In this section you'll find guidance around what words and phrases to use when writing for Smart – and what to avoid.
Write the first instance out in full, with the abbreviation in brackets. Then use the abbreviation for all other instances on the page.
Examples:
Abbreviations, such as Doctor (Dr), or London Drive (London Dr).
Acronyms such as for your information (FYI).
Initialisms, such as Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 3.1.4 Abbreviations, level AAA.
We use active voice most of the time. This is where the agent, or 'doer', comes before the verb. For example:
Sometimes, the passive voice can make your content read more naturally, so there's no need to avoid it every time. It can also be used in error messages caused by user error, as it's less accusatory. For example, "your password was entered incorrectly" is in the passive voice, but it's friendlier and less accusatory than "you entered an incorrect password".
A good rule of thumb to help you identify passive voice is to add the phrase "by monkeys" to the end of your clause ("Your account will be closed... by monkeys"). If it still makes sense, you're probably writing in the passive voice.
We format addresses and label data entry fields as follows
Address line 1
Address line 2
Town
County (optional)
Postcode
We don't use them, unless they're part of a brand name, like Legal & General.
If you're replying to a tricky letter or a complaint, or are dealing with a difficult problem, put yourself in the reader's shoes. Be professional, not emotional.
You may have to give a firm, unwelcome answer, but be as helpful and polite as possible. If you are going to apologise, do so early. If the problem is your fault, say so.
Apologise completely and concisely, sympathetically and sincerely. And whether it is your fault or not, try to emphasise what you can do for the other person.
With content that’s audio-only, like podcasts and voice-only presentations, we need to include a link to the transcript of the recording.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), level A.
"Back" and not "Previous" or "Go back".
Use to indicate actions/buttons in instructional content. For example, "press Continue".
You can also use bold sparingly to emphasise important information.
Stick to British English – avoid Americanisms.
You can use bullet points to make text easier to read.
There are two ways to format bullet points. Avoid switching between these two ways of formatting within one page or document.
Short list bullets
When you're listing short information, you can use a bulleted list like this. Make sure that:
Full sentence bullets
This in an alternative way of formatting bullets, for when you're listing longer points.
Buttons should be simple and direct "Start now", "Continue" and "Back" are the standard buttons for our transactional user journeys.
More specific button text should be used when you're asking a user to complete a single action. Customise this text to describe the action as accurately as possible. The resulting label should complete the sentence “I want to…” from the user’s perspective.
People find capital letters harder to read. Always use sentence case – even for titles and headings – except when using brand or product names (for example, "Smart Pension", "Legal & General", "MacBook Pro").
Don't use title case in URLs (smartpension.co.uk, not SmartPension.co.uk). The only exception to this is when you're referring to the Smart Pension Master Trust – as this is the official name of the trust.
It's not commonplace to use capital letters in email addresses, and we don't do it.
We avoid writing anything in all caps, as it's not accessible and doesn't fit in with our tone of voice.
Only use to introduce bulleted lists, or to introduce examples which include numbers.
A good rule of thumb is – if you want to use a colon, use a dash instead.
We don't use Oxford commas, also known as serial commas. An Oxford comma is when you use a comma in a list before the word "and".
For example, it should be: "I went to the beach with my dog, Auntie Jill and David". Not "I went to the beach with my dog, Auntie Jill, and David".
You can use a comma before "and" if the context isn't a list, and it will introduce a new clause or break up a long sentence.
A conjunction is a "joining word", that links different parts of a sentence together – such as "and" or "but". And they can be used to start sentences.
Should say "Continue" rather than "Next" or "Proceed".
Use "Continue" where it's not necessary to explain to the user exactly what the button does. For example, if the button submits the information they've entered and takes them to the next step in an application, "Continue" is better than "Submit details and continue".
A contraction is a shortened version of two words, written as one word. Often, they use apostrophes to signify missing letters ("didn't", "can't", "shouldn't")
Use these to make your content informal and friendly, but don't overdo it. Too many contractions can make content hard to read.
Dashes work well when used in place of colons. Use en dashes (–), not em dashes (—). A hyphen doesn't count as a dash – it's a hyphen.
On a Mac, type an en dash by selecting the Option + Minus keys at the same time.
Don't use dashes in lists or tables of numbers or financial information, as they can look like a minus sign.
Don't use these – use "For example," instead.
Use "Edit" and not "Change" or "Amend".
Should be all lower case for readability. For example:
We use two types of error messages – alerts (boxes that pop up out of the form or page) and inline errors (error messages that appear by the incorrectly filled form field).
