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Writing

Werklist copy says what happens and what to do next, in as few words as it takes. It should sound like a careful operator talking to a client, not like an advertisement.

Voice

“Werklist helps companies hire reliable workers at home and abroad, and arranges their work permits.”

Be direct. Tell the reader what happens, and use the imperative where it fits: Send the offer.

Earn trust with specifics. A date, a figure or the name of a document does more than any adjective.

Leave out hype: no superlatives, no exclamation marks and no emoji in the product.

Keep it short. If a sentence can go, it goes.

Before and after

  1. Leverage our seamless end-to-end solution to unlock world-class talent.

    Advertising words, and nobody does anything.

    Werklist finds workers abroad, arranges their work permits and brings them to your site.

  2. Your application has been successfully submitted and will be processed in due course.

    Passive, and it gives the reader nothing to plan with.

    The recruiter has your application and replies by Friday.

  3. Error: invalid input!

    It blames the reader and does not say how to fix it.

    Enter the passport number as it appears on the photo page.

  4. Fast. Reliable. Compliant.

    Three fragments for rhythm.

    A welder for Split starts work with an approved permit and a signed contract.

Tone by situation

  • Button

    A verb and its object. Not OK or Submit.

  • Steps in a flow

    Continue to go on, Done to finish, Cancel to leave without a change.

  • Read the usage terms

    Link

    Where it goes. Not Click here.

  • The offer did not load.

    Error

    What happened and what to do, in one calm sentence.

  • Use the name as it appears on the passport.

    Error in a field

    How to fix it, next to the field.

  • No documents yet.

    Empty state

    One sentence and the next action.

  • Label

    A noun in sentence case, with no colon.

  • Placeholder

    An example of the format, not the label.

  • Setting

    What it does when it is on.

  • Werkcall uses your camera and microphone for the interview.

    Permission request

    What the access is for, when it is needed, then Continue.

  • Not available in this workspace.

    Unavailable

    Say so plainly.

  • Destructive action

    Name the act on the button. Not Yes.

Sentences

Keep a sentence only if the reader would lose a fact, a rule or an example without it.

Give each sentence a subject that does something. A recruiter, a candidate and an employer act. A solution or an experience does not.

Name the thing, not its category: a work permit, not documentation.

Write to the reader, in the present tense and the active voice.

Do not stack three adjectives or three fragments for rhythm. Use a number when the reader needs it, not for effect.

Leave out we. “The offer did not load” says more than “We could not load the offer”.

Do not point by position. Above, below and on the left mean nothing to a screen reader or on a phone.

Punctuation and case

Use sentence case for headings, buttons, labels and navigation.

Do not use a dash as punctuation. Split the sentence in two, or join the parts with and, so, because or then. Write ranges with to.

Hyphenate a compound only before a noun: an end-to-end placement, the sign-in page. Elsewhere leave it open: hire workers end to end, sign in.

End a sentence with a full stop, and leave it off headings, labels and buttons. Do not use exclamation marks or put a question in a heading.

Permitted

  • Two short sentences where a dash would go

  • Monday to Friday

  • Start date

  • Download the brand deck

Not permitted

  • A dash between two clauses

  • A range written with a dash

  • Start date:

    A colon after a label.

  • Download The Brand Deck!

    Title case and an exclamation mark.

Words

Leave out advertising words such as seamless or world-class. Use AI-powered only when naming WerkAI.

Prefer the words of the trade, such as placement and work permit.

Write in English. Screens that people outside Werklist open, such as a booking link, also come in Croatian and Serbian, while trade terms such as shortlist and onboarding stay in English.

One name for one thing

Use the same name for a thing in the product, on the website and in documents.

WerkOS
Werklist's recruitment operations platform. Not the app, the hub or the CRM.
WerkAI
The AI layer of WerkOS.
Board grid
The interactive grid of a WerkOS board.
Report table
The static table in reports and documents.
Light and dark theme
The two appearances of a screen. Not mode, not skin.
Email
One word, no hyphen.
Color
American spelling, in words and in token names.

NextDesign tokens

Writing

Sets the voice, the sentence rules, punctuation and case, the words to use and the glossary for everything Werklist publishes.

  • Kind: foundation
  • Page: https://design.werklist.com/foundations/writing
  • Version: 2.1.2

