Voice
Tone: Direct, Informed, Confident, Plain-spoken, Precise.
Rules
Write like you would explain it to a smart client across a table.
No jargon, no filler, no corporate distance. Plain language that respects the reader's intelligence. If a sentence sounds like it belongs in a pitch deck, cut it.
Derived from. Authentic
Be specific. Name the thing.
Don't say 'deliverables.' Say wordmark, event signage, component library. Specificity builds trust. Vagueness signals that you haven't thought it through.
Derived from. Precise
Have a point of view and state it plainly.
Hedging weakens everything. 'We believe that perhaps' is noise. Say what you think and why. Clients hire Workhorse for judgment.
Derived from. Discerning
Write for the long term. No trend language.
Avoid buzzwords that will date the writing in two years. Synergy, paradigm shift, disrupt. If the word would embarrass you in 2030, do not use it in 2026.
Derived from. Committed
Lead with the thinking, not the feeling.
Workhorse copy should read as informed. Reference the research, the context, the history when it serves the point. Depth and substance over inspirational platitudes.
Derived from. Intelligent
No em dashes. House style.
Use commas, semicolons, periods, colons, or parens. Em dashes have become a crutch in brand writing and Workhorse does not use them anywhere: body copy, captions, data, commits.
Derived from. Precise
Active voice. Say who did what.
We designed the identity system, not the identity system was designed. Passive voice hides the actor. Workhorse does not hide.
Derived from. Authentic
Short sentences carry more weight than long ones.
Mix sentence lengths for rhythm, but when you have something important to say, say it short. The strongest statements in any piece of writing are usually the shortest.
Derived from. Precise
Do and don't
Do
We designed the identity system for MLK Library.
Don't
The identity system was designed for the library project.
Do
Wordmark, event signage, component library.
Don't
Various deliverables across multiple touchpoints.
Do
This won't work at small sizes. Here's what will.
Don't
We believe this might potentially present some challenges.
Do
Brands are not a facade, they're the foundation.
Don't
We help brands become more impactful through strategic design solutions.
By surface
Hero copy works in 4-9 words and reads as a thesis, not a slogan. Studio register or platform register depending on the surface.
Do
Don't
Prefer
Avoid
