{"id":1631,"date":"2014-04-02T19:08:49","date_gmt":"2014-04-02T19:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/?p=1631"},"modified":"2014-04-02T19:08:49","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T19:08:49","slug":"magoosh-speak-a-startup-needs-a-style-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/blog\/magoosh-speak-a-startup-needs-a-style-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Magoosh Speak\u2014A Startup Needs a Style Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.<\/em> \u2014Mark Twain<\/h5>\n

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All of us at Magoosh interact with students somehow. Through mailings, phone calls, e-mails, ad copy, blog articles, support tutoring, Facebook posts, Twitter hashtags, psychic transference, and product descriptions, we all speak to our students on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

But with diffuse channels, like these, how do we have any continuity?<\/p>\n

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What we needed was a manifesto of our values, a treatise of tone and style, a tale of our tribe, a lyrical paradise, a style guide that would be our sonnet of serenade to intoxicate everyone at Magoosh with the audacious notion of inspiring our students to love test prep.<\/p>\n

But what does that even mean? No, really?! What am I even talking about?!<\/p>\n

I am talking about why we, as a startup, needed to make the Magoosh Style Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.<\/em> \u2014Elmore Leonard<\/h5>\n

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Startups are submerged in grand soliloquies and lofty inclinations. As they should be! It\u2019s part of the ethos. Values allow us to dream big, carve out a culture, and inspire employees and students alike\u2014but values need anchors.<\/p>\n

At Magoosh, we needed to tether our values to reality because ideals alone won\u2019t make it easier to communicate to a non-native English speaker the subtleties of when and how to use \u201cthe\u201d and \u201ca\u201d in a sentence or to receive feedback on our English product when students are still learning English.<\/p>\n

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Say what you mean to say. Sound like yourself.<\/em> \u2014 Kurt Vonnegut<\/h5>\n

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So we began with our core values<\/a>. Three values stood out as being perfect lightposts for our style guide\u2014Communication > Efficiency, Friendly > Formal, and Accessible > Exclusive.<\/p>\n

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Communication > Efficiency<\/h5>\n<\/dt>\n
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…worth 10100<\/sup> words<\/strong>. Sometimes the best way to communicate an idea is with an image, not text. Show students an image of the new feature or button instead of describing where it is and what it looks like.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

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Friendly > Formal<\/h5>\n<\/dt>\n
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Friendly is professional<\/strong>. Don\u2019t worry about sacrificing professionalism for friendliness because a friendly attitude is professional. Treat students with respect, empathize with them, and be honest\u2014that\u2019s the professionalism we all want.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

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Accessible > Exclusive<\/h5>\n<\/dt>\n
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Organize your ideas into discrete paragraphs<\/strong>. Break up long paragraphs. Form your thoughts into manageable, discrete units of information. You should not look at what you wrote and dread reading through it. Make it manageable.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

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Forget your generalized audience\u2026In writing, your audience is one single reader…it helps to pick out one person\u2014a real person you know\u2026and write to that one.<\/em> \u2014John Steinbeck<\/h5>\n

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What became clear while translating values into a practical guide, though, were their limits. Obvious recommendations for writing didn\u2019t have a home under a value. We met our goal of concision but at the cost of completeness. We needed to cover specifics. How else could we recommend bolding main points or leading with the most important details? So our journey continued deeper into writing\u2019s details to find:<\/p>\n

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2. Be genuine and honest!<\/strong> Thoughtlessly saying \u201cGreat question!\u201d all the time can sound rehearsed or patronizing. Be conscious of what you\u2019re writing and to whom you\u2019re writing.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

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3. They are students.<\/strong> Magoosh is a place for students\u2014not consumers, users, requesters, or any other bland sterilizing term. Make sure they know that you know that.<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

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7. Talk about something off-topic<\/strong> from time to time. Step out of your \u201crole\u201d and be real. Think of Saturday Night Live when everyone breaks from character and laughs at what is going on. These are wonderful moments to watch in the audience. Replicate this \u201crealness\u201d and authenticity in your writing whenever possible. Break down the fourth wall<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

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Never use a long word where a short one will do.<\/em><\/p>\n
If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out.<\/em><\/p>\n
Never use the passive where you can use the active.<\/em><\/p>\n
\u2014George Orwell<\/h5>\n

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Ah! The light of day! We ultimately emerged with a guide that helps anyone at Magoosh write to students. Inspired by the ideals that pulse through our daily routines, Magooshers can have something tangible to look at when they have something to say.<\/p>\n

The final touches to the guide\u2014resources that inspired aspects of our style guide and also details we couldn’t put any better\u2014made up for all the gaps a two-page guide invariably will have. Innovative as a last resort as Charles and Ray Eames<\/a> would say.<\/p>\n

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