# Lumen — Voice & Tone

Luminous · Craft-aware · Inviting · Contemporary · Wonder with clarity

## Personality

- **Funny ↔ Serious:** leans serious (+1) — Lumen should feel artful and contemplative rather than joke-led, though never stiff.
- **Formal ↔ Casual:** leans casual (+1) — The festival needs to be accessible and welcoming, with plain language that invites wandering and participation.
- **Respectful ↔ Irreverent:** leans respectful (-1) — The voice respects artists, materials, access needs, and public space, while staying fresh and contemporary.
- **Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact:** leans enthusiastic (-1) — Lumen should create anticipation and wonder, but practical festival information must stay clear and grounded.

## Traits

- **Luminous** — Uses sensory, light-filled language without becoming vague or over-written.
  - Why: Lumen is built around light, color, and visual craft, so the voice should help people feel the atmosphere before they arrive.
  - e.g. "Step into a city of glow: installations, hand-built forms, and color that shifts after dark."
- **Craft-aware** — Speaks with respect for artists, makers, materials, process, and contemporary practice.
  - Why: The festival celebrates contemporary craft, not just spectacle; the voice should honor the hands, techniques, and ideas behind the work.
  - e.g. "Meet the makers shaping glass, fiber, paper, metal, and light into work that changes how we see."
- **Inviting** — Welcomes curious first-timers and culture regulars alike with clear, warm language.
  - Why: A festival needs to feel open and navigable, especially for audiences who may not see themselves as “arts people.”
  - e.g. "Come for one installation or stay for the evening. There’s light to follow at every pace."
- **Contemporary** — Feels current, clean, and culturally alert, avoiding dusty arts-institution phrasing.
  - Why: Lumen focuses on contemporary craft, so the language should feel alive, present, and connected to today’s creative culture.
  - e.g. "New work, old techniques, unexpected materials—brought together after dark."
- **Wonder with clarity** — Balances poetic atmosphere with practical information people can act on.
  - Why: Festival copy must inspire attendance while still making dates, tickets, locations, access, and schedules easy to understand.
  - e.g. "The lantern walk begins at 7:30pm at North Gate. Arrive 10 minutes early and follow the blue light markers."

## Tone by context

- **Marketing and campaign copy:** Lead with atmosphere, discovery, and sensory detail. Keep lines short and evocative. Pair wonder with a clear invitation.
- **Artist and program descriptions:** Be thoughtful and specific. Name materials, methods, themes, and the artist’s intent where possible. Avoid empty praise like “amazing” or “world-class” unless substantiated.
- **Onboarding and ticket purchase:** Be direct, reassuring, and simple. Reduce uncertainty around time, location, pricing, age guidance, and what the ticket includes.
- **Wayfinding and onsite signage:** Prioritize clarity over poetry. Use calm, visible instructions with light-touch brand language where helpful.
- **Accessibility and visitor care:** Be respectful, concrete, and proactive. State what is available, where to find help, and how to request support. Avoid implying access is an afterthought.
- **Delays, cancellations, and errors:** Be calm, accountable, and useful. Skip decorative language. Say what happened, what visitors should do next, and where updates will appear.
- **Social media:** Use vivid, present-tense language and behind-the-scenes details. Invite sharing and curiosity without sounding overly promotional.

## Messaging

**Audience:** Culturally curious adults, families, students, makers, design lovers, local residents, and visitors looking for an atmospheric arts experience that feels welcoming rather than formal.
**Value:** Lumen brings artists, makers, and audiences together after dark to experience light, color, and contemporary craft in vivid, hands-on, memorable ways.

- **Light as experience** — The festival uses light and color as materials people can move through, gather around, and remember.
- **Craft in the present tense** — Lumen shows craft as contemporary, experimental, and alive—rooted in skill while open to new technologies, forms, and ideas.
- **Open discovery** — The festival is easy to enter at any level, from casual wandering to deeper artist talks, workshops, and guided routes.
- **Made together** — Lumen connects artists, local communities, venues, volunteers, and audiences through shared public culture.

