content-design-spec
Agent: Content Design Lead
L2 content design lead (1x) (moved from Product, now reports to Head of Design) responsible for microcopy, voice standards, UX copy, and help content architecture.
Department ethos: ideal-design.md
Tool policy: allowed-tools.yaml
Skill Description
Writes the content design specification defining voice, tone, and copy standards that ensure every word in the product reinforces the brand and helps users accomplish their goals.
When to Use
- When a product has no documented voice and tone guidelines and copy decisions are made ad hoc by individual writers or designers.
- When the brand foundation has been established and voice attributes need to be operationalised into concrete writing rules for product surfaces.
- When copy inconsistencies across the product (different terminology for the same concept, conflicting tone in error messages vs. onboarding) signal the need for standardisation.
Workflow
- Brand Voice Intake: Review the brand foundation document, particularly personality traits and tone-of-voice guidelines. Interview stakeholders on any product-specific voice nuances not covered in brand docs. Deliverable: voice input summary.
- Content Audit: Audit existing product copy across key surfaces (onboarding, empty states, error messages, settings, notifications) to catalogue inconsistencies and identify existing patterns worth preserving. Deliverable: content audit findings.
- Voice Definition: Define the product voice as 3-5 attributes, each with a spectrum (e.g., "direct, not blunt"), do/don't copy examples, and guidance on when to modulate tone (e.g., error states require more empathy than confirmation dialogs). Deliverable: voice and tone framework.
- Terminology Glossary: Create a glossary of product-specific terms with approved usage, capitalisation, and any deprecated alternatives. Include terms users encounter in the UI, help content, and marketing. Deliverable: terminology glossary.
- Copy Pattern Library: Document reusable copy patterns for common UI elements: button labels, form validation messages, empty states, success confirmations, destructive action warnings, and loading states. Include the structural formula and 2-3 examples per pattern. Deliverable: copy pattern library.
- Grammar & Mechanics Rules: Define rules for capitalisation (sentence case vs. title case), punctuation in UI, number formatting, date/time formatting, and abbreviation use. Deliverable: grammar and mechanics section.
- Accessibility Copy Standards: Document standards for writing accessible copy: alt text conventions, ARIA label patterns, screen-reader-friendly link text, and error message association. Deliverable: accessibility copy guidelines.
- Review & Approval: Present the complete spec to design, product, and engineering leads. Iterate on contested decisions. Deliverable: approved content design specification.
Anti-Patterns
- Voice without examples: Describing voice attributes abstractly without showing real product copy examples in do/don't format. Why: writers interpret abstract guidance differently; concrete examples are the only way to transmit voice consistently.
- Spec without pattern library: Defining voice and tone but not providing reusable copy patterns for common UI elements. Why: writers must reinvent copy for every button and error message, producing inconsistency despite having a voice guide.
- Ignoring tone modulation: Defining a single tone for all contexts instead of specifying how tone shifts across situations (celebration vs. error vs. destructive action). Why: a chirpy tone in an error state or a formal tone in a success moment both feel wrong; context-aware tone guidance prevents this.
- One-time document: Treating the spec as a finished artifact rather than a living document that evolves with the product. Why: products evolve, new surfaces appear, and terminology changes; a static spec becomes irrelevant and ignored.
- Skipping accessibility: Omitting guidance on accessible copy patterns (alt text, ARIA labels, screen-reader link text). Why: inaccessible copy excludes users who rely on assistive technology and may violate compliance requirements.
Output
On success: Produces a content design specification containing voice and tone framework with examples, terminology glossary, copy pattern library, grammar and mechanics rules, and accessibility copy standards. Delivered as a living document (wiki, shared doc, or design system page) accessible to all writers, designers, and engineers.
On failure: Report which spec sections could not be completed (e.g., unresolved terminology disputes, missing brand foundation inputs), what was drafted, and recommend specific decisions or inputs needed to finalise.
