Voice and tone

Create UI and app content that aligns with Atlassian’s voice and tone.
The guidance on this page relates to voice and tone for user interfaces and app experiences. For broader guidance, including marketing, view Brand Voice and Tone (Atlassians only)

Our voice is essentially Atlassian's personality and is made up of the following traits:

  • Bold
  • Optimistic
  • Practical, with a wink

Tone is how we express Atlassian’s voice, and it should change depending on the situation the user is in (for example, receiving an error versus successfully completing a project).

Whether it’s writing content for our apps, user interface, websites, or communications, you should follow our voice and tone guidelines to ensure people recognize they’re interacting with Atlassian wherever they are.

How to apply Atlassian’s personality traits

How each trait is applied should depend on the audience and situation. Use these questions to help you work out the right balance:

  • What is the emotional state of the user when they encounter your content or solution, and where are they on their journey?
  • How might our personality traits enhance a moment of celebration?
  • How might our personality traits diffuse a moment of frustration or pain?

Bold

When we say bold, it’s about motivating teams with the right amount of support at the right time to do their best work.

  • Offer best practices or just enough help to get the work started.
  • Give accurate information so people can make educated decisions.
  • Understand a person's struggles and desired outcomes, and give just enough information so someone can get where they need to go.

When to be more bold

  • Person is feeling: confident, interested, trust, anticipation.
  • Examples: power users, admins, daily users.

When to be less bold

  • Person is feeling: apprehension, confusion, annoyance, fear, anger.
  • Examples: new users, trial users, when introducing a new concept, feature, or app.

Optimistic

Writing with optimism is understanding where in the journey someone is and highlighting the key points that will help them along the way.

  • Focus on the most important bits the person needs in the moment. This gives people confidence in our apps.
  • Weave a consistent story across apps and use the same vocabulary across all messaging.
  • Create a seamless flow across experiences. This lets people know that no matter where they’re working, they can expect a familiar, consistent experience.
  • Keep people in the loop by informing them of relevant features, apps, and opportunities for success.

When to be more optimistic

  • Person is feeling: ambitious, inspired, curious, admiration.
  • Examples: power users, admins, daily users.

When to be less optimistic

  • Person is feeling: anticipation, unsupported, confused, uncertain.
  • Examples: someone is new to Atlassian, trial users, when introducing a new concept, feature, or app.

Practical, with a wink

Our practical side means getting to the point and being direct and concise.

  • Be on the lookout for opportunities where we can offer a helping hand.
  • Write clear, accurate, and concise content that makes interfaces more usable and consistent — and builds trust.
  • Write content that is understandable for anyone, anywhere, regardless of their culture or language so that everyone feels part of the team.

The ‘with a wink’ part of this trait needs more discernment when applying it to UI and app content (as opposed to marketing content) and remember that it isn’t always appropriate to use. Be mindful of where someone is at and what they might be experiencing before going beyond the practical.

When to be more practical

  • Person is feeling: overwhelmed, unsure, hesitant, stressed.
  • Examples: people with deadlines or being blocked by errors, supporting new or occasional users, introducing new features.

When you can add the ‘wink’

  • Person is feeling: successful, joy, proud, relief.
  • Examples: power users, during social interactions, success messages.

Voice and tone principles

Atlassian's personality traits help keep our voice consistent across a range of different customer and app experiences. We can better support the full spectrum of experience for people by applying the following principles.

Our voice and tone principles:


Inform to build trust

Be open and clear about the experience.

  • Tell people only what they need to know in the moment and nothing more.
  • Be aware of when a user may be new or confused, and tone down the boldness by being more prescriptive.
  • Let people know where they are in their journey and what this part of the app will do.

Write as a knowledgable member of the team. Show up at the right time and be open, humble, and warm. Offer direction for the most appropriate next steps.

Places to use 'Inform to build trust'


Empower to inspire action

Educate where people need it most.

  • Offer opportunities to learn at pivotal times to empower people to move in the right direction.
  • Give best practices and recommendations for next steps.
  • Suggest ways to improve or make decisions.
  • Let people know that Atlassian and fellow community members are available to help them make decisions.

Write as if you are educating. You are a teacher with empathy and an understanding of what it’s like to be in the weeds. You expect your audience to have a basic understanding.

Places to use 'Empower to inspire action'


Encourage people along the path

Inspire by providing support in the right place. Be consistent and dependable.

  • Offer waypoints, help, and support if people are feeling confused or frustrated at points along their journey.
  • Be human: give guidance, support, and encouragement along the way.
  • Guide people by revealing information gracefully. Let them know they’re on the right path, they aren’t alone, and that delivering projects and building teams can be challenging.

Write in an upbeat, friendly way. Acknowledge the opportunities in the here-and-now and walk through it with them.

Places to use 'Encourage people along the path'


Motivate by showing possibilities

Provide incentive and enthusiasm for continued growth.

  • Consider why someone would want to do this.
  • Show the possibilities of what can be accomplished by giving examples of how other people accomplish the same task or by presenting the ideal state.
  • Describe the end result by giving expert testimony or offer opportunities for advanced knowledge.

Write like an expert. Focus more on the solution than on the problem. Show people the possible benefits.

Places to use 'Motivate by showing possibilities'

  • In-app: spotlights and modal dialogs
  • Educational opportunities — it's a chance to give best practices, and tips and tricks

Satisfy by meeting expectations

Give people what they need.

  • All of our content should be practical at a minimum.
  • Provide quick and thorough answers, guidance, actions, and instructions (rather than trying to lead, inspire, motivate, delight, or encourage).
  • Simply tell people what they need to know and get out of the way.

Write as if you are explaining to your friend how to travel somewhere you’ve visited regularly.

Places to use 'Satisfy by meeting expectations'


Delight with unexpectedly pleasing experiences

You can deliver appropriate delight (a ‘wink’) by celebrating success or progress, but only once you’ve built trust. Don’t overdo it. 

  • Delight means little flourishes, not humor or being cheeky.
  • Always ask yourself what someone might be feeling at that moment and if delight is appropriate. Also question whether it will be understood or appreciated by our global audience.
  • Think about the timing and how frequently a user will see this. Once may amuse, but a dozen times may annoy.

Places to use ‘Delight with unexpectedly pleasing experiences’

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