Methods library

Project-wide reference docs that every Phase 3 (Consolidation) run reads. Update as the brand voice and approved terminology evolve.

Add a methods doc

Kind
Title
Active
\#\# \*\*Part 1: Brand Voice Foundation\*\* \#\# \*\*Who We Are in Words\*\* Shift Health Education is a trusted external partner — not an authority figure, not a campaigner, and not a classroom teacher. Our voice reflects that positioning: we are warm, informed, grounded and human. We speak as professionals who genuinely care about young people and the communities around them. Our writing should always feel like it was written by a real person — specifically by someone with deep experience working alongside students, schools, and families. It should never feel generated, formal for the sake of formality, or detached from lived reality. \#\# \*\*The Four Voice Pillars\*\* These four qualities define every piece of content we produce, across every channel: \* \*\*Human first.\*\* We write with warmth and genuine care. Our work involves real conversations about real life — and the writing should reflect that. \* \*\*Confident without being preachy.\*\* We are grounded in evidence and experience, but we never moralize or lecture. We trust our audience. \* \*\*Clear without being simplistic.\*\* We deal with complex topics and nuanced realities. We write clearly, but we never flatten the complexity. \* \*\*Purposeful without being heavy.\*\* Even serious topics can be approached with lightness when it serves the audience. We are not a crisis service — we are a life skills partner. \--- \#\# \*\*Part 2: Tone by Channel and Audience\*\* Different audiences require different registers. The voice stays consistent — the tone adjusts. \#\# \*\*Tone Matrix\*\* | Channel / Audience | Tone | Example register | | \----- | \----- | \----- | | \*\*Student-facing content\*\* | Light, relatable, non-judgmental | "Let's be real — talking about this stuff with your parents can feel awkward." | | \*\*Parent seminars & materials\*\* | Warm, practical, reassuring | "These conversations don't have to be perfect. They just have to happen." | | \*\*School-facing / B2B\*\* | Professional, collaborative, evidence-informed | "We work in partnership with schools to embed a coherent, age-appropriate spiral curriculum." | | \*\*Tertiary education\*\* | Peer-level, respectful, real | "Real life. Real talk. Real skills." | | \*\*Website (general)\*\* | Clear, accessible, purposeful | "We help them make sense of it all." | | \*\*Founder (Liz) — personal voice\*\* | Reflective, passionate, personal | "I'm all about real talks, practical insights, and making sure young people feel equipped." | | \*\*Business LinkedIn\*\* | Professional, warm, community-oriented | First-person plural. Purpose-driven. No sales language. | | \*\*Internal / operational docs\*\* | Functional, clear, professional | No brand voice requirements — clarity and accuracy take priority. | \#\# \*\*Humor and Lightness\*\* Shift is not a comedy brand. But we are not grim either. Lightness is a tool, not a default. \*\*Use light, relatable language:\*\* \* In student-facing content — always permitted and often preferred \* In parent-facing content — where it reduces anxiety or makes a topic feel approachable \* When referencing universally awkward experiences ("we've all been there") \*\*Avoid humor or lightness:\*\* \* In facilitator safeguarding protocols \* When discussing trauma, abuse or disclosure \* In formal institutional communications (e.g., school partnership proposals) \--- \#\# \*\*Part 3: Grammar and Punctuation Rules\*\* \#\# \*\*Standard Spelling: British English\*\* All content defaults to British English spelling conventions unless the document is produced specifically for a non-British audience. | Use | Avoid | | \----- | \----- | | Programme / programmes | Program / programs | | Wellbeing | Well-being | | Recognise | Recognize | | Organised | Organized | | Colour, honour, behaviour | Color, honor, behavior | | Centre | Center | \#\# \*\*Punctuation Rules\*\* \* \*\*No Oxford comma.\*\* Do not place a comma before "and" or "or" in a list. \* ✅ "health, relationships and wellbeing" \* ❌ "health, relationships, and wellbeing" \* \*\*No em dash (—).\*\* Use alternative constructions instead. \* Instead of "We work in schools — and we know what students need" → use: "We work in schools. We know what students need." or "We work in schools and we know what students need." \* \*\*Hyphens.\*\* Use sparingly and only where they aid clarity (e.g., "age-appropriate", "student-centred", "evidence-based"). \* \*\*Exclamation marks.\*\* Permitted only in student-facing content and Liz's personal writing. Not in website copy, B2B materials or formal documents. \* \*\*Ampersand (&).