Bringing two product lines into one voice
One brand, two products, one shared trust problem
allu. runs two business lines under a single brand — a circular economy marketplace and an investment platform (allu.invest). Both needed to feel like the same company, but they'd grown at different speeds, with different teams, and it showed: inconsistent components, and a tone of voice that shifted depending on who last touched the copy.
For the investment side specifically, that inconsistency was a bigger problem than aesthetics. People were being asked to read financial numbers — installments, returns, deductions — and act on them with confidence. Confusing hierarchy or ambiguous copy in that context doesn't just look sloppy, it erodes the one thing an investment product can't survive without: trust.
I worked on both halves of that problem: the interface itself, and the words running through it.
Designing for financial confidence
Three screens from the redesign, chosen because each solves a different trust problem: orientation (where am I, what do I own), status (what state is my money in), and urgency (what needs my attention now).
The interface only solves half of a trust problem. The other half is what the product actually says — which is why this case includes the UX writing guide as a first-class part of the work, not an appendix.
The UX writing guide
I wrote and structured allu.'s UX writing guide from the ground up — not a tone-of-voice mood board, but working rules a product team could actually apply: what to say when a payment fails, how to format currency, which words to avoid in a button.
The part I'm proudest of: tone isn't fixed, it adapts to how the user is likely feeling in that moment — satisfied, confused, or frustrated get different treatment, on purpose.
Translated below from the original Portuguese guide, adapted so the examples still demonstrate the same rules in English.
Tone & Voice — how do we communicate?
We're an innovative company that helps our customers reach their goals without stress. Our communication is friendly, direct, and empathetic, reflecting that positive, upbeat approach.
Transformative
We need to be transformative, showing users how they can improve their lives with allu. We use motivational, exciting, and innovative tones to inspire users toward transformation.
Tones: Motivational, Exciting, Innovative
"Be the protagonist of your own transformation."
Engaging
We're engaging and grab attention with interesting, compelling content. Our mission is to make the user's journey unforgettable, using fun and surprising tones without feeling off-putting.
Tones: Fun, Surprising, Mesmerizing, Familiar
"Explore a world of endless possibilities."
We use simple words and short sentences so the message is easy to understand.
Our content is accessible to all users, regardless of background, age, or education level.
We show that we understand users' feelings and concerns.
We make sure there's no room for misreading in important messages.
We don't overload users with information that isn't relevant.
We avoid jargon and technical language. Slang or memes are fine only in moderation, in specific contexts, and only when we're sure the user will get it.
Context & mood
Beyond our general voice guidelines, what matters is where the user is emotionally in that part of the interaction. We adapt our words to how the user feels, using a different tone for each situation.
Happy user
The moment of most freedom in the interaction — we can be more playful. E.g. a notification that a device shipped, or an upgrade got approved.
Satisfied user
Important to inspire stability. The user should feel that success — the happy path — is the standard allu experience.
Neutral user
Most interactions: just follow the standard guidelines. Engaging, but clear and informative above all.
Confused user
Extra care for clarity here. Tone should communicate availability, patience, and clarification — this is a moment of friction.
Frustrated user
The user has already been let down. Tone must be extremely objective and empathetic — ask little, and be as honest and unobtrusive as possible.
Style
allu's verbal style reflects our brand's character — always prioritizing clarity and objectivity in every message.
Person
We address the user directly, second person. The brand itself, "allu," is grammatically feminine in the original Portuguese ("a allu").
Capitalization
Only the first word of a CTA is capitalized; the rest stays lowercase (except proper nouns).
Verb forms
Flow buttons use the infinitive: finish, proceed, continue
Promotional buttons use the imperative: sign up, tap, create
Hints/placeholders use the imperative: enter your password, check, confirm
Currency & dates
A space between value and currency symbol; a period for thousands, a comma for cents.
R$ 2.099,99
Dates follow the conventional DD/MM/YYYY format.
01/01/2024
Dos & Don'ts
Component-by-component rules, so the same standard applies whoever's writing that day.
Buttons
Up to 2 words, 3 at the absolute most.
Common, web-standard terms users already recognize.
No punctuation — no question marks, exclamation points, or periods.
Titles
Lead with the essential content — many users skip the description entirely.
No punctuation in titles.
Descriptions
Up to 3 lines, kept tight so reading doesn't feel tiring.
Most important information goes at the end, and always with punctuation.
No more than 2 lines when a description follows a subtitle.
Placeholders
Give instructions when there's no hint outside the field. E.g. Re-enter your password.
Or just name the field (Name) or give an example (e.g. iPhone, MacBook, AirPods).
No punctuation in placeholders.
Results
Want to see how this applies to your product?
Open to remote roles in fintech and healthtech — full-time or contract.