Related Skills
1---2name: content-design-spec3description: This skill writes the content design specification defining voice, tone, and copy standards for the product. Use when asked to create a voice and tone guide, define copy standards, or write a content style guide. Also consider when multiple writers are producing inconsistent copy across product surfaces. Suggest when the user is about to scale the content team without documented standards.4---56# content-design-spec78## Agent: Content Design Lead910L2 content design lead (1x) (moved from Product, now reports to Head of Design) responsible for microcopy, voice standards, UX copy, and help content architecture.1112Department ethos: [ideal-design.md](../../../../departments/design/ideal-design.md)13Tool policy: [allowed-tools.yaml](../../../../allowed-tools.yaml)1415## Skill Description1617Writes the content design specification defining voice, tone, and copy standards that ensure every word in the product reinforces the brand and helps users accomplish their goals.1819## When to Use2021- When a product has no documented voice and tone guidelines and copy decisions are made ad hoc by individual writers or designers.22- When the brand foundation has been established and voice attributes need to be operationalised into concrete writing rules for product surfaces.23- When copy inconsistencies across the product (different terminology for the same concept, conflicting tone in error messages vs. onboarding) signal the need for standardisation.2425## Workflow26271. **Brand Voice Intake**: Review the brand foundation document, particularly personality traits and tone-of-voice guidelines. Interview stakeholders on any product-specific voice nuances not covered in brand docs. Deliverable: voice input summary.282. **Content Audit**: Audit existing product copy across key surfaces (onboarding, empty states, error messages, settings, notifications) to catalogue inconsistencies and identify existing patterns worth preserving. Deliverable: content audit findings.293. **Voice Definition**: Define the product voice as 3-5 attributes, each with a spectrum (e.g., "direct, not blunt"), do/don't copy examples, and guidance on when to modulate tone (e.g., error states require more empathy than confirmation dialogs). Deliverable: voice and tone framework.304. **Terminology Glossary**: Create a glossary of product-specific terms with approved usage, capitalisation, and any deprecated alternatives. Include terms users encounter in the UI, help content, and marketing. Deliverable: terminology glossary.315. **Copy Pattern Library**: Document reusable copy patterns for common UI elements: button labels, form validation messages, empty states, success confirmations, destructive action warnings, and loading states. Include the structural formula and 2-3 examples per pattern. Deliverable: copy pattern library.326. **Grammar & Mechanics Rules**: Define rules for capitalisation (sentence case vs. title case), punctuation in UI, number formatting, date/time formatting, and abbreviation use. Deliverable: grammar and mechanics section.337. **Accessibility Copy Standards**: Document standards for writing accessible copy: alt text conventions, ARIA label patterns, screen-reader-friendly link text, and error message association. Deliverable: accessibility copy guidelines.348. **Review & Approval**: Present the complete spec to design, product, and engineering leads. Iterate on contested decisions. Deliverable: approved content design specification.3536## Anti-Patterns3738- **Voice without examples**: Describing voice attributes abstractly without showing real product copy examples in do/don't format. *Why*: writers interpret abstract guidance differently; concrete examples are the only way to transmit voice consistently.39- **Spec without pattern library**: Defining voice and tone but not providing reusable copy patterns for common UI elements. *Why*: writers must reinvent copy for every button and error message, producing inconsistency despite having a voice guide.40- **Ignoring tone modulation**: Defining a single tone for all contexts instead of specifying how tone shifts across situations (celebration vs. error vs. destructive action). *Why*: a chirpy tone in an error state or a formal tone in a success moment both feel wrong; context-aware tone guidance prevents this.41- **One-time document**: Treating the spec as a finished artifact rather than a living document that evolves with the product. *Why*: products evolve, new surfaces appear, and terminology changes; a static spec becomes irrelevant and ignored.42- **Skipping accessibility**: Omitting guidance on accessible copy patterns (alt text, ARIA labels, screen-reader link text). *Why*: inaccessible copy excludes users who rely on assistive technology and may violate compliance requirements.4344## Output4546**On success**: Produces a content design specification containing voice and tone framework with examples, terminology glossary, copy pattern library, grammar and mechanics rules, and accessibility copy standards. Delivered as a living document (wiki, shared doc, or design system page) accessible to all writers, designers, and engineers.4748**On failure**: Report which spec sections could not be completed (e.g., unresolved terminology disputes, missing brand foundation inputs), what was drafted, and recommend specific decisions or inputs needed to finalise.4950## Related Skills5152- [`brand-foundation`](../../../design/brand-designer/brand-foundation/SKILL.md) — Brand personality and tone guidelines are the upstream input for this spec.53- [`ux-copy-writer`](../ux-copy-writer/SKILL.md) — UX copy writing executes against the standards defined in this spec.54- [`copy-implementation-reviewer`](../copy-implementation-reviewer/SKILL.md) — Implementation review validates that shipped copy conforms to this spec.
mittuled