\*\* Permitted in headings, labels and programme titles (e.g., "Health & Life Skills"). Spell out "and" in body copy. \#\# \*\*Sentence Structure\*\* \* Keep sentences varied in length. Short punchy sentences land well after longer explanatory ones. \* Avoid back-to-back sentences of the same length — it creates a robotic rhythm. \* Active voice is strongly preferred. \* ✅ "We create a neutral, non-evaluative space." \* ❌ "A neutral, non-evaluative space is created." \* Avoid nominalisation (turning verbs into abstract nouns). \* ✅ "We help young people decide." \* ❌ "We support decision-making processes." \--- \#\# \*\*Part 4: Vocabulary and Terminology\*\* \#\# \*\*Preferred Terms — English\*\* | Use | Avoid | | :---- | :---- | | Programme / programmes | Program / programs | | Wellbeing | Well-being | | Health & Life Skills Education | Health and life skills (lowercase or inconsistent) | | Facilitator | Teacher (when referring to Shift staff) | | Partner / partnership | Provider / vendor / contractor | | Age-appropriate | Age-relevant, age-targeted | | Spiral curriculum | Rolling curriculum / repeated curriculum | | Evidence-based | Science-backed, research-proven | | Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) | Sex ed, sex education (in formal or professional contexts) | | Neutral, non-evaluative space | Safe space (overused and inconsistent in meaning) | | Students | Kids, pupils (in secondary/tertiary contexts) | | Young people | Youth (in formal institutional writing) | | Healthy Relationships, Boundaries & Consent | Variations or abbreviations of this session name | \#\# \*\*Terms to Avoid Entirely\*\* \* "Cutting edge" / "state of the art" \* "Empowering" as a standalone adjective without context (overused) \* "Passionate about" (unless in Liz's personal voice) \* "Best in class" \* "Holistic solution" \* "Deliver" when referring to education that involves facilitated discussion (prefer "facilitate" or "run") \* "Stakeholders" in parent-facing or student-facing content \#\# \*\*Sensitive Topic Language\*\* Use clinical, accurate language for body and health topics — never euphemisms in educational content, and never sensationalised language in public-facing content. \* ✅ "sexual health", "STIs", "contraception", "consent", "pornography" \* ❌ "the birds and the bees", "adult content" (vague), "sleeping together" (in educational context) In public-facing content (website, LinkedIn), these topics are named clearly but without gratuitous detail. Let the curriculum listing do the specificity work. \--- \#\# \*\*Part 5: Structural Writing Principles\*\* \#\# \*\*Headlines and Headings\*\* Headlines should be short, direct and grounded — not clever for the sake of it. Good headline patterns observed in existing copy: \* Three-part rhythm: "Real Life. Real Talk. Real Skills." \* Action \\+ benefit: "Confident conversations at home." \* Descriptive \\+ context: "Health & Life Skills Classes and Workshops for Schools." \* Grounding statement: "Grounded in International Best Practice. Delivered Locally." \* Question hook (LinkedIn Business Posts only): "Did you know: STI Cases are rising significantly in Switzerland" / "How can young people build healthy relationships?" Avoid: \* Question headlines on website pages or in institutional copy \* Clichéd marketing headlines ("Transforming lives one workshop at a time") \* Overly long headlines (more than 10 words) \#\# \*\*Body Copy Principles\*\* \* Lead with the most important point — do not warm up slowly \* Use short paragraphs: 2–3 sentences maximum in web and marketing copy \* Bullet points are appropriate for lists of features, topics and expectations — but should not replace explanatory prose \* Every paragraph should earn its place. If removing it changes nothing, cut it. \#\# \*\*Business Post Body Structure (LinkedIn)\*\* Approved Business Posts follow one of two structural patterns depending on content type: Pattern A — Issue \\+ Factors \\+ Shift's Role \\+ Closer (for awareness/data-led posts): 1\. Headline stating the issue clearly 2\. Brief framing sentence 3\. Bullet list of contributing factors or student behaviours ("Here are some of the contributing factors we are noticing...") 4\. Shift's educational role described in 2–3 sentences 5\. Single-sentence closing statement **How to do each step well:** **Step 2 — Ground before you pivot.** Where appropriate, open by acknowledging what has always been true before introducing what is new or changing. A clean pivot sentence ("What is new however is the environment") is more effective than leading with dramatic claims. This avoids an alarmist tone and signals respect for the reader's existing understanding. **Step 3 — Describe observed patterns, not abstract themes.** Bullets should name what students are actually experiencing, not what external forces are doing in general. The reader should be able to picture a young person. "Difficulty distinguishing edited images from reality" is stronger than "Algorithm-driven content that narrows ideas of what bodies should look like." **Step 4 — Be specific about the work students do.