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Mailchimp, an email marketing company
takes voice and tone seriously.

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In fact, they separate voice and tone
from their visual design documentation.

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It makes sense that Mailchimp would
consider voice and tone carefully.

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Managing an email campaign
isn't a one step process like

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using a search bar or posting a photo.

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As users complete complex steps
like establishing a mailing list,

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drafting messages, and
scheduling email blasts,

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Mailchimp provides frequent reassurance.

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High five, rock on, way to move one 
step closer to your goal.

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Although it's buried here at
the bottom of the sidebar,

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Mailchimp has provided a TLDR, or
"too long, don't read" version of their

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guidelines with a useful summary of
the principles of writing for Mailchimp.

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More in-depth documentation is available
to guide specific tasks like writing for

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social media or writing technical content.

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Here's a bulleted list describing
Mailchimp's voice as human,

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familiar, friendly, and straightforward.

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If you're tasked with writing for a brand,

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a useful first step is to locate this
list of emotional voice principles–

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there's usually three to five–and

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post each one on a sticky
note by your workstation.

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Here's a few samples.

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Adobe Spectrum is rational,
human, and focused.

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Sprout Social is smart,
confident, and compassionate.

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Shopify Polaris is confident not arrogant,

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empathetic not over protective,
and transparent not blunt.

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While Firefox Photon values people,
not profit,

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cares about performance,
values user privacy,

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and allows meaningful user
control over browsing.

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If, for example, you were introducing
a new feature for Firefox and

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failed to emphasize user privacy and
control over browsing,

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your writing is likely inconsistent
with Firefox's brand voice.

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Returning to Mailchimp's content
style guide, there are guidelines for

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writing about people, plus a link to a
site called the conscious style guide for

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further tips on addressing
your audience inclusively.

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For grammar and mechanics, the TLDR
page provides only a brief overview.

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Clicking the sidebar link
gives specific examples.

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And it's important to note there's
no universal set of rules.

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For example,
Mailchimp encourages contractions,

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but a brand with a more formal
voice might discourage them.

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Next comes labeling interface elements.

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Some design systems might group this
information into the component library.

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But Mailchimp's component library covers
only visual style and coding snippets.

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For accessibility rules,

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let's once again look at the more detailed
guidelines by clicking the sidebar link.

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Designers sometimes get the impression
that accessibility is purely

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the responsibility of
the development team.

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But this list of considerations
suggests that an accessible product

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requires designers, developers, and
copy writers working in tandem.

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Mailchimp insists, all body copy
must be easy to scan visually,

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limited in technical jargon,
mobile friendly, and

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understood even when colors,
images, and videos can't be seen.

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And no matter how technical or
complex your product,

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these are good rules to follow.

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Website and app content needs to be
available to the widest possible audience,

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regardless of technical background
knowledge or physical ability.

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That concludes our look at design systems.

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As devices and platforms for

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interacting with the web continue
to evolve, so we'll design systems.

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But the information you've learned
in this course should prepare you to

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understand and
apply design system documentation, and

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to design products that are consistent,
predictable, and accessible.