Inclusive language

Write for diversity

Embrace diversity in your writing by considering how users' experiences have shaped their thoughts and perspectives. These experiences can be the result of a number of factors including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, educational background, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, and political beliefs.

Here are some simple ways to ensure that your copy resonates with a diverse audience:

• Avoid the use of cultural references, which can alienate users and create confusion.
• Avoid metaphorical language and idioms. These can be difficult to translate, particularly for international users and people who speak English as a second language. Metaphors and idioms may also be associated with a certain class, ethnicity, or culture.

Address unconscious bias

Unconscious bias influences the way we approach both our personal and professional lives. These attitudes and stereotypes take hold when we're young and permeate our lived experience, impacting the way that we perceive others based on age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical disabilities, and many other characteristics. Recognizing these biases is critical so that we can write copy that is inclusive of all users.

Removing racist language

The UX/UI text that lives within our applications should empower people, not hurt them. When determining which words to use or not use, write from a place of empathy. If a term or phrase harms any one group, don't use it. Choose inclusive language for positive impact.

Harmful terms are often rooted in racist and anti-Black metaphors. Metaphorical language that imposes value judgments on color - e.g., imparting positive connotations to light/white and negative connotations to dark/black - reinforces colorist stereotypes. It's better to opt for direct language that is not only more inclusive, but also easier to understand.

How do you know if a word is racist?

Engaging with anti-racist language necessarily involves using your own judgment. It can be difficult, however, to guide yourself through the process of identifying harmful language. To help with this, we've included questions that you can use to evaluate your UX/UI text.

• Is the language metaphorical, and if so, does it rely on colorist stereotypes or impart positive connotations to light/white and negative connotations to something else (e.g., "dark patterns")?
• Does your language use othering?
• Is there an alternative that is clear and more literal (the answer is almost always yes).
• Is a term or phrase harmful to a group of people? Who and how so? People should not have to defend their feelings or emotions. It's incumbent on us as user experience practitioners to believe people who tell us that language is harmful, to express empathy and to act.
• Does the language make you or someone else feel uncomfortable?

Below is a list of terms with racist roots that we do not use at Guidewire, along with inclusive, replacement terms:

Avoid	Use this (preferred)	Or this (alternatives)
master	primary	leader, coordinator, parent, main
slave	secondary	follower, worker, child, dependent, replica, helper
blacklist	blocklist	denylist
whitelist	allowlist	permitlist, accesslist
grandfathered	preexisting	legacy, exempt
dark UX	deceptive design patterns	deceptive design, deceptive UX

Write for all language levels

Plain language makes it easier for our customers to read, understand, and use Guidewire products and services. Our approach to writing is based on user-centered principles. Keep the following advice in mind to reach users of all language levels:

• Use simple, plain language. To reduce cognitive burden, write at a 10th grade level for professional audiences, and a 6th grade level for general audiences. You can use free tools like the Hemingway Editor to check your copy.
• Opt for a conversational style rather than a technical one. Remember that the words of an interface represent your conversation with users. Our language can and should be both representative and pleasant, professional and smiling, respectful and relatable. Don't write what you wouldn't say out loud.
• Use terms that are familiar to your audience. Simple and familiar terms are easier to comprehend, and their memory-retrieval time is shorter. Some general guidelines in this area:
  • Branded terms invented by Guidewire to refer to processes or products should be replaced or accompanied by explicit terms.
  • Terms that are specific to your platform should be accompanied by a definition.
  • It's okay to use technical terms with specialized user groups, but make sure that your audience actually knows their meaning.

Write for accessibility

From a content creation perspective, there are several ways that we can address accessibility within our products:

• On-screen text. This is the UX/UI text that users encounter on the screen and that lives within our applications. We have three criteria for the purpose of measuring accessible UX content:
  • Language availability: is the content available in the language(s) that users are proficient in?
  • Reading level: is the content written at a 10th grade level for professional audiences, and a 6th grade level for general audiences?
  • Screen reader support: does every element have text for screen readers to speak? It's important to remember that we are also writing UX content for low vision and blind users.
• Alt-text. Text alternatives describe the information or function represented by images and icons. They play an important role in providing context to low vision and blind users and explaining the meaning of images.

