Every product speaks, whether it means to or not.
A product can have a lot of features. A voice gives all of them a point of view.
THE BRIEF Lark was growing as an all-in-one collaboration suite for global, knowledge-based teams, but it needed a clearer way to sound like itself. The task: turn its brand promise into a practical voice-and-tone system that writers could actually use.
THE QUESTION I STARTED WITH If Lark were a person in the room, how would it help without taking over the conversation?
A consistent voice makes a product feel recognizable and reliable. Tone gives that voice range: an onboarding moment, an error state, and a small success message should not sound identical, but they should feel as though they came from the same mind.
For a global product, this is more than stylistic polish. It shapes how people understand the product, how supported they feel, and whether its language travels gracefully across cultures and markets.
<aside> 🔑
</aside>
I mapped voice patterns across both established workplace tools and newer communication platforms. I was not looking for a personality to imitate; I was looking for useful tensions and gaps.
Warm, relaxed, crisp, clear, ready to lend a hand.
Teams showed that enterprise language does not have to be stiff. Its voice combines directness with a helpful posture—an important reference for a product built around work and coordination.
Conversational, friendly, respectful, casual, natural, approachable.
Google’s language demonstrates the value of reducing friction through familiarity. Its tone is broadly accessible, though its neutrality leaves room for a product like Lark to feel more distinct.