# Cami Design Copy

> Labels, errors, empty states, tone. Use when text reads awkwardly or leaves users guessing what to do.

- Skill: `pawlakcamille/cami-design-copy` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add pawlakcamille/cami-design-copy`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/pawlakcamille/cami-design-copy/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: PawlakCamille (https://skillmd.com/u/pawlakcamille)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/pawlakcamille/cami-design-copy

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# Cami — Copy

## Required reading

Before proceeding, load `../cami-design/references/review-protocol.md` for the shared **Context Gathering Protocol**, **Design System Protocol**, severity scale, and **Review Output Format**. For copy work you also need:

- **Voice / tone**: how does the product speak? (formal, friendly, sharp, playful, neutral)
- **Audience literacy**: technical users? consumers? mixed?
- **User's mental state in context**: stressed during errors? confident during success? anxious during payment? Copy should match the emotional register of the moment.

If the audited surface includes form controls, also load `../cami-design/references/forms.md` — labels, placeholders, error placement, confirmations, and unsaved-changes warnings are all canonicalised there.

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Improve the words users read. Clearer labels, kinder errors, useful empty states, a tone that matches the brand.

## When to Use This Mode

- Labels are ambiguous or jargon-heavy
- Error messages blame the user or say nothing actionable
- Empty states are blank or unhelpful
- CTAs don't tell the user what happens next
- Tone drifts across the product
- User says "this text is confusing"

## Review Dimensions

### Clarity
- Every label tells the user what will happen, in their words
- No jargon unless the audience uses it naturally
- One idea per sentence
- Prefer active voice: "We uploaded your file" not "Your file has been uploaded"

### Actionability (especially errors)
- Error messages say: what happened, why, what to do next
- Avoid blame ("you entered an invalid...") — state the fact ("email format not recognized")
- Offer a next step when one exists

### Empty States
- Explain what this space is for
- Show a primary action to fill it
- Never leave a blank region

### CTAs
- Verb-first, concrete ("Save changes", not "OK")
- Match the outcome ("Delete permanently" not "Delete" for irreversible actions)
- Primary action is distinct from secondary in weight and wording

### Tone Consistency
- The product speaks with one voice across surfaces
- Adjust intensity by context: transactional moments stay neutral, celebratory moments can be warmer

### Forms & Confirmations

Form-related copy patterns — instructions before the field, placeholders as examples not labels, confirmation dialog wording, destructive button labels, unsaved-changes warnings — live in `../cami-design/references/forms.md` (Labels, Placeholders, Unsaved Changes sections). Load that reference when reviewing form copy. The patterns there are the canonical source; this sub-skill applies them.

### Loading & Success States
- Loading copy should set expectations: what's happening + how long ("Analyzing your data… usually 30–60 seconds")
- Never leave "Loading..." for long operations — give context
- Success messages confirm what happened + what comes next ("Settings saved. Changes take effect immediately.")
- Match emotional register: celebrate big wins, stay neutral for routine saves
- Trailing "successfully" and routine-status exclamations are anti-patterns — see `../cami-design/references/anti-patterns.md` → *Copy AI Tells*.

### ⚠️ AI Slop in Copy

The copy-side "AI tells" sweep — generic loading messages ("Herding pixels…", "Teaching robots to dance…"), trailing "successfully", sparkle emoji on every CTA, sycophantic confirmations ("Great choice!") — is canonicalised in `../cami-design/references/anti-patterns.md` → *Copy AI tells*. Run it last, same as the visual anti-pattern sweep.

### Microcopy Hygiene
- Sentence case in UI (not Title Case) unless the brand specifies otherwise
- Oxford comma: follow house style; be consistent
- No trailing punctuation on buttons or labels
- Numerals for UI (use `1, 2, 3` not `one, two, three` for quantities)
- For trailing "successfully", routine-status exclamation marks, sparkle CTAs, and other AI tells in copy: see `../cami-design/references/anti-patterns.md` → *Copy AI Tells*.

## Patterns, Principles, and NEVER

Concrete before/after tables (error messages, empty states, CTAs), the 6 Principles checklist, and the NEVER list all live in `../cami-design/references/copy-patterns.md`. Load that reference when applying patterns during a review — it's the canonical source.

## Output

Findings as tables with columns `# | Severity | Before | After | Why`, grouped by dimension. Severity is 🔴 (Important) or 🟡 (Nit); see `../cami-design/references/review-protocol.md` → Severity scale for calibration. Cite the specific file and component when possible.

Close with the walkthrough offer and (after fixes) the Verify pass. See `../cami-design/references/review-protocol.md` → Closing / Walkthrough mode / Verify pass.

## References

- `../cami-design/references/copy-patterns.md` — canonical before/after patterns, the 6 Principles, NEVER list
- `../cami-design/references/forms.md` — form labels, placeholders, errors, confirmations, unsaved-changes (canonical for form copy)
- `../cami-design/references/anti-patterns.md` — canonical home for Copy AI Tells; sweep last
- `../cami-design/references/craft.md` — tone, intent, perceived performance
- `../cami-design/references/typography.md` — typographic characters: ellipsis, curly quotes, non-breaking spaces

## Human-facing writing note

When producing copy meant for users, run the output through the `humanizer` skill if available — it strips AI-tell patterns that read as synthetic. `humanizer` is an external skill (not bundled with `cami-design`); see `NOTICE.md` for sourcing. Skip silently if it's not installed.