OFFICIAL
You can use the Microsoft Readability Tool in Word to test the level of your writing. You may need to set up the
tool first.
Our tone
Tone is the
way you express ideas. It includes the words you use, the way you put them together and their
level of formality.
We want to speak to our audience using clear and concise language: use content that’s open, active, relevant
and worthy of meaningful conversation.
The Style Manual outlines 3 types of tone for government communication: formal, standard and informal. We
use a ‘standard’ tone.
Standard tone tips
Write this: Have your say about basic online safety expectations by 31 December 2021 [standard tone]
Not this: You must provide your written submission to the basic online safety consultation by 31 December 2021
[formal tone]
Our voice
Voice captures
who is writing – a persona people understand when they engage with the content. Our voice –
or persona – should be consistent across our website. It is personal and friendly, as opposed to objective and
institutional.
Voice tips
Write this: Our work touches every Australian community and underpins our economy and society. [Personal
voice, standard tone]
Note this: The department’s work affects communities across Australia and makes a substantial impact on the
country’s economy. [Institutional voice, standard tone]
To read more about adapting your tone and voice, refer to the Voice and tone section of the Style Manual.
Simple language
Use shorter, everyday words such as: ‘help’ instead of ‘assist’; ‘can’t’ instead of ‘cannot’; ‘it’s’ instead of ‘it is’;
‘because’ instead of ‘due to the fact that’; ‘for’ instead of ‘with regard to’; and so on.
Use simple verbs such as: ‘we manage’ instead of ‘we are managing’; ‘we will review’ instead of ‘we will be
reviewing’.
Refer to the table in the Style Manual for more examples of plain language alternatives.
OFFICIAL
Infrastructure and Arts web style guide
Release date: July 2024
Page 2 of 6
OFFICIAL
Use personal pronouns
Use an active voice and tone to engage users. Personal pronouns, such as ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘us’ should be used
most of the time. Active voice and tone makes it clear who must do what and is generally a friendlier, more
approachable form of expression.
Using personal pronouns
Write this: Our communication guides can help you to plan your next project.
Not this: Refer to the department’s communication guides for assistance in the planning phase of your next
project.
Avoid jargon
Avoid buzzwords, jargon, slang and idioms. Instead, use words that most people wil understand. For example,
not many people know what ‘digital economy’ means.
Avoiding jargon
Write this: They changed their decision in response to new information.
Not this: They changed their decision in light of new information. [‘In light of’ is an idiom.]
Use inclusive language
Use language that is cultural y appropriate and respectful of the diversity of Australia’s peoples. Use
respectful and inclusive language that talks to the person, not their difference.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
There is a wide range of nations, cultures and languages across mainland Australia and throughout the Torres
Strait. Given this diversity, respectful language use depends on what different communities find appropriate.
As a result, there are very few hard rules.
The Style Manual has a wide range of guidance on writing with, for or about First Nations Australians, including
naming protocols and appropriate terminology. Review the advice on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
section of the Style Manual when preparing your web content.
Cultural and linguistic diversity
Mention people’s cultural affinity or identity only when you need to. You can use the general term
‘multicultural communities’ to write about people from different cultural backgrounds. Avoid using words
such as ‘ethnic Australians’ or ‘ethnic groups’. For more help, refer to the Cultural and linguistic diversity
section of the Style Manual.
People with disability
When mentioning disability, focus on the person, not the disability. This means using person-first language,
such as ‘people with disability’ rather than ‘disabled person’. If in doubt, refer to the People with disability
section of the Style Manual.
OFFICIAL
Infrastructure and Arts web style guide
Release date: July 2024
Page 3 of 6
OFFICIAL
Note: For advice about the functionality of our website, or advice about making your content accessible to
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines level 2.0AA standards, contact
Gender-neutral language
Avoid references to someone’s gender, sexuality or marital status unless it is the issue under discussion.
Instead, you can:
• reword text to avoid the use of pronouns or use alternative pronouns, such as ‘their’
• use neutral pronouns such as ‘you’ or ‘they’ rather than masculine or feminine pronouns such as ‘he’ or ‘she’
• use neutral titles for occupations traditional y associated with masculine or feminine titles, for example ‘worker’
instead of ‘workman’, ‘police officer’ instead of ‘policeman’, ‘actor’ instead of ‘actress'.
For more detail about using gender-neutral language, refer to the Gender and sexual identity section of the
Style Manual.
Content structure
Content structure helps people make sense of the information presented and helps the user navigate our
pages easily. It is also very important for people who use screen readers.
There are generally three types of structures to use when creating content. These are:
1. Hierarchical
Group content into topics or connected ideas, prioritised by level of importance.
2. Sequential
Used for instructional content, where you want the user to do something in a certain order.
3. Narrative
Guide the user from beginning to end, drawing them into the entire story. Use signposts that suggest where
they are in the journey for ease of reference.
