Nokia N9 speaks human

The tone and language we use is straightforward and conversational. This means we avoid engineering terms, overly technical words, obscure acronyms and industry jargon.

When writing copy for your app, always ensure it's as friendly and natural as possible. One way to achieve this is to read your copy out loud.

Note that you can also localise your apps.

Don't Use: "Unable to open Gallery"
Use: "The Gallery won’t open"

Don't Use: "Verify settings"
Use: "Now check your settings"

Don't Use: "Synchronise your calendar with the device"
Use: "Sync your calendar"

Nokia N9 gets to the point

No one likes reading line after line of complicated instructions on a mobile. If copy is too long or looks dense, people may skip over it or ignore it altogether.

That's why we try to keep all Nokia N9 instructional copy short, snappy and easy to follow. We say what needs to be said in as few words as possible, but without sounding curt or unfriendly.

Don't Use: "Sending another file via Bluetooth is not possible until previously sent file has been transferred"
Use: "Can't send this Bluetooth file until the last one's gone" or
"Can't send this file until the other one has been sent"

Don't Use: "Unable to unsubscribe from Tips and offers. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending STOP to 21342. For help, send HELP to 21342. Message & data charges may apply."
Use: "Can't delete tips and offers. Try sending STOP to 12342
(you might be charged)"

Nokia N9 is polite

People feel close to their mobiles. They take them everywhere, rely on them, and take time to learn their unique operating systems and interactions.

So, it seems only right that this ongoing relationship is cordial and polite. This means saying ‘please’ or ‘sorry’ from time to time, as well as prompting or asking questions instead of giving orders or clinical instructions.

Don't Use: "Enter the characters you see in the image below.
Characters are not case sensitive."
Use: "What letters and numbers can you see below?"

Don't Use: "Unable to recover your password. Try again later"
Use: "Can't get your password. Please try later"

Don't Use: "Calculation limit exceeded"
Use: "Sorry, that sum's too big" or Sorry, that sum's too long"

Nokia N9 is friendly

But it's not overly friendly.

We often address the user as ‘you’ and occasionally refer to the mobile or UI as ‘we’. This creates a sense of affinity and helps produce more natural, flowing sentences. And, while we encourage you to keep the UI strings short whenever possible, we do not recommend you do so at the expense of a more friendly tone.

"Add an address"  feels warmer than the cursory "Add address"

Similarly "No notes yet"  is more appealing than the curt "No notes"

You need to make a judgement call between space and warmth. Here, just adding ‘an’ or ‘yet’ is justified.

Having said that, we avoid exclamations like ‘oops’, ‘eek’, ‘oh dear’. Though these can add personality, they are too widely used and add to the on-screen word count. We’re always looking for a balance between brevity and cordiality.

Nokia N9 is switched on

We live in the 21st century, and technology is all around us.

Many of us happily use email, Facebook and Twitter, are comfortable with WiFi settings and how Bluetooth works. So, while we can’t assume that most people will know what ‘SIM not provisioned MM#2’ means (probably not many!), chances are they will be much more familiar with terms such as ‘status updates’, ‘wireless hotspots’, ‘RSS feeds’, ‘roaming’, and so on.

These terms often show up in newspapers, websites and advertising and are quickly becoming part of everyday conversation. So, while we recommend that you go easy on more esoteric technological jargon, you can feel free to use some of these more commonplace phrases where appropriate.