# Voice — Product Layer In-product editorial grammar. Extends `voice.md` (canonical) with rules specific to UI copy: CTAs, headlines, error states, Lexi's voice, Lexi's confidence levels. If you're writing copy that lives **inside the application** (buttons, dialogs, toasts, Lexi messages, onboarding, empty states, error screens), read this in addition to `voice.md`. --- ## Rule 1 — Period-punctuation on every primary CTA Every filled primary button gets a period. Every serif-italic secondary text link gets a period. | ❌ Generic SaaS | ✅ Outlex | |---|---| | Sign In | Sign in. | | Create Account | Create account. | | Save | Save. | | Send message | Send. | | Try Again | Try again. | | Reload Page | Reload the page. | | Continue | Continue. | | Submit | Submit. | | Add task | Add task. | | Generate contract | Generate the contract. | **Applies product-wide**: Home CTAs, Chat send buttons, Dialog confirms, Legal Hub actions, Lexi Suggests accept buttons, onboarding next steps, Auth, error recovery. **Does NOT apply** to: - Short inline action chips (`Accept` / `Reject` on suggestion chips — chip form is its own grammar, PRO-2497) - Status labels or tags (`Due today`, `Pending`, `Active`) - Tab labels (`Home`, `Chats`, `Legal Hub`) - Breadcrumb segments - Menu item labels in dropdowns (unless the item triggers an irreversible action) - Anchor hashes / internal nav labels **Why periods, not exclamation marks or nothing**: periods signal finished thought — a printed note, a quiet instruction. Exclamation marks read as SaaS enthusiasm (`Get started!`, `Let's go!`). Nothing reads as a command. A period is a considered pause — it sounds like a person who meant exactly what they wrote. --- ## Rule 2 — Italic emphasis on the human word in headlines Every Fraunces serif headline across the product puts one key word in italic. The italic word is the emotional anchor — what makes this moment specifically human rather than informational. | Surface | Headline | |---|---| | Sign in | Welcome *back*. | | Sign up | Start your *account*. | | Password reset | Set a *new* password. | | Passwordless | Sign in with a *link*. | | Root crash | Something *broke* on our side. | | Stuck auth 45s+ | Sign-in is *taking too long*. | | Reload confirm | We'd like to *reload* your session. | | Component error | This section *didn't load*. | | Action failure | That *didn't go through*. | | Lexi empty state | Ask me *anything* about your contracts. | | First-time Home | What are you *working on* today? | | Task completed | Another one *done*. | | New document ready | Your NDA is *ready*. | | Expiration 30d warning | Your contract expires *soon*. | **Applies product-wide** to every Fraunces headline at display sizes (24px+). **How to pick the emphasized word**: - Choose the **verb** or **noun** that carries the human moment (*back*, *broke*, *ready*, *done*) - NOT the qualifier ("you're", "already", "just") — those are functional scaffolding - NOT articles, prepositions, or auxiliaries - One word per headline. Never two. If the headline doesn't have a clear human-word candidate, the headline needs a rewrite, not additional italics. **Implementation**: `` wrapper. Italic inherits Fraunces weight from parent (`font-weight: 400` — never bump to 500/600 for emphasis). Color stays `--outlex-fg-ink` — no gradient fills, no sage/amber tint on the italic word (tried and rejected 2026-04-24). The italic axis carries the emphasis alone. --- ## Rule 3 — No trailing exclamation marks anywhere Exclamation marks read as SaaS enthusiasm and break the calm, literary register. Only exception is direct quoted user speech. Every other "!" gets swapped for a period or deleted. | ❌ | ✅ | |---|---| | Welcome! | Welcome *back*. | | All done! | Another one *done*. | | Account created! | Account created. Check your email to verify. | | You did it! | Done. | | Something went wrong! | Something *broke* on our side. | --- ## Rule 4 — Complete sentences in subtitles and body If a full sentence ends mid-thought for scannability, end with a period anyway. Subtitles, tooltips, and captions all get punctuation. Ellipses (…) only for in-flight loading states (`Signing you in…`, `Sending…`, `Verifying…`) — never for emphasis or pauses. --- ## Lexi's Voice (in-product AI assistant) Lexi speaks with **Guide energy** — helpful, clear, honest about what she knows and doesn't know. ### Personality - First person singular ("I found 3 relevant clauses") — not "the system detected" or "Outlex identified" - Warm but not chatty — no "Great question!" or "Happy to help!" - Admits uncertainty plainly — "I'm not confident enough on this one to recommend acting without a lawyer." - Uses confidence language, not certainty language — "This appears to be" not "This is" ### Confidence Communication - **High confidence**: State the finding directly. "This NDA has a non-compete clause that's unenforceable under Portuguese law." - **Medium confidence**: Add a caveat in the same sentence. "This clause appears standard, but the liability cap may not hold in German courts — I'd recommend a lawyer review before signing." - **Low confidence**: Escalate honestly. "I don't have enough context to give you a reliable answer on this. I can connect you with a lawyer who specializes in employment law." ### Lexi never says - "I'm just an AI" — she's a legal assistant, not a disclaimer - "This is not legal advice" as a blanket footer — confidence scores handle this - "Sure!" / "Absolutely!" / "Great question!" — no filler enthusiasm - Anything that implies she's a replacement for all lawyers — "I handle the routine so lawyers can focus on what matters" ### Lexi's formatting - Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max) - Bullet points for lists of findings or steps - Bold for key terms the user should notice - Always end with a clear next action: "Want me to flag this for review?" / "Should I generate the updated version?" --- ## Tone variations within the product ### Website / Product copy **Tone**: Clear, supportive, builds confidence. **Example**: "Your privacy policy has 3 gaps. Here's how to fix them." - Lead with what's relevant to the user's situation, not our feature list - Confidence without overselling — show, don't claim - Every heading should make sense without reading the body ### Support / Onboarding **Tone**: Warm, patient. **Example**: "This is a common question. Here's how it works." - Assume good intent and zero legal knowledge - Step-by-step, never condescending - Celebrate progress — "You've just set up compliance tracking for your first regulation." ### Error / Limitation **Tone**: Honest, offers a path forward. **Example**: "Lexi isn't confident on this one. Here's a lawyer who can help." - Never hide limitations — surface them clearly - Always provide the next step (human lawyer, documentation, or "try rephrasing") - No blame language ("you did X wrong") — focus on what to do next --- ## Provenance These rules shipped with PR #3298 (2026-04-24) redesigning Loading, Error, and Login surfaces as the first application. The grammar is canonical product-wide. See `mvp2/.claude/skills/entry-surfaces-editorial/` for full-viewport implementation details and `mvp2/.claude/V7_COMPONENT_SPECS.md` § Entry Surfaces for the CSS primitives.