Speak in a way that is clear and explicit and avoid ambiguity. This is particularly important for UI elements like buttons and call-to-actions. When presenting users with the option to cancel a policy, for instance, the primary action shouldn't say "Cancel." It might not be clear what the user is canceling. Instead, you would say "Cancel my policy" to be more specific and explicit. Little steps like these can ease worry and empower users to take action.

Write for belonging

The Guidewire community includes people from a myriad of different backgrounds and it's important that we recognize that diversity in our content.

Transgender users

When writing for users, do not assume that they are cisgender, i.e. that their gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. We should also take into account the experiences of transgender individuals. Implementing the following changes is an important first step in creating UX/UI text that is inclusive and respectful of all users:

• As a general rule, try to use gender-neutral pronouns, e.g., the singular "they" instead of "he/she" or "s/he."
• When creating forms, ask users for their pronoun instead of their gender. Don't limit their choice here. Include a free-form text field where users can enter a custom answer. This shows that you have a genuine interest in users who are trans and gender non-conforming.

Understand the fundamentals of trans-inclusive vocabulary. "Transgender" or "trans" is the umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

• Treat trans/transgender and cis/cisgender as open-compound adjectives which modify gender nouns.
• Avoid terms like transgendered, transman and transwoman. "Transgendered" is unnecessarily long and can lead to tense confusion and grammatical errors. It also implies that being transgender is something that happens to someone.

Avoid	Use
Trans-woman	Trans woman
A transman	A transgender man
CIS	cis
Jane is transgendered	Jane, a trans woman
Jane is a transgender	Jane, a woman

Persons with disabilities

Make a concerted effort to avoid language that is negative or disparaging towards persons with disabilities. Certain words or phrases that may seem innocuous can in fact inflict harm. Society has a tendency to emphasize disability at the expense of the person, making that their defining characteristic. This has the negative effect of casting persons with disabilities as victims. It also ignores all of the strengths, skills, talents and resources that they have to contribute. Focus on maintaining the person's integrity as a whole human being by following these best practices:

• Do not imply that a person as a whole is disabled (e.g., the disabled).
• Do not equate persons with their condition (e.g., amputee).
• Avoid language that is superfluous or negative (e.g., suffering from multiple sclerosis).
• Avoid language that can be regarded as a slur (e.g., crazy, paranoid).

Below are examples of ableist language and preferred alternatives that should be used in their place. This list is not meant to be all-encompassing, but rather to facilitate discussion and provide a basis for language reevaluation.

Avoid	Use
Disabled person	Person with a disability
Mentally ill person	Person with mental illness
The learning disabled	Children with specific learning differences
Confined to a wheelchair	Uses a wheelchair
Cripple	Person who has a limp

While we generally advocate for people-first language, be aware that there are some groups who prefer identity-first language, e.g. Autistic and Deaf communities.

Continue to learn and self-educate

Guidewire is committed to promoting the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its products and services. As members of the Guidewire community, we encourage you to become active participants in this conversation. This is a deeply complex and personal topic for many people. Engaging in a productive dialogue requires familiarizing yourself with DEI principles and best practices. This inclusivity guide is meant to serve as a starting point. We have included additional resources below that are geared specifically towards inclusive writing.

Inclusive writing resources

• Accessibility for Everyone by Laura Kalbag
• Conscious Style Guide
• Design for Real Life by Eric Meyer and Sara Wachter-Boettcher
• Dismantling the Design System of White Supremacy by JR Miller
• GLAAD Media Reference Guide: Glossary of Terms / Language
• Google on inclusive writing (with a focus on documentation, but still relevant)
• Hemingway Editor
• Inclusive Language and Vocabulary for Startups and Tech
• Intuit Content Design
• InVision Design Talks - Inclusive UX copy: Making words work for everyone with Ada Powers
• Lower-literacy Users: Writing for a Broad Consumer Audience | Nielsen Norman Group
• Mailchimp Content Style Guide
• The Language of Racism: Why It's Time to Get Rid of Master Bedroom, Cake Walk, Grandfather Clause