VoiceTone

Voice and Tone

Overview

The DroidBuilders voice is the consistent personality behind all written communications. It never changes -- it is always warm, grounded, and genuine. Tone adjusts by context: more celebratory at an event, more rigorous in a grant proposal, more informative on the wiki.

The DroidBuilders Voice

Three words that define how we always sound:

Word	What It Means
Warm	We are volunteers who care deeply about the people we serve. Our writing reflects that care -- never corporate, never cold.
Precise	We are builders and engineers. We get the details right. Our writing is clear, specific, and accurate -- no vague platitudes.
Joyful	We exist to create moments of delight and discovery. That spirit should show in our words -- playful when appropriate, never self-serious.

Tone by Context

Context	Tone	Notes
Social media (event day)	Enthusiastic, celebratory	Share the energy of the moment
Social media (general)	Warm, conversational	Invite people in; celebrate the community
Website (homepage)	Inviting, confident, mission-focused	Clear value statement without jargon
Website (wiki / how-to)	Direct, informative, accessible	Step-by-step; no assumed knowledge
Education and schools	Encouraging, hands-on, curiosity-first	Connect droids to real STEM concepts kids can grasp
Grants and funders	Credible, specific, outcome-focused	Lead with the STEM mission and who we reach; back claims with numbers
Donation / fundraising	Heartfelt, specific, impact-focused	Concrete stories; never guilt-driven
Press / media	Factual, professional, accessible	Jargon-free; lead with the mission and our independent status
Event signage	Brief, joyful, bold	One clear idea per piece
Crisis / serious communications	Calm, direct, empathetic	Facts first; no speculation

Writing Principles

Lead with impact, not process.

• ❌ "DroidBuilders, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that organizes volunteer events..."
• ✅ "We bring full-scale droids -- and the engineering behind them -- to classrooms, children's hospitals, and community events."

Connect wonder to STEM.

• ❌ "Kids love seeing the droids."
• ✅ "When a kid asks how the dome turns, we get to show them the motor, the gears, and the code -- that's STEM in action."

Be specific. Specificity builds trust.

• ❌ "We've helped a lot of people."
• ✅ "In 2024, DroidBuilders volunteers appeared at over 60 events across the country."

Speak to the person, not the crowd.

• ❌ "Attendees are encouraged to interact with the droids."
• ✅ "Come say hello -- the droids are friendly, and the builders love a good question."

Don't explain the joke.

• ❌ "Our droids bring joy to people, especially children, because everyone loves Star Wars."
• ✅ "There's nothing quite like watching a four-year-old meet R2-D2 for the first time."

Earn the exclamation mark. Enthusiasm is good; overusing "!" dilutes genuine excitement. Reserve it for moments that truly call for it.

Fundraising Language -- Special Rules

DroidBuilders is community-funded through donations that support our STEM education mission and community presence -- not individual build projects. This distinction matters to the community and must be reflected clearly in all fundraising language.

Never reference "droid builds" as a funding purpose. This implies the organization subsidizes personal projects and has created real controversy in the builder community.

Approved fundraising frames:

• The STEM education mission (school visits, classroom engagement, hands-on learning)
• Community impact (hospital appearances, public events, equity of access)
• Operational costs that enable outreach (logistics, event supplies, insurance)
• Community infrastructure (website, wiki, builder resources)
• Organizational sustainability

Examples:

• ❌ "Help us fund new droid builds and keep our builders equipped."
• ✅ "Your support brings hands-on STEM to more kids and keeps our droids on the road."
• ❌ "Donations help builders complete their projects."
• ✅ "Every dollar goes toward the STEM outreach, events, and infrastructure that make our mission possible."

Words We Use / Avoid

Use	Avoid	Why
Volunteers	Members, employees	Reflects who we actually are
Community	Fanbase, fans	We serve broadly, not just fans
Builders	Makers, creators	Industry-specific, respected term
Outreach, appearances	Shows, performances	Reflects service and education, not entertainment
Replica droids	Costumes	Droids are props/robots, not costumes
STEM, hands-on learning	"Edutainment"	Names our actual mission plainly
Mission	Operations	Keeps focus on why we exist
Support the mission	Donate to DroidBuilders	Action-oriented and impact-focused

Writing for Accessibility

• Aim for a Flesch-Kincaid reading level of 7-9 for public-facing content
• Spell out abbreviations and acronyms on first use
• Write descriptive alt text for all images (see Accessibility Standards)
• Use active voice; avoid passive constructions
• Break long passages into short paragraphs with descriptive subheadings