When you think of a design system, what comes to mind? Buttons, cards, tokens, components? All good answers. But there’s another element just as important — and often overlooked: content.
Words shape the user experience as much as design. In fact, clear, inclusive content is what brings a design system to life.
This article explores why content is essential to every design system — especially in government — and how to build your own content standards into the system you use.
Why Content Deserves a Place in Your Design System
A design system is about creating a shared language. And language isn’t just visual — it’s verbal. Every label, heading, button, or error message is part of your product’s experience.
Without consistent content:
- Buttons say different things across screens.
- Forms confuse users with unclear instructions.
- Alerts sound robotic in one place and overly casual in another.
With content standards in place:
- You reduce cognitive load.
- You write for accessibility and inclusion.
- You build trust through consistency.
In government, clarity and plain English aren’t just good practice — they’re a requirement.
What Belongs in the “Content” Part of a Design System?
Think of your content layer as the verbal equivalent of your visual tokens and components. Here’s what to include.
1. Voice and Tone Guidelines
- Voice is your brand personality — always consistent.
- Tone changes with context — supportive in errors, concise in onboarding, direct in warnings.
👉 Example:
Your default voice may be clear, respectful, and informative.
In an error state, tone shifts to supportive:
“We couldn’t process your payment. Please try again or contact support.”
2. Style and Grammar Rules
Set your team’s approach to:
- Capitalisation
- Abbreviations
- Oxford comma (yes or no?)
- Contractions (use them — or don’t?)
Use a reference like the Australian Government Style Manual to align with national expectations.
3. Microcopy Standards
Microcopy includes:
- Button labels
- Form instructions
- Empty states
- Error messages
- Confirmation messages
✅ Good example:
“Upload your file (PDF or Word, max 10MB)”
❌ Bad example:
“Please ensure document compliance before submission”
4. Inclusive and Accessible Language
Design systems must support inclusive, bias-free language. This includes:
- Avoiding idioms and jargon
- Using person-first or identity-first language as appropriate
- Writing for reading level (e.g. Grade 7–9)
- Gender-neutral pronouns
Example:
✅ “A person experiencing homelessness”
❌ “The homeless”
5. Content Tokens (Advanced)
Just like you have design tokens for spacing and colour, you can define content tokens for:
- Standardised messages
- Common labels and prompts
- Status phrases (e.g. “Draft”, “In progress”, “Submitted”)
This helps keep text consistent across platforms and channels.
How Designers, Writers, and Developers Work Together
Creating a strong content system isn’t a writer-only task. It’s a team effort.
| Role | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Content Designer / Writer | Creates voice and tone guide, writes microcopy, reviews labels and help text |
| UX / UI Designer | Applies tone to components, ensures space fits real content |
| Developer | Implements copy in components, flags inconsistencies, adds content tokens |
| Product Manager | Ensures consistency across journeys and teams |
Real Example: Button Label Variations
In some projects, you might find these four versions of the same action:
- Submit
- Send form
- Save & continue
- Confirm
A design system with content standards would define:
- ✅ Preferred: Submit
- ⛔ Avoid: Send form (too technical), Confirm (too vague)
Having this guidance improves consistency — and user confidence.
How to Document Content in Your Design System
Use the same structure as other components:
Component page: Button
- Description
- Visual examples
- Code
- ✅ Approved label: “Submit”
- ⛔ Avoid: “Click here”, “Confirm”
Also create a Voice & Tone section in your documentation with examples for:
- Errors
- Success messages
- Informational alerts
- Onboarding and help
Tools and Resources for Content Standards
Here are a few helpful tools and references:
- Style Manual (AU Gov)
- Hemingway App – Write clearly and concisely
- WriteClearly Plugin – Grade-level readability checker
- Google’s Inclusive Language Guide
What Happens Without Content Standards?
Without clear guidance:
- Content gets rewritten or improvised every time.
- Designers leave placeholder lorem ipsum in production.
- Error messages contradict your tone of voice.
- Accessibility suffers.
Worse, users lose trust. Especially when content is confusing, incomplete, or inconsistent.
Final Tip: Write Your Design System in Plain English
The best way to advocate for clear content? Model it.
Write your design system documentation itself using:
- Plain language
- Short paragraphs
- Helpful headings
- Active voice
Make your content easy to use — just like your components.
Content is not a nice-to-have in your design system. It’s foundational.
Clear, inclusive, consistent content:
- Helps everyone use the system well
- Builds trust with the public
- Improves accessibility and usability
Whether you’re a content designer, developer, or product manager — make sure your design system speaks clearly.