foundations
Voice and tone
Voice is constant across every surface. Tone flexes with context. Grounded, direct, warm when it should be, technically honest — always.
Read the full specFour voice pillars
Hold these four at once. Every piece of Wolf copy carries all of them; there is no pillar-of-the-day.
- 01Grounded
We describe real work in real places. Guards, civilians, control rooms — named as they actually are.
- Name specific places (Midrand, Khayelitsha) when possible.
- Use real job titles (guard, supervisor, dispatcher).
- Reference concrete artefacts (reports, patrols, scans).
- 02Direct
We say what we mean. No hedging. No throat-clearing. Lead with the most important point.
- Short sentences. One idea per sentence.
- If an action is required, say so first.
- If we don't know, say "we don't know yet."
- 03Warm when it should be
People use Wolf when they're worried about neighbours, clients or guards. Warmth belongs in recovery, success and onboarding.
- Warmth in success ("Your report is in.").
- Warmth in error recovery ("Let's try that again.").
- Never warmth in incident alerts, compliance, legal or investor copy.
- 04Technically honest
Wolf is safety data infrastructure. We don't overclaim — we describe what the data says and what to do about it.
- Never "predicts crime" when we mean "flags elevated risk".
- Never "real-time" unless the signal is actually sub-minute.
- Show low confidence when confidence is low.
Tone spectrum
Voice stays constant. Tone adjusts with the surface, audience and moment.
- Marketing heroConfident, specific, low-hype“Replace R1,500/month scanners with the phones guards already carry.”
- Pricing pagePlain, transparent“R300/month per device. No contracts. No hidden fees.”
- Product UI — successShort, warm“Patrol scanned. 12 checkpoints complete.”
- Product UI — errorHumble-helpful“That scan didn't register. Check the checkpoint QR code and try again.”
- WhatsApp agent — incidentCalm, clear, what-happens-next“Got it. A responder has been notified. I'll update you when they're on the way.”
- Investor pitchConfident, thesis-led“Community Wolf is building the foundational data layer for the $250bn global private security industry.”
- Error / fallbackCandid“Something broke on our side. We've logged it. Try again in a minute.”
How we describe ourselves
Ranked canonical sentences. Use verbatim when possible. Don't invent new descriptions.
- Canonical · rank 1
Community Wolf builds the data and intelligence infrastructure that powers safer cities.
- Rank 2
Community Wolf is a safety data platform. We aggregate and structure millions of safety signals into intelligence used by communities, mobility platforms, insurers, security firms and cities.
Words we use · words we avoid
Shared vocabulary means shared meaning. These swaps stop drift across surfaces.
- usercivilian / responder / guardWolf has specific roles. Name which one.
- powered by AIstate what the AI does"Powered by AI" is a handwave.
- revolutionary(delete)Hype. Not our register.
- seamless(delete)Empty word.
- solutionthe product name"Solution" is corporate filler.
- just / simply(delete)Diminishes the reader. Delete.
- in order totoAlways shorter.
- utiliseuseAlways simpler.
UI-copy patterns
Four patterns cover the majority of product-UI copy decisions. Follow the shape; improvise the specifics.
- Empty stateWhat's empty + why + what to do.
No reports in your area yet.
Reports appear when civilians message the WhatsApp number.
[Copy invite link]
- ErrorWhat happened + whose fault + what to do + CTA.
That file didn't upload.
Looks like the connection dropped halfway.
[Retry upload]
- Confirmation (destructive)Consequence + reversibility + two clear verbs.
Delete this report?
Once deleted, this report is gone. We can't recover it.
[Cancel] [Delete report]
- SuccessPast-tense action + what happens next.
Report submitted. We've notified civilians in your area.
Alert sent to 3 guards. They'll confirm when they're on the way.
The five-question voice test
Run every piece of copy through these before shipping. If any answer is no, rewrite.
- Q1Would a guard in Mitchells Plain understand this instantly?
- Q2Is there a specific place, role or artefact I could name instead of an abstraction?
- Q3Did I say "just", "simply" or "please"? — delete.
- Q4If read in 1.2 seconds, is the most important word in the first three?
- Q5If this copy promises something, can I prove it with data?
// Five questions before you ship a string
// 1. Would a guard in Mitchells Plain understand this instantly?
// 2. Is there a specific place, role or artefact I could name?
// 3. Did I say "just", "simply" or "please"? — delete.
// 4. If read in 1.2 seconds, is the most important word in the first three?
// 5. If this promises something, can I prove it with data?