A fallback, not an override. If the user supplied copy, voice, or tone, use theirs. The
one exception is the first rule — a comprehension floor, not a style preference.
Say what the business is, literally, above the fold. A first-time visitor must know
what the site and can from the hero alone. The business category (“ceramics
studio”, “trattoria”, “yoga studio”) appears verbatim in the H1, the kicker above it, or
the first clause of the subtitle. A witty H1 is welcome — beside an explicit category,
never instead of one.
is
do
The subtitle leads with the offer — the verb the visitor cares about comes early
(“Book…”, “Order…”, “Browse…”), flavor after.
Kickers carry information or don’t exist. “Handmade in Portland · Since 2019” earns its
place; “The Collection” above a Collection heading doesn’t. A voice-led H1 pairs with an
informative kicker (that’s where the category goes).
Titles and subtitles end without a period. Paragraphs keep theirs.
CTA labels are short, concrete, and not all-caps — the actual action, matching the one
primary CTA per page (DESIGN.md).
No fluff. Every line moves a visitor’s understanding forward — the H1 and subtitle most
of all.
A caption describes what its image actually shows. A slogan overlaid on a photo is not
a caption; if none is warranted, write none.