Who these standards apply to

These content standards help people have a consistent experience no matter who creates the information. They apply to content created by:

• Department staff
• Other state staff working on human services content
• Partners and providers
• Contractors
• Vendors
• Other people or groups creating content for the department

• Writing and editorial style — Use consistent rules for words, sentences, punctuation, capitalization and other editorial choices.
• Plain language — Write so people can understand the information on the first read.
• Audience — Write for the people who need the information and what they need to know or do.
• Voice and tone — Use a consistent voice and adjust the tone for the audience, purpose and situation.
• Reading level — Use reading level as one measure of whether content is clear and easy to understand.

• Content purpose and user needs — Identify why the content is needed and what people need to know or do.
• Information structure — Organize information in a clear order and keep related information together.
• Content hierarchy — Put the most important information first and make priorities easy to see.
• Chunking — Break information into short sections that are easier to scan and understand.
• Headings and page titles — Write clear, descriptive headings and page titles in sentence case.

• Web-friendly writing — Write content that is easy to find, scan, understand and use online.
• Mobile-first writing — Keep content short and focused so it works well on phones and small screens.
• Links and calls to action — Use clear labels that tell people where a link goes or what action to take.
• Terminology and acronyms — Use consistent, familiar terms and avoid unnecessary acronyms and jargon.
• Legal and policy content — Keep required language accurate and explain complex information in plain language when possible.

• Accessible writing — Use clear structure, headings, links and instructions that support people with disabilities.
• Inclusive and culturally responsive language — Use respectful, accurate language for different people and communities.
• Language access and translation-ready writing — Write clear source content that can be translated accurately.
• Search and findability — Use words, headings and structure that help people find the information they need.
• Task-based content — Organize information around what people came to learn, decide or do.

• Structured content — Use consistent content patterns for similar programs, services and tasks.
• Content by communication type — Adapt writing for websites, documents, broadcast emails, video scripts and other communications.
• Content testing and measurement — Use feedback, usability testing, search data and analytics to improve content.
• Content maintenance — Review and update content so it stays accurate, up to date and useful.

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What this section does not cover

This section does not set standards for visual design. Separate parts of the style guide address topics such as:

• State brand requirements
• Logos
• Colors
• Typography
• Graphic standards
• Photography
• Illustration
• Visual design
• Page and component design
• Other brand and design requirements