Use plain language
The average reading age for an adult in the UK is 9 years old.
Writing in simple English makes our content more inclusive and ensures that people of varying reading comprehension levels can use our product.
Use simple words
Sticking with simple words whenever you can means your content will:
- be easier to scan and understand
- be more inclusive as they account for neurodivergence, and differences in backgrounds, education levels, impairments, and more.
- require less mental effort
- feel more conversational and friendly
- Buy
- Change
- Help
- Use
- Purchase
- Edit
- Assistance
- Usage
Avoid using slang, jargon, acronyms, or technical terms unless it would be more complicated to try to explain around it.
Use sentence case
Write in sentence case, which means that only the first letter of the first word in a sentence or line of copy is capitalised.
Sentence case makes the writing easier to read, and creates a more natural, conversation feel and rhythm.
The only exceptions are when you use proper nouns or branded terms.
- View billing history
- Today's balance
- View Billing History
- Today's Balance
Read more about capitalisation in our style guide.
Be direct
Always lead with the most important information, and show the clearest path forward.
We focus on potential impact of users, so it’s important to prioritise what is most relevant to them.
Lead with verbs wherever possible to inspire action that enable users to solve the problem.
Read more about our narrative style in our style guide.
Keep it short
Streamline your writing by saying only what needs to be said.
It’s less about keeping it under a certain word count, and more about delivering information in the least amount of words.
Make things scannable
A big block of text makes it harder for users to stay engaged and understand what they need to take away.
Write content that’s easy to scan by:
- Using bullet lists
- Keeping sentences short and simple
- Using commas sparingly
- Keeping paragraphs under two sentences
- Communicating only a couple of key points within a section
Be clear and consistent
Make sure you’re specific and only communicate what that the user needs to know in order to complete their task.
We couldn't get a reading from your smart meter. Mind sending one manually?
There was a problem with your meter reading
Use consistent vocabulary and terms every time you reference the same concept.
For example, if you use ‘bill’ to refer to the monthly statement, then use ‘bill’ every time if you reference it.
Say sorry and take accountability
If we’ve caused confusion or upset to the customer, even if it’s not intentional, we should earnestly apologise and take accountability for our actions.
- Start your sentence with a declarative, clearly outlining the issue or situation to the customer
- Explain why or how the situation occurred when possible
- Use first-person pronouns to talk about OVO –"we", "us"
- Provide a link to the relevant support contact information if needed
- Make false promises
- Use comical phrases like “oops”, puns, or silly verbiage
- Be overly apologetic
- Use intensifiers like "so sorry" – this can actually make the communication sound less genuine
While apologies acknowledge the negative impact we may have caused, accountability takes responsibility for our actions, while also communicate our intent to doing better and avoid making the same mistake again.
Remember, the two can be linked but can also can exist independently. It’s knowing when they need to be combined in our messaging.
This type of messaging can have a delicate context, so speak with empathy while still keeping it professional and not overly emotive.
Example of an apology email
You’ve been charged the wrong amount
Hello, {First_Name}.
We overcharged you recently on your last bill. Your monthly payment is £XX, and in June, you were charged £XX.
This was due to a technical error on our end. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and will refund you the difference.
We want to own up to something…
We understand that you’ve been charged an incorrect amount on your most recent bill. This was because of a technical error and we’re so sorry for any inconvenience caused.
Design content-first
The most important things a user needs to complete a task is to be informed of necessary context, and that they also have the confidence to do so.
Always make sure that the content informs the designs so that the visuals and interactions accommodate what needs to be communicated.
Use the right components and UX patterns
Wherever possible, use your designs to speak for itself.
A toggle button, for example, does an effective job of telling a user to turn a feature or function on or off, without you having to spell it out.
When you choose components and UX patterns that work just as hard as the copy you craft, it makes for a much sleeker and digestible experience.
Consider accessibility needs
Writing inclusively not only means understanding the tools that people with disabilities use for digital products, but also staying on top of best practices so we don’t design those experiences as an afterthought.
We should always design with screen readers in mind, and deliver the final designs with screens marked up with additional context or alt text whenever it’s needed.
Remember: while visual design doesn’t communicate linearly, screen readers always do.
Make sure the headers, images, and CTAs are clearly labelled, the focus order makes sense, and the action to move onto the next step is clear.