Summary
Opries writing should sound clear, grounded, practical, and accountable. It should also be structured so people can scan, understand, and act without fighting through dense prose.
Voice Attributes
Opries sounds clear, grounded, practical, and accountable. It should feel like a capable operations partner with respect for community knowledge.
Tone by Situation
| Situation | Tone | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Clear and assured | "Keep documents, approvals, and reporting records in one place." |
| Member notice | Plain and helpful | "Please review the updated project register before Friday." |
| Compliance reminder | Calm and specific | "This acquittal needs a signed approval record before submission." |
| Grant update | Evidence-led | "The register now shows milestone status, owner, due date, and supporting files." |
Vocabulary
| Prefer | Use carefully | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| records | compliance | disruptive |
| approvals | audit | revolutionary |
| obligations | risk | greenwashing |
| projects | enforcement | save the planet |
| groups | automation | frictionless compliance |
| members | intelligence | guaranteed outcomes |
| committees | transformation | next-generation transformation |
| evidence | ||
| stewardship | ||
| reporting | ||
| local context | ||
| program delivery |
Writing Patterns
Lead with the practical outcome, then explain the supporting detail.
| ✓ Use | ✕ Avoid |
|---|---|
| "Find the latest signed version of every policy, grant agreement, and committee approval." | "Leverage a next-generation governance solution to optimise document visibility." |
| "This report is overdue. Add the missing approval record or update the due date if the funder has granted an extension." | "Your organisation is non-compliant and must immediately remediate this issue." |
| "Add the document owner, review date, and supporting file so the record is ready for reporting." | "Complete the required governance metadata to unlock optimal reporting workflows." |
Readable Structure
Opries writing should help people find, understand, and act. Structure is part of the voice: headings, summaries, lists, examples, tables, and checklists should make information easier to scan before someone commits to reading closely.
Long pages should not rely on uninterrupted prose. Use visual and information hierarchy to show what matters first, what can be skimmed, and where the reader can go for more detail.
Bold Keywords
Use bold text to create a skim path through important ideas. If someone reads only the bolded keywords in a section, they should still get a basic version of the meaning.
Bold should identify the core concept, required action, status, risk, decision point, or key distinction. Do not bold whole sentences, decorative emphasis, or too many words in one paragraph.
Example: "Every workflow should show the owner, due date, status, and next action before asking the user to read supporting detail."
Page Pattern
Use this pattern for substantial guidance pages:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Front matter | Page metadata: title, description, order, status, last updated date, purpose, and use |
| Summary | One short paragraph explaining what the page helps people decide or do |
| Principles | Three to five durable rules |
| Guidance | Main detail, broken into short sections with descriptive headings |
| Examples | Realistic public, product, governance, or reporting examples |
| Checks | A short review checklist or decision test |
Front Matter
Every documentation page should include front matter that helps humans and AI agents understand the state and purpose of the page.
| Field | Use |
|---|---|
title | Clear page name used in navigation and headings |
description | Short summary for readers and metadata |
order | Navigation order |
status | Page state, such as Draft, In review, Approved, Public brand, Platform UI, or Shared system |
lastUpdated | Last meaningful content update date in YYYY-MM-DD format |
purpose | One sentence explaining why the page exists and what decision or action it supports |
use | Short list of contexts, audiences, or situations where the page should be used |
Use status honestly. If guidance is still being shaped, mark it as Draft or In review rather than making it sound settled.
Universal Design for Learning
When Opries educates the public or platform users, provide more than one way into the information.
- Use summaries for quick orientation.
- Use headings that describe the content, not vague labels.
- Keep paragraphs short and focused on one idea.
- Use lists for steps, options, requirements, checks, and comparisons.
- Use tables when people need to compare details.
- Put definitions close to first use.
- Use examples for complex ideas, especially compliance, audit, governance, and workflow concepts.
- Give users multiple paths: summary, detail, example, checklist, and next step.
- Avoid relying on colour, position, icons, or prior product knowledge alone.
Good structure reduces cognitive load. This matters for volunteers, committee members, coordinators, funders, staff working under pressure, and people using the platform on different devices or with different levels of reading confidence.
Checks
- Does the page start with the point before adding detail?
- Can a reader scan headings and understand the structure?
- Are examples, tables, or checklists used where they reduce effort?
- Is the status, purpose, and last updated date clear in front matter?
Sector-sensitive language
Use "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples" respectfully where relevant. Do not imply ownership, consultation, or endorsement where it has not occurred. When content refers to Country, Traditional Owners, cultural heritage, or local ecological knowledge, confirm the correct local wording with the organisation.