Alerts
Alerts should lead in with a simple statement of fact, followed by a broad description of the options available on the page. For example, "It looks like your income could run out when you're 78.”
If you want your income to last longer, you could lower your monthly income or move more money into this pot".
Avoid stating whether an alert is positive or negative. In the example above, it would be wrong to say "There's a problem - your money might run out when you're 78. To fix this, (...)" – as it's impossible to know the user's future plans or overall financial situation.
Inline errors
Unlike regular error messages/alerts, inline error messages don't necessarily need to explain what went wrong. Telling the user the solution is often enough to prompt them to correct the error, especially in simple forms. For example, "Please enter your name" is enough to prompt a user to fill in a form field they accidentally missed.
Explaining the error can make the message unnecessarily long and harder to read. For example, "You didn't enter your name. Please enter your name" is overkill for a simple to understand and easy to fix error.
Don't use it. If you find yourself in a situation that calls for the use of something like this use "and more" instead.
Use them sparingly – they may be useful in specific cases (such as celebration moments) when there is less need to be formal!
Use "Quit". Can be more specific, like "Quit transaction".
We have a "no-FAQs" rule. Our existing content and products should be written and structured in a way that the user does not have to ask questions in order to find out what they need to know or complete a task.
If there is no other solution than to use a question as a subheading, write the question in the first person.
Use upper-case when referring to file extensions in body copy. For example, "PDF" and not "pdf".
If a link opens a file, then tell the user by specifying the file extension in brackets after the CTA copy. Use lower-case and a stop before the file extension. For example, "Download statement (.pdf)".
Two words, no hyphen. Use "first name" rather than "forename", etc. Only capitalise if at the beginning of a sentence.
You should follow the VID (Visual Identity) design guidelines on which fonts to use and how to present them.
Use normally in sentences and paragraphs. Don't use them to end headers.
The exception to this is error messages, which should have a full stop at the end of the header. If there are two sentences to the error message, use to end the first sentence.
Where there is a sentence that ends with something in quote marks, the full stop should go "outside the quotation marks like this". It's the other way around for US English.
Don't use full stops:
We never ask a user for their sex or gender unless it is absolutely essential. If we do have to ask for it, we must tell them why we need the information.
The main case for asking for a user's gender is when we have to ask a member for their legally recognised gender. This is because it is a requirement from the government on any RTI (real time information) data that's submitted to do with PAYE. More information can be found here on the government website.
Where we must ask for the member's gender for this reason, we say:
"Select your legally recognised gender. HMRC uses this for tax services."
Or, if the information was already supplied by their employer:
"Your employer told us your legally recognised gender when you joined Smart Pension. HMRC uses this for tax services."
All external emails should start with "Hi [first name]" and end with "The Smart Pension Team" (or whatever team is most appropriate)
All page titles, headings and subheadings should be written in sentence case (not Title Case).
Use a heading that is specific enough to tell the user exactly what the page or form field does. For example, "Reset your password" not “I don’t know my password”.
People reading just the header, subheader, label or page title should know what to expect.
If the page is part of a collection of pages, we should also make that clear from the title.
Where there is only one action a user can take in a section, use the format "[Verb] the [noun]" or "[Verb] your [noun]".
Where a user can take multiple actions on a page, or for section headers and landing page headers, use a noun that covers all of the actions where possible. For example, "Contributions".
For platform content, we do not use questions as subheadings. Where it is completely unavoidable we use the first person for questions.
Text content should be organised with headings, wherever possible, to make it easier to navigate. For example in long form content, information articles and content that can be organised, like a ‘Setting’ menus.
Some bits of content, like long letters, may not be suitable.
We should also use headings in the right way if we have control over them. For example, if there are sub-topics, we should use H3s under the relevant H2 and so on.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterions 2.4.2 Page Titled, level A, 2.4.6 Headings and Labels, level AA, and 2.4.10 Section Headings, level AAA.
Use when creating compound adjectives. For example, "long-term investment".
When you're using content like images, charts, graphs, or thumbnails, these need to have text alternatives.
For simpler content, like images or thumbnails, you must write a short caption that describes what it is. You must also use the alt text feature of the content management system (CMS) you’re using, This should be a descriptive sentence explaining the information conveyed in the image as the alt text. Alt text is what appears on a page if the content does not load. It is also what screen readers read.
For example, your caption could be ‘Andrew Evans and Will Wynne opening the Smart Building office’. Your alt text could be ‘Andrew Evans and Will Wynne surrounded by Smart colleagues on the ground floor celebrating the opening of the new Smart Building office’.
With content that’s more complicated, like graphs or diagrams, it’s not possible to give the same experience with just a short description. There needs to be more information.
