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• Let’s Talk Smart Brevity
• Why Should You Care?
• What’s Your Move?
• What are effective communication helpers?
• The Pyramid Principle
• Progressive Disclosure
• Why Graphics and Charts Rock
• Smart Brevity Example:
• How can I learn more about Smart Brevity?
• Avoid Abbreviations
• Standard Abbreviations Allowlist
• Guidelines for Inclusive and Gender-Inclusive Language

Let’s Talk Smart Brevity

If I had more time…I would have written less!

Why Should You Care?

• Using a clear and consistent communication style is key to our success. It keeps us moving quickly and helps prevent misunderstandings.

What’s Your Move?

• Dive into Smart Brevity! Start practicing it in every email, Notion doc, help article, and process. #iterateforimpact
• Pro Tips
• Start each list or paragraph with an eye-catching anchor, e.g. “Why it matters:”
• Use bullet points—they’re your new best friend!
• Keep prose short and sweet—3 lines max!

Be concise	Set up a DataDog alert if items are waiting in queue for longer than 2 days	Create DataDog alert for queued deliveries >2 days old
Remove filler phrases	• Make sure that the batch queue size stays under 1000 • I think this needs to be updated	• ”Max batch queue size is 1000” • ”Update”
Guideline	❌ Instead of…	✅ do…
Avoid filler words	Make sure that the festivals use V2 format	Festivals use V2 format
Be precise	• Handle Delivery Worker 404 error • Submit button is not working	• Retry delivery message on S3 404 status • Submit button disabled when form is dirty

What are effective communication helpers?

How can I learn more about Smart Brevity?

Avoid Abbreviations

Peter Yang on LinkedIn: Big tech PM leading first meeting at a startup | 35 comments

Big tech PM leading first meeting at a startup | 35 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

Avoid jumping to conclusions with brief messages. Assume the person is saving time, not being curt or rude.

Write so that a first-time reader can get your message without needing extra context—unless you provide a link to it.

Abbreviations (acronyms, initialisms, jargon) can make things harder to understand, so use them carefully. Here’s why:

• Undefined abbreviations are like puzzles—they make your reader work to figure out what you mean.
• Stick with full terms: The few extra seconds it takes to type them out is worth the clarity they bring.
• If you must use abbreviations, define them in the same document or link to their meaning, especially if they’ll come up often.
• Do ✅ “The Go-To-Market (GTM) owner is Simone. More GTM ownership will follow.”
• Don’t ❌ “The GTM owner is Simone.”.
• Don’t ❌ “The GTM (Go To Market) owner is Simone.”.

Standard Abbreviations Allowlist

There are some common abbreviations that usually don’t need to be spelled out. Here’s the complete “ok to use” list. Read also the Google developer documentation style guide.

Unless stated otherwise, we follow the Google language style guide for abbreviations. It also explains how to introduce and define a new abbreviation in your text.

Abbreviations  |  Google developer documentation style guide  |  Google for Developers

Abbreviations include acronyms, initialisms, shortened words, and contractions.

developers.google.com

Guidelines for Inclusive and Gender-Inclusive Language

Using inclusive language isn’t just about words; it’s about creating a space where everyone feels respected and valued. By being thoughtful with our language, we can avoid reinforcing stereotypes and biases, and promote equality for all. Here’s how to keep it inclusive:

• Go for gender-neutral terms
• Skip the generic masculine pronouns
• Choose words that embrace all gender identities and expressions

For more tips, check out "The International Guide to Gender-Inclusive Writing" below.

The international guide to gender-inclusive writing • UX Content Collective

Content designers from around the globe share best practices in their language.

uxcontent.com