Building style guides
Content style guides create consistency, reduce ambiguity, speed up decision‑making, and keep teams aligned-especially as products scale. They help every writer and designer make choices that reflect a brand’s voice, tone, and values. They also improve usability by ensuring language is predictable, inclusive, and easy to understand. In short, they make content feel intentional, cohesive, and human.
I arrived at 7-eleven as the first, and only, UX Writer for the Mobile Apps team. My first step was to establish a style guide to provide guardrails for my work, enable me to rationalize content decisions, and empower the design team to aid in content creation.
Voice and Tone
Voice and tone shape how a product feels, not just how it works. A clear voice expresses brand personality, while adaptable tone adds context and emotion. Together, they make interactions more human, predictable, and trustworthy.
Style
Style shapes how a product communicates, guiding everything from clarity to emotional impact. It influences layout, hierarchy, and interaction patterns by ensuring language is concise, consistent, and easy to scan. A strong style reduces cognitive load, helping users understand actions and make decisions quickly.
Content Patterns
Content patterns make products feel intuitive. They give users familiar structures, like how errors are explained or how steps are presented. Patterns also help teams move faster by providing reusable solutions that are already tested for clarity and usability, reducing inconsistency, preventing one‑off decisions, and keeping the product’s voice and behavior aligned across product areas. In short, content patterns create predictability, efficiency, and a smoother experience for everyone.
Accessibility
Usability shouldn’t be defined by user ability. Accessibility removes barriers, supports diverse needs, and creates a smooth experience for all users. Products that embrace accessibility experience reduced friction, increased trust, and expanded reach. Most importantly, it reflects a commitment to inclusive, human‑centered design, where no one is left out.
"I can confidently say Taye is one of the most thoughtful UX writers I’ve collaborated with. Beyond being a genuinely great person to work with, Taye has outstanding soft skills and a deep passion for UX and accessibility.”
- Alexandre Moschini
Senior Advisor/Product Designer