Tone of voice isn’t what we say but how we say it. It’s the language we use, the way we build sentences, the sound of our words and the personality we communicate.

Effective Planning and Structuring

When planning and structuring a Website, the hierarchy of content on the page and on the entire site can help inform both tone and presentation:

  • Home page and higher-level landing pages should contain short text, headlines, and a greater number of graphics and images. 
  • Think of the higher-level pages as the user walking into one of our campus receptions and getting a feel for the place. This could be their first impression of UWTSD.
  • Lower level pages can and often need to go into greater detail.


Useful Tips

Here are some useful things to note regarding tone of voice:

  • Use the first person to address your audience. For example:
    Instead of:
    The Faculty of Humanities and Performing Arts runs a series of open days in October for prospective undergraduate students.
    Use:
    We invite you to visit one of our open days in October
  • Stop and think before you start writing. Make a note of the points you want to make in a logical order.
  • Use short words.  Long words will not be beneficial to your audience or help your writing style.
  • Use everyday language.  Avoid jargon, abbreviations and acronyms which are unfamiliar to your readers.
  • Use short sentences. Keep your sentences to an average of 15 to 20 words. Try to stick to one idea per sentence.
  • Be concise