Arguments for Style Guides
I was disappointed to learn from Lauren Pope that many companies either don’t have content guidelines, have content guides that aren’t appropriate for their purpose, or have guidelines but don’t actively use them. I realized that as a technical communicator, I’ll have to not just create style guides, but also convince others of their importance.
I chuckled at Chris Nodder’s comment that having design systems and style guides “prevents executives with bad taste from ruining your site.” Content guides help content creators keep a consistent style, voice, and tone, and they also protect the integrity of the content against well-meaning higher-ups.
I have some prior experience with style guides. I’ve created and used them as part of team projects for the Editing class and the Instructional Design class. While it took some time to create the guides, they were crucial in creating a cohesive product. One teammate and I had different ideas about how to capitalize and format headings, but we agreed on a style guide and moved forward.
Hippo Insurance and Branding
Before taking Style and Technical Writing I hadn’t thought too much about companies having their own voice and tone. Of course, I’m aware of branding but have thought of that more in terms of logos, colors, and catchphrases. I learned that BRAND = CONTENT + VISUAL, so the written elements are as important as the visual elements. While reading about different types of voice in writing, I was in the process of changing home insurance companies. My agent recommended Hippo, so I spent some time on their site and discovered a light, down-to-earth, trustworthy voice. I switched to this company because of the significantly lower premium, but I have to admit I was influenced by the voice of the writing.
I’m fascinated by the idea that branding reflects company philosophy, that there’s reasoning behind style choices. I’m both a content creator and a user, and the readings have made me think about how I’m influenced by design systems and branding as a user.
My Future in Tech Comm
Dr. Kim’s first lecture discussed the competencies needed for tech comm professionals as determined by a study of job ads. In order of frequency, these are writing, editing, research, style guides/standards, audience awareness, and usability. Of course, I would have guessed that a technical communicator needs writing and editing skills. But the other skills surprised me and validated my choice to take two courses this term. In UX and Usability, I’m learning about research and usability. In Style in Technical Writing, I’m learning about style guides/standards. And both classes address audience awareness.
I spent too much time perusing the 16 style guides listed here. I’ve used traditional style guides for a long time, probably starting with the Associated Press guide in high school journalism. It was a thick hard copy that stayed in the workroom.
Times have changed (are high school print newspapers even a thing now?), and in the internet era, content creators need more direction than a guide like AP or CMOS provides. I loved spending time with Mailchimp’s guide and others. And I love that these companies have made their guides public and even encouraged others to use them. Dr. Kim’s lecture mentioned Clinton Lanier’s 2016 study which showed the importance of minimalism, simplified English, conciseness for mobile delivery, and the blending of tech comm and marketing comm content. Certainly guides like Mailchimp’s have helped in this effort.
Black & White or Shades of Gray
When I was younger, I saw things in black and white. I loved rules. This is probably why I loved math so much. There’s always a correct answer, and you can check your answer by completing the steps in reverse. This is also why I love grammar—there are rules to explain everything. This must be why style guides appeal to me.
As a youth and young adult I was prescriptive about more than grammar. I wanted everyone to follow the rules. But this is not a blog about politics, religion, or parenting, so suffice it to say that I’ve grown up and now see the world mostly in shades of gray. I have a more descriptive approach to social issues, and also to language and writing. I can move past the fact that there sometimes aren’t hard rules, even in something as small as comma use. CMOS always uses the serial comma, while AP doesn’t in cases of simple series. And that’s OK. I can make one choice, and my neighbor can make another choice. This is because we are using different standards guides. Neither is definitive or “correct.”
I’m fascinated by linguistic variation. As an Army brat, I was exposed to many regional differences in language use. And as someone who interacts with people in a variety of settings, from academics, to working with English language learners, I change my register frequently. My style shifting includes changing all types of language variation, from morphology to syntax. I could give interesting examples of this, but I’m trying to implement David Ogilvy’s 10 tips in my own writing. Number 5 is “Never write more than two pages on any subject,” so I will end here.