Our tone must be confident, not unsure or tentative. This confidence conveys an understanding of the user interface and the user's goals.
To be genuine, a confident tone must be supported by the clarity and accuracy of the content.
Why
- Users need to trust the learning tool.
- Users need to stay in the
flow
of completing their task. - Higher confidence leads to increased engagement.
How
- Understand user goals and use language that supports those goals — but no more than necessary.
- Directly address users in second person.
- Be respectful of users — always assume that the user is capable of completing the
task.
Don't be condescending or overly formal.
- Use language that is accurate and validated by the user's experience in the learning
tool.
A single error can undermine users' trust.