A List Apart: Articles: Reviving Anorexic Web Writing

How to be a writer on a marketing team without sounding like a jerk – A Whole Lotta Nothing

Good writing advice from Matt.

Responsive web design turns ten. — Ethan Marcotte

2010 was quite a year:

And exactly three weeks after Jeremy Keith’s HTML5 For Web Designers was first published, “Responsive Web Design” went live in A List Apart.

Nothing’s been quite the same since.

I remember being at that An Event Apart in Seattle where Ethan first unveiled the phrase and marvelling at how well everything just clicked into place, perfectly capturing the zeitgeist. I was in. 100%.

Take a closer look at the patterns in our language. | Clearleft

Ellen goes through the principles behind the tone of voice on the new Clearleft site:

1. Our clients are the heroes and heroines, we facilitate their journey.
2. Speak as an individual doing whatever it is you love. Expose lovable details.
3. Use the imperative, kill the “-ing”.
4. Be evocative and paint the picture. Show don’t tell.
5. Be a practical friend.
6. Be inquisitive. Ask smart questions that need solving.

A List Apart: Articles: Orbital Content

A great piece about the changing nature of content ownership and distribution. And now I share it with you, validating its central premise.

Monzo tone of voice

Some good—if overlong—writing advice.

• Focus on what matters to readers
• Be welcoming to everyone
• Swap formal words for normal ones
• When we have to say sorry, say it sincerely
• Watch out for jargon
• Avoid ambiguity: write in the active voice
• Use vivid words & delightful wordplay
• Make references most people would understand
• Avoid empty adjectives & marketing cliches
• Make people feel they’re in on the joke – don’t punch down
• Add a pinch of humour, not a dollop
• Smart asides, not cheap puns and cliches
• Be self-assured, but never arrogant