There must be both a short description and a long description. The aim is to create the same experience with your text as you get from the content.
The long description should be on the same page, and close to the content it is detailing.
For example, a graph showing Smart’s growth could say “This graph shows Smart’s growth”.
The long description could say ‘This graph shows that since 2019 Smart has grown almost 2,000%, with growth accelerating. In 2019 growth was 200%, 2020 growth was 250% and growth in 2021 was 330%’.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.1.1 Non-text Content, level A.
Two words, no hyphen. Use "last name" rather than "surname". Only capitalise if at the beginning of a sentence.
Use the phrase "learn more" rather than "find out more" or anything else. "Learn more" should usually be followed by "about...". For example, "Learn more about tax".
Links should be followed by a full stop if they appear at the end of a full sentence, but the full stop should be outside of the link.
If the link appears in isolation, no full stop is necessary.
Links are used for navigating to a new page or going to an external page or document.
You should use buttons where the action causes a change to a page, for example submitting a form or opening a pop-up or panel on a page.
Use links in body text, but not in titles, summaries or subheadings. Use a full stop after a link if the link ends a sentence. For links that lead a user to a screen where they can start an action, start your link with a verb.
For links that lead to an information page, put the link in context. You can do this by using the title of the destination page. If the page title does not give context, describe where the link goes.
Tell the user if you’re linking to an external website. For example, "Pension Wise has more information on the lifetime allowance”. Generally avoid using generic links like "Click here”. Generic links don’t make sense out of context and don’t tell a user where the link will take them. Remember, one word links can be hard for users with reduced mobility to use.
Links should be followed by a full stop if they appear at the end of a full sentence, but the full stop should be outside of the link.
If the link appears in isolation, no full stop is necessary.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context), level A.
A nominalisation is where you turn a verb (process, technique, emotion) into an abstract noun.
For example:
Like passive verbs, too many of them make writing very dull and heavy-going. Avoid them.
Sentence case – not Participation Agreement.
Avoid the passive voice – it's wordy, difficult to follow, and often alienates us from our reader.
You can easily move most instances into the active voice.
A good rule of thumb to help you identify passive voice is to add the phrase "by monkeys" to the end of your clause ("Your account will be closed... by monkeys"). If it still makes sense, you're probably writing in the passive voice.
Find more details on the passive voice and how to spot and avoid it on the Smart names page.
Always style with upper case P and S, including in the acronym (as above).
We want to make sure we're always being inclusive when talking to or about our users. This means using appropriate pronouns.
When talking to a user always use second-person pronouns. When talking about Smart always use first person pronouns. For example, "We'll send you an email".
When talking about a user, always use they/them pronouns unless you know their pronouns.
Never address anyone by or refer to anyone by she/he pronouns unless you definitely know which ones they use.
Use single quotes when paraphrasing something. Use double quotes in all other instances.
Where there is a sentence that ends with something in quote marks, the full stop should go "outside the quotation marks, like this". For US English, it's the other way round and the full stop should go "inside the quotation marks, like this."
Don't use them. Ever.
You can capitalise the words "team", "practice" or "discipline" if it forms part of a name. For example, Team Awesome, the Design Practice, or the Marketing Team.
You shouldn't capitalise it if it doesn't form part of a name. For example:
We capitalise PEG names as though they are proper nouns. For example, the Savings and Administration PEG. Or the Retirement and Member Payments (RAMP) PEG.
For any online content (on the platforms, in emails, on websites), avoid URLs – link with some descriptive anchor text (Read about the annual allowance on the Pension Wise website, not www.pensionwise.gov.uk). The exception to this is PDFs, where you need to write the URL out.
When you do need to write a URL out, always use www. at the beginning. Don't use title case in URLs (www.smartpension.co.uk, not www.SmartPension.co.uk), as this makes them harder to read.
Whenever we hyperlink text, there must be a description of what the link is or where it goes. The simplest way to do this is to describe the purpose of the link in the hyperlinked text or using the page title. We can also use icons (pdf icon describes the type of document), and alt text.
For example, visit our support site to find out how to sign in on our How do I sign in article.
On the platform, we will use aria tags, due to space limitations.
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), level AAA.
Unusual words and difficult words, including idioms and jargon, need to have definitions, so users know what they mean. An unusual word is one that’s not used in everyday conversation,
The first time an unusual word or phrase is used we should write an inline definition.
If the word or phrase has multiple meanings in the same page, then we should write an inline definition each time there is a new meaning.
This is an accessibility guideline, meeting Success Criterion 3.1.3 Unusual Words, level AAA.
