Overview

Voice and tone

This section outlines how we write to express our brand and values and how we adapt our content to different contexts for our customers and pros.

What is voice and tone?

Voice doesn’t change. It’s your personality and how you sound, regardless of the situation.

Tone changes all the time depending on context and setting. It’s how you speak, depending on who you’re talking to or the situation you’re addressing.

Thumbtack’s voice attributes

Pros and customers should read and sense the real person on the other end of those words. In combination, the following attributes make Thumbtack’s voice what it is:

AttributesIn other words:

Refreshing

  • Unexpected
  • A relief
  • Relatable
  • No BS

Realistic

  • Straightforward
  • Grounded
  • Self-aware

Relatable

  • Glad to be of help
  • Trusted
  • Reassuring

Different moments, different tones

When deciding on tone, consider:

  • What stage of user journey you’re currently writing for
  • The user’s current emotions
  • How much space you have for content

Low tone

Medium tone

High tone

  • Error messages
  • Collecting sensitive info like addresses or SSNs
  • Addressing changes to prices or pricing
  • Unhappy paths (payment failure, no pros found)
  • Legal related content
  • Transactional emails
  • Feature updates and announcements
  • Ghost text/UI
  • Celebratory moments
  • Review flow
  • Onboarding and welcome
  • Explore page
  • Moments of inspiration