How do you create and maintain a consistent style across different projects and platforms?

2 Use a style guide and a style sheet

A style guide is a set of standards and rules that define how you write, format, and present your content. A style guide can cover aspects such as grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, acronyms, numbers, dates, citations, references, headings, lists, tables, figures, images, colors, fonts, layout, and design. A style guide can help you ensure consistency, accuracy, and professionalism across your projects and platforms. You can use an existing style guide, such as the Microsoft Writing Style Guide, the APA Style Guide, or the Chicago Manual of Style, or create your own custom style guide that suits your needs and goals. A style sheet is a document that records the specific style choices and decisions you make for a particular project or platform. A style sheet can help you keep track of the details and variations that are not covered by the style guide, such as technical terms, jargon, slang, names, titles, keywords, and branding elements. A style sheet can help you avoid confusion, repetition, and inconsistency within your project or platform.

3 Use style guide software and tools

Style guide software and tools are applications that help you create, manage, and apply your style guides and style sheets. They can automate some of the tasks and processes involved in maintaining your style, such as checking for errors, inconsistencies, and deviations; suggesting corrections, improvements, and alternatives; generating reports, feedback, and analytics; and updating and syncing your style across different projects and platforms. Some examples of style guide software and tools are Acrolinx, Grammarly, Hemingway, ProWritingAid, and Writer. They can integrate with various writing platforms and formats, such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, WordPress, HTML, PDF, and Markdown.

4 Review and revise your style regularly

Your style is not static; it evolves and adapts to changing contexts, purposes, and audiences. Therefore, you need to review and revise your style regularly to make sure it is still relevant, effective, and appropriate. You can review and revise your style by conducting self-evaluation, peer review, user feedback, usability testing, and quality assurance. You can use various methods and criteria to assess your style, such as readability scores, clarity indexes, user satisfaction surveys, error rates, conversion rates, and engagement metrics. You can also use style guide software and tools to help you identify and fix any issues or gaps in your style.

5 Learn from best practices and examples

One of the best ways to improve your style is to learn from best practices and examples. You can find inspiration and guidance from other technical communicators who have created and maintained consistent styles across different projects and platforms. You can read their blogs, books, articles, newsletters, white papers, manuals, guides, tutorials, and case studies. You can also join online communities, forums, groups, networks, and associations where you can exchange ideas, tips, resources, and feedback with other technical communicators. Some examples of online platforms where you can learn from best practices and examples are TechWhirl, Write the Docs, I'd Rather Be Writing, Content Design London, and Society for Technical Communication.

6 Experiment and refine your style

Finally, you can create and maintain a consistent style across different projects and platforms by experimenting and refining your style. You can try different techniques, strategies, formats, and platforms to see what works best for you and your audience. You can also test different variations of your style to see how they affect your results and outcomes. You can use style guide software and tools to help you compare and contrast different options and scenarios. You can also use data and feedback to measure and evaluate your performance and impact. By experimenting and refining your style, you can discover new possibilities, opportunities, and solutions for your technical communication.