For more information about structure, refer to the Structuring content section of the Style Manual.
Other structural considerations
Page title
The title is the first item to appear in search results and is the first thing a screen reader will read out. Make it
concise and meaningful.
Paragraphs
Use the first paragraph to make the purpose of your content easier to find in searches and to help people
decide if they’ve found the right information. Limit each paragraph to one idea. A paragraph can be as short
as one sentence if needed, but most wil be 2 or 3. Sentences should be fewer than 25 words.
Section headings
Headings organise information and are specific to the topic they describe. Think of them as signposts for
people and for search engines. They should tel the user what’s in the content below it – but keep them short!
Headings help a user scan the page and find the information they need. They will greatly help a screen reader
user make sense of the information they’re hearing.
OFFICIAL
Infrastructure and Arts web style guide
Release date: July 2024
Page 4 of 6
OFFICIAL
Links
Hyperlink text should describe the destination to the user. It should not use generic text such as ‘Click here’,
or a URL.
Link tips
Write this: Visit the Office for the Arts website
Not this: Visit arts.gov.au
Only use images for links if they meet a user need. If linking images, you should describe the link with alt text
for accessibility.
Tables
Only use a table if there isn’t a simpler way to present your content, such as a list, paragraph, text or diagram.
Tables are appropriate to use for exact values and information that is too detailed for the text but are not
accessible for users.
Content quick tips
There are some common writing ‘rules’ outlined in the Style Manual. Some of these may have changed since the
previous hard copy Style Guide was published in 2006. Key ones to note include:
• Use ‘the department’, not ‘the Department’. Use initial capital letters only when using our full name, for
example the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
(For more information on rules for capitalising government terms, refer to the Government terms section of
the Style Manual.)
• Don’t use a semicolon at the end of items in a bullet list. (Read more about lists on the Lists page.)
• Unless each item is a full sentence or the last item in a list, don’t use a full stop for items in bullet lists.
• Use numerals for 2 and above in text, unless you’re starting a sentence with a number.
• Write the numbers ‘zero’ and ‘one’ in words.
• Don’t use full stops between letters in an acronym or initialism.
• Don’t use a comma or any punctuation when writing out the date. Use numerals for the day and the year but
spel out the month in words, for example: 22 September 2021.
• Never use double spaces.
• Use sentence case (where only the first word and proper nouns are capitalised) for your content and
headings.
• If the shortened form of a word represents a proper noun, start each word with a capital letter, for example
New South Wales is ‘NSW’, but Queensland is ‘Qld’.
If you’re looking for more style conventions, refer to the Grammar, punctuation and conventions section of
the Style Manual.
OFFICIAL
Infrastructure and Arts web style guide
Release date: July 2024
Page 5 of 6
OFFICIAL
News stories
News stories appear on our homepage. You should use the same tone and voice for news stories as you do
other web content: professional, personal and friendly. If you’re drafting a web story from a media release,
consider the tone and voice and adapt it to be warm and conversational, rather than formal. Break up longer
articles with headings if needed and use short paragraphs, covering one idea per paragraph.
The title and the summary sentence should be as short as possible so they fit on the homepage and
encourage the reader to click through for the ful story.
Use the Submit News + feature, located within the Latest News section on the CONNECT home page and
follow the conventions outlined.
Image selection and use
Images are generally only needed for news stories, however when it’s appropriate you can consider including
an image on your web page. There are 2 image source options available to us: the departmental library and
Getty.
Departmental library
URL: https://infrastructure.imagegal ery.me/
The departmental library has a wide range of images (stil s and footage) relating to our infrastructure,
communications and regional program areas. You wil need to sign up for a user log in.
Once logged in, enter your search terms in the search boxes on the home page, or scrol down and you’l find
a selection of folders on key topics. Content in the library can be shared with anyone in the department and
external stakeholders, including ministers’ offices.
Contact
for help with the departmental library.
Getty
Our stock image provider is Getty. If you can’t find any suitable images in the departmental library, search the
Getty library.
Once you’ve made your selections, email
with a link / image number(s)
for purchase.
Please note there are some limitations associated with content obtained from Getty you need to be aware of:
• Images
can’t be stored for future uses that differ from the original project.
• Images
can’t be provided to anyone externally
including ministerial offices, however imagery
can be provided to
freelancers (such as external graphic designers) completing a job for the department.
• Images
can’t be used in electronic templates, print runs over 500,000, or materials for sale.
• There are restrictions to content marked ‘editorial only’ so you should avoid using these images.
Use of royalty free stock image sites
We don’t endorse the use of royalty free stock images for any purpose because we can’t verify their source. If
you can’t find what you need in our library or Getty, contact our strategic communication or video teams.
OFFICIAL
Infrastructure and Arts web style guide
Release date: July 2024
Page 6 of 6
