docs/.conventions/brand-voice/voice-examples.md
Ten before/after transformations demonstrating Zed's brand voice. Use these as calibration for diagnosis and reconstruction.
Before (Score: 2/5 Technical Grounding)
Zed delivers blazingly fast performance that will revolutionize your coding experience. Our cutting-edge technology ensures you never wait again.
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed is written in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering. Keystrokes register in under 8ms. Scrolling stays at 120fps even in large files.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 2/5 Developer Respect)
Don't worry about the complicated stuff — Zed handles it all for you! Just focus on what you do best: writing amazing code.
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed runs language servers in separate processes with automatic crash recovery. If a language server fails, you keep editing while it restarts.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 2/5 Specificity)
Zed provides a seamless collaborative experience that brings your team together in powerful new ways.
After (Score: 5/5)
Share your workspace with
cmd+shift+c. Collaborators see your cursor, selections, and edits in real time. Voice chat is built in — no separate call needed.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 2/5 Natural Syntax)
Zed is fast — really fast — and built for the way developers actually work — not how tools think they should work.
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed is built for speed. We optimized for the workflows developers actually use: jumping between files, searching across projects, editing multiple cursors at once.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 1/5 Quiet Confidence)
We're thrilled to announce Zed 1.0! After years of hard work, we can't wait for you to experience what we've built. You're going to love it!
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed 1.0 is available today. This release includes GPU text rendering, multi-buffer editing, and native collaboration. Download it at zed.dev.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 2/5 Natural Syntax)
Zed isn't just an editor — it's a complete development environment. It's not about features — it's about flow. And it's not slow — it's instant.
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed combines editing, debugging, collaboration, and AI assistance in one application. Everything runs in the same process, so switching between tasks has no context-switch overhead.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 2/5 Specificity)
Zed's AI integration enhances your productivity and streamlines your workflow, helping you code smarter and ship faster.
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed runs AI completions inline as you type. Suggestions appear in 200ms. Accept with Tab, reject by continuing to type. The model runs locally or connects to your preferred API.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 1/5 across multiple criteria)
🚀 Big news! Zed just dropped MASSIVE updates! Multi-file editing, insane AI features, and SO much more. This is a game-changer, folks! Try it now! 🔥
After (Score: 4/5)
Zed 0.150: Multi-buffer editing is here. Edit across files in a single view. AI completions now stream inline. Full changelog at zed.dev/releases.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 2/5 Information Priority)
We've been listening to your feedback, and after months of development, our incredible team has built something truly special. Today, we're excited to finally share our new terminal integration!
After (Score: 5/5)
Zed now includes a built-in terminal. Open it with `ctrl+``. Terminals run in splits alongside your editor panes and share the same working directory as your project.
Transformation notes:
Before (Score: 3/5 Quiet Confidence)
At Zed, we believe that developers deserve better tools. We're passionate about creating the best possible coding experience because we know how frustrating slow, bloated editors can be.
After (Score: 5/5)
Developer tools should be fast, understandable, and collaborative. We built Zed to meet that standard. It's open source so you can verify our work and extend it.
Transformation notes:
When transforming copy, certain elements must survive unchanged:
Tag factual claims with [FACT] during diagnosis phase:
Zed is written in [FACT: Rust] with [FACT: GPU-accelerated rendering].
It was built by [FACT: the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter].
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Technical specs | "120fps", "8ms latency", "Rust" |
| Proper nouns | "Tree-sitter", "Anthropic", "Claude" |
| Version numbers | "Zed 1.0", "v0.150" |
| Keyboard shortcuts | "cmd+shift+c", "ctrl+`" |
| URLs | "zed.dev/releases" |
| Attribution | "built by the team behind Atom" |
| Dates | "available today", "released January 2024" |
| Quotes | Any attributed quotation |
After reconstruction, diff against original [FACT] markers:
Original with markers:
Zed is [FACT: written in Rust] with [FACT: GPU-accelerated rendering at 120fps]. Built by [FACT: the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter].
Reconstruction:
Zed renders every frame on the GPU at 120fps. The Rust codebase prioritizes memory safety without garbage collection pauses. The same engineers who built Atom and Tree-sitter lead development.
Verification:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Hype words | Replace with measurements |
| Em dash chains | Split into sentences |
| "It's not X, it's Y" | State positively what it is |
| Enthusiasm | Delete; add substance |
| Vague benefits | Name specific features |
| Buried lede | Lead with the news |
| Rhetorical questions | Make declarative statements |
| Abstract claims | Add mechanism or measurement |