** Name the actual thinking or practical work students engage in during sessions. Avoid vague verbs like "explore how X develops." Prefer "explore where body image comes from and how to think critically about the content they consume." **Step 5 — Reframe, don't summarise.** The closing one-liner should open the topic up slightly rather than restate the post. Strong closers offer a deeper truth or a slight reframe. Avoid endings that simply repackage the central argument in different words. Pattern B — Question \\+ Observation \\+ Shift's Role \\+ Closer (for relationship/skills posts): 1\. Question headline 2\. Observation about how young people absorb information or form beliefs 3\. The challenge or gap that creates 4\. Shift's role in addressing it, including what students explore (bullet list) 5\. Single-sentence closing statement \#\# \*\*Closing One-Liners\*\* A short, standalone closing sentence is an established device in Business Posts. It crystallises the message without summarising it. Examples from approved posts: \*"Informed students are safer students."\* \*"Healthy relationships aren't something young people should have to 'figure out' alone. They are skills that should be taught, practised and strengthened with the right guidance."\* \*"Gaining consent is a vital skill that guides safe and respectful engagement in all relationships."\* These closers work because they are declarative, purposeful and free of sales language. They should feel earned by the content above them — not dropped in as a slogan. \#\# \*\*Calls to Action\*\* \* Keep CTAs short and conversational: "Let's start the conversation." / "Contact us." / "Contactez-nous." \* Avoid aggressive or transactional CTAs: "Book now", "Sign up today", "Get started" \* Questions work well as soft CTAs for LinkedIn: "Curious about how this works?" \--- \#\# \*\*Part 6: The "We" Voice — Organisational Writing\*\* \#\# \*\*Positioning Language\*\* Shift always speaks as a partner, not as an authority or a service vendor. This is reflected in how "we" is used: \* ✅ "We partner with schools to embed..." \* ✅ "We work alongside families to..." \* ✅ "We help them make sense of it all." \* ❌ "We provide schools with..." (transactional) \* ❌ "Our services include..." (vendor-speak) \#\# \*\*What Shift Is — and Is Not\*\* Writing should consistently reinforce these positioning statements, even implicitly: | Shift is... | Shift is not... | | \----- | \----- | | A trusted external partner | An authority or regulator | | Human-centred and conversational | Academic or policy-heavy | | Evidence-informed | Prescriptive or dogmatic | | Neutral and non-evaluative | Advocacy-driven or campaigning | | Locally grounded | A global NGO or institutional body | \--- \#\# \*\*Part 7: French Language Guide\*\* \#\# \*\*Core Principle\*\* All French content is written in Swiss French, with specific sensitivity to the Geneva and Vaud educational context. It should feel institutional without being bureaucratic, and warm without being informal. \#\# \*\*Swiss French Voice Rules\*\* \* Use vocabulary familiar to the Swiss educational system (PER, établissements, équipes éducatives, équipes de soutien) \* Avoid phrasing that reads as distinctly Parisian or Metropolitan French \* Maintain the same warmth and directness that characterises the English voice \* The strategic positioning translates directly: \*partenaire\*, \*prévention\*, \*neutralité externe\* \#\# \*\*Established French Terminology\*\* These terms are fixed and should be used consistently across all French content: | English | French (use this) | | \----- | \----- | | Health & Life Skills Education | Éducation à la santé et compétences de vie | | Boundaries | Limites personnelles | | Tertiary education | Pour le degré tertiaire \*or\* pour l'enseignement tertiaire | | Wellbeing | Bien-être | | Spiral curriculum | Programme en spirale | | Evidence-based | Fondé sur des données probantes | | Comprehensive Sexuality Education | Éducation complète à la sexualité (ECS) | | Workshops | Ateliers | | Schools programme | Programme scolaire | | External partner | Partenaire externe de confiance | | Non-evaluative space | Espace neutre et non évaluatif | | Age-appropriate | Adapté à l'âge des élèves | \#\# \*\*Translation Philosophy\*\* French text is not a literal translation of English — it is an equivalent expression of the same idea, written naturally in Swiss French. When translating: 1\. Preserve the rhythm and brevity of the English original 2\. Prioritise natural French syntax over word-for-word equivalence 3\. Use institutional Swiss vocabulary where English uses general terms 4\. Headings may restructure the English form entirely if it