Voice and tone
Standardization of voice and tone was one of the first projects I undertook at Hubstream.
​
─────────⊳⋆⊲─────────
Context
Hubstream was having trouble because the language and tone in its software varied a lot, which confused users and made the software seem less professional. This led to lower user satisfaction and efficiency, especially during critical tasks. To fix this, the goal was to create a consistent and approachable voice across the software, adapting the tone for different situations to improve the overall user experience.
Approach
Here's how I approached voice and tone design.
User research
Survey design
I started with a survey for both internal teams and the customers to figure out the best voice and tone for Hubstream. I asked questions about their current impressions and what they expected from in-app communication.
Stakeholder interviews
I talked in-depth with key people inside the company—like Product Managers and Customer Support Managers. This helped me understand various internal views and align them with the brand's goals
User persona and brand archetype
Based on the collected insights, I created the following user persona:
Alex Ramirez is a Criminal Investigator who likes clear, straightforward information without too much jargon.
I also studied the brand archetype to ensure alignment.
I defined our communication style to be formal yet warm and empathetic, matching it with different user needs and situations.
Tone variability framework
I created a framework that specifies how to adjust the tone depending on what the user is doing—like during routine operations, troubleshooting, or receiving critical alerts.
Implementation and training
I documented these new guidelines and trained our team using visual aids and interactive workshops. This helped everyone understand how to use the right tone in different scenarios.
Impact
The results were good. User satisfaction improved from 75% to 92%, error message comprehension improved, and more users completed onboarding successfully. This shows that a consistent and well-thought-out approach to designing content can significantly improve user experience and satisfaction.