Rules

  • Be direct. Tell the reader what happens, in the imperative where it fits: Send the offer.
  • Earn trust with specifics: a date, a figure, the name of a document.
  • Leave out hype: no superlatives, no exclamation marks and no emoji in the product.
  • Keep a sentence only if the reader would lose a fact, a rule or an example without it.
  • Give each sentence a subject that acts. A recruiter, a candidate and an employer act. A solution or an experience does not.
  • Name the thing, not its category: a work permit, not documentation.
  • Write to the reader, in the present tense and the active voice.
  • Do not stack three adjectives or three fragments for rhythm. Use a number when the reader needs it, not for effect.
  • Leave out we. The offer did not load, not We could not load the offer.
  • Do not point by position. Above, below and on the left mean nothing to a screen reader or on a phone.
  • Sentence case for headings, buttons, labels and navigation.
  • No dash as punctuation. Split the sentence in two, or join the parts with and, so, because or then. Write ranges with to.
  • Hyphenate a compound only before a noun (end-to-end placement, sign-in page). Leave it open elsewhere (end to end, sign in).
  • End a sentence with a full stop. Leave it off headings, labels and buttons. No exclamation marks, and no question as a heading.
  • Flow words: Continue to go on, Done to finish, Cancel to leave without a change. A destructive button names the act.
  • Leave out advertising words such as seamless or world-class. AI-powered only when naming WerkAI.
  • Prefer the words of the trade, such as placement and work permit.
  • Write in English. Screens people outside Werklist open, such as a booking link, also come in Croatian and Serbian. Trade terms such as shortlist and onboarding stay in English.
  • One name for one thing: WerkOS (not the app, the hub or the CRM), WerkAI, board grid, report table, light theme and dark theme (not mode, not skin), email, color.

Content

  • Button: a verb and its object, not OK or Submit. Send offer.
  • Link: where it goes, not Click here. Read the usage terms.
  • Error: what happened and what to do, in one calm sentence. The offer did not load. Try again.
  • Error in a field: how to fix it, next to the field. Use the name as it appears on the passport.
  • Empty state: one sentence and the next action. No documents yet. Upload a document.
  • Label: a noun in sentence case, with no colon. Start date.
  • Placeholder: an example of the format, not the label. name@company.com.
  • Setting: what it does when it is on. Email me when a work permit is approved.
  • Permission request: what the access is for, when it is needed, then Continue. Werkcall uses your camera and microphone for the interview.
  • Unavailable: say so plainly. Not available in this workspace.
  • Destructive action: name the act on the button, not Yes. Delete board.

JSON

{
  "title": "Writing",
  "path": "/foundations/writing",
  "url": "https://design.werklist.com/foundations/writing",
  "text": "https://design.werklist.com/agent/foundations/writing",
  "summary": "How Werklist sounds, the rules for each sentence, and the words to use and to leave out.",
  "version": "2.1.2",
  "kind": "foundation",
  "name": "Writing",
  "purpose": "Sets the voice, the sentence rules, punctuation and case, the words to use and the glossary for everything Werklist publishes.",
  "rules": [
    "Be direct. Tell the reader what happens, in the imperative where it fits: Send the offer.",
    "Earn trust with specifics: a date, a figure, the name of a document.",
    "Leave out hype: no superlatives, no exclamation marks and no emoji in the product.",
    "Keep a sentence only if the reader would lose a fact, a rule or an example without it.",
    "Give each sentence a subject that acts. A recruiter, a candidate and an employer act. A solution or an experience does not.",
    "Name the thing, not its category: a work permit, not documentation.",
    "Write to the reader, in the present tense and the active voice.",
    "Do not stack three adjectives or three fragments for rhythm. Use a number when the reader needs it, not for effect.",
    "Leave out we. The offer did not load, not We could not load the offer.",
    "Do not point by position. Above, below and on the left mean nothing to a screen reader or on a phone.",
    "Sentence case for headings, buttons, labels and navigation.",
    "No dash as punctuation. Split the sentence in two, or join the parts with and, so, because or then. Write ranges with to.",
    "Hyphenate a compound only before a noun (end-to-end placement, sign-in page). Leave it open elsewhere (end to end, sign in).",
    "End a sentence with a full stop. Leave it off headings, labels and buttons. No exclamation marks, and no question as a heading.",
    "Flow words: Continue to go on, Done to finish, Cancel to leave without a change. A destructive button names the act.",
    "Leave out advertising words such as seamless or world-class. AI-powered only when naming WerkAI.",
    "Prefer the words of the trade, such as placement and work permit.",
    "Write in English. Screens people outside Werklist open, such as a booking link, also come in Croatian and Serbian. Trade terms such as shortlist and onboarding stay in English.",
    "One name for one thing: WerkOS (not the app, the hub or the CRM), WerkAI, board grid, report table, light theme and dark theme (not mode, not skin), email, color."
  ],
  "content": [
    "Button: a verb and its object, not OK or Submit. Send offer.",
    "Link: where it goes, not Click here. Read the usage terms.",
    "Error: what happened and what to do, in one calm sentence. The offer did not load. Try again.",
    "Error in a field: how to fix it, next to the field. Use the name as it appears on the passport.",
    "Empty state: one sentence and the next action. No documents yet. Upload a document.",
    "Label: a noun in sentence case, with no colon. Start date.",
    "Placeholder: an example of the format, not the label. name@company.com.",
    "Setting: what it does when it is on. Email me when a work permit is approved.",
    "Permission request: what the access is for, when it is needed, then Continue. Werkcall uses your camera and microphone for the interview.",
    "Unavailable: say so plainly. Not available in this workspace.",
    "Destructive action: name the act on the button, not Yes. Delete board."
  ]
}

Raw file: https://design.werklist.com/agent/foundations/writing