# Bundl — Voice & Tone

Glossy-clear · Calmly confident · Smartly encouraging · Human, not bank-ish · Organized energy

## Personality

- **Funny ↔ Serious:** leans serious (+1) — Bundl can be lightly witty, but money requires trust; clarity and composure matter more than jokes.
- **Formal ↔ Casual:** leans casual (+1) — Bundl should sound conversational and app-native, while staying polished enough for financial decisions.
- **Respectful ↔ Irreverent:** leans respectful (-1) — The brand should respect users’ money choices and avoid snark, shame, or overly cheeky fintech tropes.
- **Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact:** leans enthusiastic (-1) — Bundl should make progress feel good, but keep enthusiasm controlled so it never feels hypey or unserious.

## Traits

- **Glossy-clear** — Polished, modern, and easy to understand. Bundl should feel sleek without sounding vague or overdesigned.
  - Why: Bundl is a fintech app that promises a beautiful, all-in-one money experience. The voice needs to match the product’s glossy feel while making money actions instantly clear.
  - e.g. "Your spending, saving, and goals are now neatly bundled."
- **Calmly confident** — Reassuring and capable, especially around money. No panic, no hype, no scolding.
  - Why: Money can feel scattered or stressful. Bundl earns trust by sounding steady, informed, and in control.
  - e.g. "You’re on track. Keep adding a little each week and your trip fund will be ready by June."
- **Smartly encouraging** — Motivating without being cheesy. Celebrate progress, not perfection.
  - Why: Bundl supports everyday money management: purchases, savings, and goals. The voice should make small financial wins feel visible and worthwhile.
  - e.g. "Nice move — $25 just went straight to your Rainy Day goal."
- **Human, not bank-ish** — Conversational and direct, with plain language instead of institutional finance jargon.
  - Why: Bundl is a modern app, not a legacy bank portal. It should feel like a helpful money companion, not a compliance letter.
  - e.g. "We couldn’t connect your card yet. Check your bank login and try again."
- **Organized energy** — Feels active, tidy, and forward-moving. Bundl helps users see where their money is going and what it’s building toward.
  - Why: The product’s core idea is bundling spending, saving, and goals into one place. The voice should reinforce clarity, momentum, and control.
  - e.g. "One view. Three bundles: Spend, Save, and Goals."

## Tone by context

- **Onboarding:** Be warm, quick, and confidence-building. Emphasize that setup is simple and worth it. Avoid long explanations or heavy financial language.
- **Dashboard and everyday product UI:** Be concise, organized, and quietly helpful. Use labels that make money movement feel clear: what happened, where it went, and what to do next.
- **Success states:** Celebrate with polish and restraint. Make the win feel good without sounding childish. Tie the celebration to progress.
- **Errors and failed actions:** Stay calm and specific. Explain what happened, whether the user’s money is safe, and the next best action. Never blame the user.
- **Security, privacy, and account linking:** Sound especially clear and trustworthy. Use direct language, no jokes, and no vague reassurances. Explain protections in plain terms.
- **Marketing and acquisition:** Lead with the relief of having money in one glossy place. Be stylish and benefit-led, but avoid overpromising financial transformation.
- **Notifications:** Be timely, useful, and short. Tell users what changed and why it matters. Avoid nagging or guilt.
- **Financial shortfalls or missed goals:** Be supportive and practical. Normalize adjustment. Offer a next step instead of framing the moment as failure.

## Messaging

**Audience:** Digitally comfortable adults who want a cleaner way to manage everyday money — people juggling spending, saving, bills, and personal goals without wanting a spreadsheet or a traditional bank dashboard.
**Value:** Bundl brings spending, saving, and goals together in one glossy money app, so users can see, move, and build their money with less clutter.

- **Everything money, neatly bundled** — Unify spending, saving, and goals in one clear view instead of bouncing between accounts, notes, and mental math.
- **Progress you can actually see** — Turn vague intentions into visible goal funds, milestones, and next steps that make saving feel doable.
- **Everyday control without the spreadsheet** — Give users a polished, practical way to understand cash flow and make money moves without complicated tools.
- **Modern feel, trusted foundation** — Pair a sleek app experience with calm, transparent language around linking accounts, moving money, and protecting personal information.