For video-only content, like silent movies, silent demos and animations, there needs to be a text description that describes what’s happening on screen.
The aim is to create the same experience with your text as you get from the video.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded), level A.
For videos that have dialogue, there needs to be accurate and complete captions. These can be always on (open captions) or hideable (closed captions).
Using YouTube’s automatic captions isn’t enough as the accuracy can’t be guaranteed.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded), level A.
If the video is a live webcast or broadcast, we can use real-time text translation in captions, such as on YouTube.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.4 Captions (Live), level AA.
Videos also need to have a specific audio track that includes audio descriptions. Users must be able to select whether to use this audio track or not. You can do this by having a separate video that includes only the audio description soundtrack.
Live videos do not need audio descriptions.
This is an accessibility requirement, meeting Success Criterion 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded), level AA.
We adapt our tone depending on whether the situation is positive, negative, or neutral. Here are some examples:
You've successfully uploaded your PAPDIS file. Take a look below at what's been imported.
You're just a few clicks away from launching your new pension scheme.
You've updated your contribution percentage. Take a look at how much you already have in your pot.
You've finished everything on your checklist. Let's get started with your first upload.
Your PAPDIS upload was successful!
Your email address has been updated. Good job!
You've uploaded your PAPDIS file. Smart's just helped you keep your employees happy.
Your password has been updated securely thanks to Smart's innovative security technology.
Smart products are built with the latest technology and security, so you can set up your pension scheme quickly and securely.
Thanks for your email. We typically respond within 3 working days.
You can change how much you put into your pension each month. To do this, sign into your account and click on 'contributions', then adjust the slider.
We use the best technology for our Keystone platform to make us faster and more secure than anyone else.
Thanks for your email. We typically respond within 3 working days. Please note that in some exceptional circumstances it may take up to 7 days for an initial response, and then a further 5 working days for a full response if consultation is required from elsewhere in the company.
As per your request, please find instructions on how to change your password within this email.
We weren't able to import your PAPDIS file. This is because the 'contribution' column is blank.
We're sorry we sent your employers a postponement letter by mistake. We’ve identified what caused this to happen, and have taken steps to rectify it and ensure that it doesn't happen again.
We've cancelled your invoice payment due to a problem with your account details. Sign into your account to edit your details and we'll retry the payment shortly.
Your account is disabled. Don't worry, it's only temporary.
Error 2394 - Invalid line item 'GQE'.
You've failed to meet the eligibility criteria for enrolment in this pension scheme. To be eligible you must be in reckonable service with gross qualifying earnings of over £XX,XXX per annum.
You've uploaded your PAPDIS file with missing data.
Your payment has failed because you haven't updated your account details.
You've entered your password incorrectly.
Here are some examples of our tone of voice in action:
Field 'Date of Birth' is invalid.
Please enter a valid date of birth.
Whoops! Looks like that date of birth isn't quite right.
Invalid password entered. Try again.
Your password is incorrect. Please try again.
Oh dear! That password doesn't seem to match what we've got here. Let's have another go.
You are now registered with Smart Pension
Your account is activated. Log in to evaluate and alter your current monthly contribution levels. You may also use the navigation tools to review the latest valuation of your pension funds.
Welcome to Smart Pension
Get started by checking on how much you're contributing to your pension. Don't forget to check back often and see how your savings are growing.
Yay! You're all signed up
Come on over to the website now to check how much cash is going into your pot and see how it's doing.
This is to notify you of changes to your company pension scheme.
<Company name> has made some changes to your pension scheme.
Heads up! There's some new stuff happening.
We're contacting you to notify you that your password has been changed. If you did not request this change please contact us.
Your password has been changed. If this wasn't you, let us know.
You've got a shiny new password. If you didn't choose it, drop us a line and tell us.
Employee Engagement is acknowledged as crucial to success in modern companies.
Keeping your employees happy and engaged is key to the success of your company.
No one likes a grumpy employee. To be successful you need to keep all the folks in your company happy.
No results. Please try a different search.
If there's something you think should be included, email us (this could be to a new content guild email address, or possibly to an email that notified the #writesmart slack channel. OR just have this encourage people to talk in the slack channel).