makes for cleaner French \*\*Example from approved website copy:\*\* \*\*English:\*\* "Grounded in International Best Practice. Delivered Locally." \*\*French:\*\* "Fondé sur les meilleures pratiques internationales. Ancré dans le contexte éducatif suisse." Note how "Delivered Locally" becomes a fuller, more grounded phrase in French — it does not try to be short for the sake of it. \#\# \*\*French Grammar and Punctuation Notes\*\* \* In French, a space precedes colons, semicolons, exclamation marks and question marks: \*Contactez-nous :\* \* Guillemets (« ») are used for quotation marks, not inverted commas \* Keep sentence structure clear and avoid overly long embedded clauses — Swiss institutional French tends toward clean, readable construction \* Avoid anglicisms where strong French equivalents exist \--- \#\# \*\*Part 8: LinkedIn-Specific Rules\*\* \*(Summarised here for completeness — full detail in the LinkedIn Post Strategy document)\* \#\# \*\*Founder Posts (Liz)\*\* \* First person, reflective, human \* Never promotional — subtly references "the work we do" only \* 120–220 words, short paragraphs \* Hook → Reflection → Bridge to impact → Soft close (no CTA) \#\# \*\*Business Posts (Shift Health Education)\*\* \* First-person plural ("we") \* Professional, warm, evidence-informed \* 90–230 words — posts that include bullet lists may extend to approximately 230 words and remain within style. Prose-only posts should stay closer to 90–180 words. \* Issue or question → Why it matters → Shift's role → Purpose-driven closing one-liner (no sales CTA) \* Maximum one emoji, used optionally \* **Intent:** Raise a topic readers will genuinely want to engage with, then show how Shift is responding to it in classrooms. The aim is to open up wider conversation around the issues we work on, not to promote services. Posts should feel like an informed observation shared by someone close to the work, not an awareness campaign. \--- \#\# \*\*Part 9: Anti-Patterns — What to Avoid\*\* These are specific patterns that undermine Shift's voice. Flag and remove them in any content review. \#\# \*\*Sounds AI-Generated\*\* \* Overly parallel sentence structures throughout a whole paragraph \* Repeating the subject at the start of every sentence \* Transitions like "Furthermore", "Moreover", "It is worth noting that" \* Padding phrases: "In today's world", "In the modern era", "Now more than ever" \* Ending with a sweeping summary sentence that restates everything just said \* Bullet lists that describe abstract forces or themes rather than observable patterns. If the bullet could appear in a generic op-ed about the topic, it is too abstract. Bullets should reflect what facilitators actually notice in sessions. \#\# \*\*Sounds Like a Corporate Brochure\*\* \* "We are committed to..." \* "Our mission is to deliver..." \* "Leveraging our expertise..." \* "A comprehensive suite of services" \* "Tailored solutions for your needs" \#\# \*\*Sounds Preachy or Moralising\*\* \* "Young people need to understand that..." \* "It is vital that students learn..." \* "Parents must be aware..." \* Any tone that implies the audience is failing or behind \#\# \*\*Sounds Alarmist\*\* \* "The alarming rise of..." \* "A crisis facing our youth..." \* "Increasingly dangerous digital landscape..." \#\# \*\*Below Standard for Business Posts\*\* A Business Post that consists only of a definition, a closing statement and hashtags — without context, contributing factors or a description of Shift's role — does not meet the standard set by approved posts. Even short posts should include at least a brief framing of why the topic matters and one reference to what students learn or practise in sessions. A closing one-liner alone is not sufficient as a post body. \--- \#\# \*\*Part 10: Quick Reference Card\*\* | Element | Rule | | :---: | :---: | | Element | Rule | | \----- | \----- | | Spelling standard | British English | | Programme | Always, not "program" | | Wellbeing | One word, no hyphen | | Oxford comma | Never | | Em dash (—) | Never | | Exclamation marks | Student content and Liz's voice only | | Active voice | Always preferred | | Humour | Yes, in student and parent content — not in institutional writing | | French standard | Swiss French — Geneva/Vaud educational register | | Boundaries (FR) | Limites personnelles | | Health & Life Skills Ed (FR) | Éducation à la santé et compétences de vie | | Tertiary education (FR) | Le degré tertiaire / l'enseignement tertiaire | | Tone: schools | Professional, collaborative | | Tone: students | Relatable, light, direct | | Tone: parents | Warm, practical, reassuring | | Positioning | Partner — never vendor or authority |
Kind
Title
Active
Gentle watercolor wash with visible brushstrokes, soft pastel hues, hand-drawn details, mixed media accents, authentic imperfections, avoid AI-generated look.