## Lexicon

**Use:** `bundle`, `money, neatly organized`, `spending`, `saving`, `goals`, `goal fund`, `on track`, `set aside`, `move money`, `cash flow`, `progress`, `plan`, `snapshot`, `one place`, `tidy`, `connected`, `ready when you are`, `next step`, `your money, your view`, `built toward`
**Avoid:** `disrupt`, `revolutionize your finances`, `financial freedom overnight`, `crushing debt`, `adulting`, `boss up`, `YOLO`, `grindset`, `frictionless`, `seamless experience`, `robust solution`, `leverage your assets`, `utilize`, `funds have been remitted`, `transactional instruments`, `you failed`, `oopsie`, `uh-oh, looks like you messed up`, `just link everything`, `guaranteed returns`

## Mechanics

- **Capitalization:** Sentence case for UI, headings, buttons, and notifications. Use title case only for formal campaign names or product names.
- **Contractions:** yes
- **Emoji:** Rarely. Use only in lightweight celebratory moments, never for errors, security, banking actions, or legal/compliance content.
- **Reading level:** Grade 7–8. Plain, direct language with short sentences and scannable structure.

## Boilerplate

- **Short:** Bundl is a modern money app that brings spending, saving, and goals into one glossy place.
- **Medium:** Bundl bundles your everyday money into one clean app — spending, saving, and goals included. See where your money is going, set funds aside, and track progress without juggling tabs, spreadsheets, or mental math.
- **Long:** Bundl is a modern money and fintech app built to make everyday finances feel clearer, calmer, and more connected. By bringing spending, saving, and goals into one glossy place, Bundl helps users see their cash flow, move money with intention, and build toward what matters. Whether you’re setting aside a little each week, tracking a goal fund, or checking how today’s spending affects the month ahead, Bundl keeps your money organized and easy to act on.

## Voice in action

**App store headline**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | Bundle your money | Get started with financial management | The on-voice version is shorter, more ownable to Bundl, and product-specific. |

**Onboarding intro screen**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| onboarding-welcome | Spending, saving, and goals — all in one clean view. | Manage all aspects of your personal finances in one convenient dashboard. | Bundl should sound modern and plainspoken, not like generic fintech software. |

**Connect bank prompt**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| onboarding-welcome | Connect your bank to bring your money into view. | Link an external financial institution to enable account aggregation. | The on-voice version explains the benefit in human terms. |

**Successful transfer**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | $50 moved to Weekend Away. That goal’s getting closer. | Your transfer has been successfully completed. | Bundl ties the action to progress instead of stopping at a sterile confirmation. |

**Savings goal milestone**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Halfway there: your New Laptop fund just hit 50%. | You have reached 50% completion on your savings objective. | The on-voice version is celebratory but still polished. |

**Low balance alert**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Heads up: your Spend bundle is running low before Friday. | Warning: insufficient funds may impact your upcoming transactions. | Bundl should alert without alarming or sounding punitive. |

**Card connection error**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | We couldn’t connect that card yet. Check your details and try again. | Card linkage failed due to invalid user credentials. | The on-voice version is calm, specific, and avoids blame. |

**Security reassurance**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Your login details are encrypted and never stored by Bundl. | Bundl utilizes industry-standard protocols to safeguard sensitive credential data. | Security copy should be precise and trustworthy, not buried in jargon. |

**Empty goals state**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Start a goal fund for anything worth building toward. | No savings goals have been created at this time. | Bundl turns an empty state into a clear, motivating next step. |

**Monthly recap**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | June, bundled: you saved $320 and kept dining out under plan. | Your monthly financial summary is now available for review. | The on-voice version feels organized, specific, and rewarding. |

**Marketing hero**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | One glossy place for the money you spend, save, and grow toward. | A comprehensive fintech platform for modern personal finance optimization. | Bundl should lead with a clear emotional and practical benefit, not platform-speak. |

**Missed goal pace**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Your Trip fund is a little behind. Add $18 this week to get back on track. | You are not meeting the required contribution schedule for this goal. | Bundl supports adjustment without shame and gives a practical next step. |