Instead of using the term on request use the term if you ask instead
Instead of using the term on the grounds that use the term because instead
Instead of using the term on the occasion that use the term when, if instead
Instead of using the term operate use the term work, run instead
Instead of using the term optimum use the term best, ideal instead
Instead of using the term option use the term choice instead
Instead of using the term ordinarily use the term normally, usually instead
Instead of using the term otherwise use the term or instead
Instead of using the term outstanding use the term unpaid instead
Instead of using the term owing to use the term because of instead
Instead of using the term partially use the term partly instead
Instead of using the term participate use the term join in, take part instead
Instead of using the term particulars use the term details, facts instead
Instead of using the term per annum use the term a year instead
Instead of using the term perform use the term do instead
Instead of using the term permissible use the term allowed instead
Instead of using the term permit use the term let, allow instead
Instead of using the term personnel use the term people, staff instead
Instead of using the term persons use the term people, anyone instead
Instead of using the term peruse use the term read, read carefully, look at instead
Instead of using the term place use the term put instead
Instead of using the term possess use the term have, own instead
Instead of using the term possessions use the term belongings instead
Instead of using the term practically use the term almost, nearly instead
Instead of using the term predominant use the term main instead
Instead of using the term prescribe use the term set, fix instead
Instead of using the term preserve use the term keep, protect instead
Instead of using the term previous use the term earlier, before, last instead
Instead of using the term principal use the term main instead
Instead of using the term prior to use the term before instead
Instead of using the term proceed use the term go ahead instead
Instead of using the term procure use the term get, obtain, arrange instead
Instead of using the term profusion of use the term plenty, too many (or say how many) instead
Instead of using the term prohibit use the term ban, stop instead
Instead of using the term projected use the term estimated instead
Instead of using the term prolonged use the term long instead
Instead of using the term promptly use the term quickly, at once instead
Instead of using the term promulgate use the term advertise, announce instead
Instead of using the term proportion use the term part instead
Instead of using the term provide use the term give instead
Instead of using the term provided that use the term if, as long as instead
Instead of using the term provisions use the term rules, terms instead
Instead of using the term proximity use the term closeness, nearness instead
Instead of using the term purchase use the term buy instead
Instead of using the term pursuant to use the term under, because of, in line with instead
Instead of using the term qualify for use the term can get, be able to get instead
Instead of using the term reconsider use the term think again about, look again at instead
Instead of using the term reduce use the term cut instead
Instead of using the term reduction use the term cut instead
Instead of using the term refer to use the term talk about, mention instead
Instead of using the term referred to as use the term called instead
Instead of using the term regarding use the term about, on instead
Instead of using the term regulation use the term rule instead
Instead of using the term reimburse use the term repay, pay back instead
Instead of using the term reiterate use the term repeat, restate instead
Instead of using the term relating to use the term about instead
Instead of using the term remain use the term stay instead
Instead of using the term remainder use the term the rest, what is left instead
Instead of using the term remittance use the term payment instead
Instead of using the term remuneration use the term pay, wages, salary instead
Instead of using the term render use the term make, give, send instead
Instead of using the term represent use the term show, stand for, be instead
Instead of using the term request use the term ask, question instead
Instead of using the term require use the term need, want, force instead
Instead of using the term requirements use the term needs, rules instead
Instead of using the term reside use the term live instead
Instead of using the term residence use the term home, where you live instead
Instead of using the term restriction use the term limit instead
Instead of using the term retain use the term keep instead
Instead of using the term review use the term look at (again) instead
Instead of using the term revised use the term new, changed instead
Instead of using the term said/such/same use the term the, this, that instead
Instead of using the term scrutinise use the term read (look at) carefully instead
Instead of using the term select use the term choose instead
Instead of using the term settle use the term pay instead
Instead of using the term similarly use the term also, in the same way instead
Instead of using the term solely use the term only instead
Instead of using the term specified use the term given, written, set instead
Instead of using the term state use the term say, tell us, write down instead
Instead of using the term statutory use the term legal, by law instead
Instead of using the term subject to use the term depending on, under, keeping to instead
Instead of using the term submit use the term send, give instead
Instead of using the term subsequent to/upon use the term after instead
Instead of using the term subsequently use the term later instead
Instead of using the term substantial use the term large, great, a lot of instead
Instead of using the term substantially use the term more or less instead
Instead of using the term sufficient use the term enough instead
Instead of using the term supplement use the term go with, add to instead
Instead of using the term supplementary use the term extra, more instead
Instead of using the term supply use the term give, sell, delivery instead
Instead of using the term terminate use the term stop, end instead
Instead of using the term that being the case use the term if so instead
Instead of using the term the question as to whether use the term whether instead
Instead of using the term thereafter use the term then, afterwards instead
Instead of using the term thereby use the term by that, because of that instead
Instead of using the term therein use the term in that, there instead
Instead of using the term thereof use the term of that instead
Instead of using the term thereto use the term to that instead
Instead of using the term thus use the term so, therefore instead
Instead of using the term to date use the term so far, up to now instead
