of everything into a unified Figma Slides document and roll the guide out across the whole company.

Writing principles

The foundation behind every chapter

SEO and webconsider SEO best practices and writing for the web.
Claritycommunicate the essential, accurately.
Consistencykeep structure and terminology standardized.
Precisionbe technical and reliable, without bureaucracy.
Humanitykeep empathy and closeness.
Actionguide the user toward a decision.
Inclusionwrite for everyone.
The chapters

9 standards, each ready for daily use

Of the 9 chapters, 3 have been finalized and delivered (numbers, technical capitalization and acronyms); the rest are in progress. The examples below use a neutral automotive scenario, with no confidential data.

01

Numbers, time, dates and measurements

Standardized approach to how numbers, times, dates and units appear, prioritizing scannability and reduced ambiguity. Numbers up to ten spelled out in running text; figures for data, prices and technical specs.

Real examples
  • 24-hour time format, with a colon: 8:00, 14:30.
  • Dates spelled out when there is room; abbreviated in tight interfaces: June 9, 2026 or 06/09/2026.
  • Measurements always with a space between number and unit: 60 km/h, 1.4 turbo, 12 V.
  • Instead of 130hp output, prefer 130 hp output.
02

Accessibility, representation and communication ethics

Guidelines so content is readable by screen readers, free of ableism and stereotypes, and honest with the customer. Describe what matters, avoid exclusionary visual metaphors and never promise what the product cannot deliver.

Real examples
  • Links and buttons with descriptive labels: Book your service, never just click here on its own.
  • Neutral, plural language whenever possible, without reinforcing gender roles.
  • Images with informative alt text, describing the essence of the scene.
03

Open Graph and metadata

Structure for how title, description and Open Graph are written for search and sharing. Objective title with the keyword up front, and a description with a clear call within the character limit.

Real examples
  • Title up to 60 characters, with the main term first.
  • Meta description up to 155 characters, with an action verb and a benefit.
  • Dedicated og:title and og:description, never accidentally inherited from the homepage, with og:image always set.
04

Technical capitalization

Standardized use of capitals depending on context: sentence case for general content, title case for feature and resource names, all caps for acronyms, and lowercase for URLs and digital addresses. Excessive uppercase clutters reading and reduces accessibility.

Real examples
  • Sentence case for general content: unmatched power.
  • Title case for feature names, vehicle resources and navigation categories: panoramic sunroof, blind spot monitoring.
  • All caps for acronyms and abbreviations: ADAS, ABS, GPS.
  • Lowercase for URLs, emails and digital addresses: www.example.com/vehicle.
  • Avoid excessive use of capitals: they make reading harder and reduce accessibility. Keep consistency across all contexts.
05

Acronyms

Clear rules on when to explain and when to assume the acronym is known. On first mention, spell it out followed by the acronym in parentheses; after that, use the acronym alone. Widely known acronyms need no explanation.

Real examples
  • First mention explained: Lane Keeping Assist (LKA).
  • Established acronyms with no explanation: ABS, GPS, USB.
  • Plural acronyms without an apostrophe: SUVs, EVs.
06

Punctuation

Standardized punctuation to favor clarity and reading rhythm on screen. Short sentences, full stops on complete sentences, and no decorative dashes when a period or colon does the job.

Real examples
  • Short list items take no full stop; full-sentence items do.
  • Ellipses and exclamation marks sparingly, only when they add real intent.
  • Use a colon to introduce and a period to close, avoiding the decorative dash.
07

Superlatives: emotion vs. precision

Balance between advertising punch and technical honesty. Superlatives only with real, verifiable backing; when there is no data, swap the empty emotion for a concrete benefit.

Real examples
  • Instead of the best car in recent times, prefer unmatched power — keeps the grandeur, but in a palpable way.
  • Superlative with proof: the largest trunk in its class, with 500 liters.
  • Concrete benefit in place of generic exaggeration.
08

Titles

Guidelines on how titles communicate value in few words, with clear hierarchy and focus on what matters to the reader. One H1 per page, scannable titles that deliver the main information up front.

Real examples
  • Title with the benefit first, not the brand first.
  • Consistent hierarchy: a single H1, H2 for sections, H3 for details.
  • No full stop in titles; sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns.
09

Error messages

Standardized error messages that explain what happened, why, and the way out, without blaming the user or using technical jargon. Human tone, focus on the solution and context-specific language.

Real examples
  • Say what happened and the next step, not just error.
  • No blame or raw codes: nothing like you typed it wrong or error 500.
  • Instead of invalid field, prefer enter a 5-digit ZIP code.
Avoid vs. prefer

The guide in action, in four decisions

A glimpse of how the guidelines turn into word choices day to day. Neutral examples, no confidential data.

Error message

Avoid

Invalid field.

Prefer

Enter an 8-digit ZIP code.

Button and link

Avoid

Click here

Prefer

Book your service

Superlative

Avoid

The best car in recent times

Prefer

Unmatched power

Technical capitalization

Avoid

Multimedia Center With Screen Mirroring

Prefer

multimedia center with screen mirroring

The impact

A common language across design, product and marketing