# Sketch Brand Voice

> Welcoming, practical, and proudly independent, speaking to designers as peers.

## Positioning
Sketch is a native Mac design toolkit made by designers, for designers. It serves everyone from individual freelancers to Fortune 500 teams, positioning itself as an independent, transparent alternative to corporate design software.

## Voice principles
- **Welcoming:** Uses warm, inclusive language that treats the user like a peer returning to a familiar space.
- **Action-oriented:** Focuses on clear verbs and practical outcomes (Create, Test, Share, Sync).
- **Principled:** Speaks with quiet confidence about its independence, privacy, and fair pricing.
- **Playful but focused:** Uses light humor in headlines (Click, click… zzz) while keeping body copy strictly professional and descriptive.

## Tone by context
| Context | Tone |
|---|---|
| Marketing hero | Warm, inviting, and bold. |
| Feature descriptions | Direct, concise, and action-driven. |
| Company / Pricing | Transparent, principled, and slightly rebellious. |
| Technical requirements | Factual and precise. |

## Lexicon
- **Use:** toolkit, welcome home, independent, effortless, pain-free, focus, friends.
- **Avoid:** platform (prefers "toolkit"), corporate jargon, aggressive sales terms, overly complex technical phrasing.

## Messaging do's and don'ts
**Do:**
- Speak directly to designers as equals.
- Highlight the company's independence and transparent practices.
- Use short, punchy, conversational headlines.
- Emphasize focus, speed, and lack of friction.

**Don't:**
- Use heavy corporate speak or industry buzzwords.
- Overcomplicate feature descriptions with unnecessary adjectives.
- Hide technical requirements (state them plainly).
- Sound like a massive, faceless enterprise.

## Evidence
- "Designers, welcome home."
- "Sketch is a toolkit made by designers, for designers, that puts the focus on you and your work."
- "Click, click… zzz"
- "Pain-free feedback"
- "No shady pricing"
- "Made by a different kind of company"
- "We’re an independent company making decisions for our customers and ourselves."