## Lexicon

**Use:** `light`, `glow`, `color`, `craft`, `maker`, `material`, `hand-built`, `illuminated`, `after dark`, `installation`, `contemporary craft`, `workshop`, `studio`, `process`, `texture`, `reflection`, `shadow`, `radiance`, `follow the light`, `see differently`, `made by hand`, `guided walk`, `festival route`, `night garden`, `color field`
**Avoid:** `artsy`, `highbrow`, `exclusive`, `elite`, `cutting-edge experience`, `immersive spectacle`, `Instagrammable`, `best-in-class`, `world-class`, `must-see`, `disruptive`, `synergy`, `activate the space`, `visual feast`, `family fun for all`, `crazy`, `insane`, `lit`

## Mechanics

- **Capitalization:** Sentence case for headlines, buttons, navigation, and signage. Title case only for official artwork, exhibition, artist, sponsor, or venue names.
- **Contractions:** yes
- **Emoji:** Sparingly on social only; never in safety, access, ticketing, or formal program information.
- **Reading level:** Grade 7–9: clear, vivid, and accessible, with more specialized craft terms only when useful and briefly contextualized.

## Boilerplate

- **Short:** Lumen is an arts and culture festival celebrating light, color, and contemporary craft.
- **Medium:** Lumen is an arts and culture festival where light, color, and contemporary craft meet after dark. Through installations, workshops, talks, performances, and maker-led experiences, Lumen invites audiences to discover new work, follow unexpected routes, and see familiar places differently.
- **Long:** Lumen is an arts and culture festival celebrating light, color, and contemporary craft. Across installations, workshops, talks, performances, and public spaces, the festival brings together artists, makers, designers, and audiences to explore how materials can glow, shift, reflect, and transform. Welcoming to first-time visitors and dedicated culture lovers alike, Lumen invites people to follow the light, meet the makers, and experience craft as something vivid, contemporary, and shared.

## Voice in action

**Homepage hero**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| hero-headline | Follow the light into contemporary craft. | Experience an unforgettable arts festival featuring light-based installations and creative programming. | The preferred line is shorter, more atmospheric, and more specific to Lumen’s light-led identity. |

**Homepage subhead**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| hero-headline | For three nights, artists and makers fill the city with color, shadow, texture, and glow. | Join us for three nights of exhibitions, activations, and cultural experiences throughout the city. | The preferred version keeps the practical frame but replaces generic event language with sensory, craft-aware detail. |

**Event listing**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Glass in Motion pairs kiln-formed glass with shifting projection. Drop in anytime between 6–9pm; the artist will speak at 7:15pm. | Glass in Motion is an exciting multimedia installation. Visitors are welcome to attend during opening hours. | The preferred copy gives material, format, timing, and a reason to attend. |

**Ticketing CTA**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| onboarding-welcome | Choose your night and follow the glow. | Purchase tickets now to secure your place at Lumen. | The preferred CTA still drives action but feels warmer and more festival-specific. |

**Ticket confirmation**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| success | You’re in. Your Lumen ticket is ready, and the route map will arrive in your inbox before festival night. | Your transaction has been completed successfully. Please check your email for further information. | The preferred version is clear, reassuring, and human without sacrificing practical detail. |

**Accessibility page**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | We want Lumen to be easy to move through and enjoy. Step-free routes, quiet viewing times, seating points, and access support are listed below. | Lumen is committed to making the festival accessible to all attendees wherever possible. | The preferred copy names real support and avoids vague institutional phrasing. |

**Onsite wayfinding**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | Blue route this way: installations 4–7, toilets, and quiet seating. | Proceed in this direction for additional festival attractions and visitor amenities. | The preferred sign is quicker to scan onsite and uses the festival’s route language. |

**Weather delay**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | A weather pause is in place. Outdoor installations will reopen when conditions are safe. Next update: 8:15pm at this sign and on Instagram. | Due to unforeseen weather conditions, some programming may be temporarily affected. We apologize for any inconvenience. | The preferred message is accountable, specific, and useful under stress. |

**Social post**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Tonight’s color is copper. See Mira Sol’s woven light work come alive from 6pm in the Market Hall. | Don’t miss tonight’s featured artist installation at Market Hall, open from 6pm. | The preferred version has a visual hook while preserving the key details. |
