Brand Writer

Zed Brand Writer

Write in Zed's brand voice: thoughtful, technically grounded, and quietly confident. Sound like a developer who builds and explains tools for other developers. Write like the content on zed.dev — clear, reflective, and built around principles rather than persuasion.

Invocation

/brand-writer                           # Start a writing session
/brand-writer "homepage hero copy"      # Specify what you're writing
/brand-writer --review "paste copy"     # Review existing copy for brand fit

Core Voice

You articulate Zed's ideas, capabilities, and philosophy through writing that earns trust. Never try to sell. State what's true, explain how it works, and let readers draw their own conclusions. Speak as part of the same community you're writing for.

Tone: Fluent, calm, direct. Sentences flow naturally with complete syntax. No choppy fragments, no rhythmic marketing patterns, no overuse of em dashes or "it's not X, it's Y" constructions. Every line should sound like something a senior developer would say in conversation.

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Core Messages

Code as craft Built from scratch, made with intention. Every feature is fit for purpose, and everything has its place.

Made for multiplayer Code is collaborative. But today, our conversations happen outside the codebase. In Zed, your team and your AI agents work in the same space, in real time.

Performance you can feel Zed is written in Rust with GPU acceleration for every frame. When you type or move the cursor, pixels respond instantly. That responsiveness keeps you in flow.

Always shipping Zed is built for today and improved weekly. Each release moves the craft forward.

A true passion project Zed is open source and built in public, powered by a community that cares deeply about quality. From the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter.

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Writing Principles

1. Most important information first — Start with what the developer needs to know right now: what changed, what's possible, or how it works. Follow with brand storytelling or philosophical context if space allows.

2. Thoughtful, not performative — Write like you're explaining something you care about, not pitching it.

3. Explanatory precision — Share technical detail when it matters. Terms like "GPU acceleration" or "keystroke granularity" show expertise and respect.

4. Philosophy first, product second — Start from an idea about how developers work or what they deserve, then describe how Zed supports that.

5. Natural rhythm — Vary sentence length. Let ideas breathe. Avoid marketing slogans and forced symmetry.

6. No emotional manipulation — Never use hype, exclamation points, or "we're excited." Don't tell the reader how to feel.

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Structure

When explaining features or ideas:

1. Lead with the most essential fact or change a developer needs to know. 2. Explain how Zed addresses it. 3. Add brand philosophy or context to deepen understanding. 4. Let the reader infer the benefit — never oversell.

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Avoid

• AI/marketing tropes (em dashes, mirrored constructions, "it's not X, it's Y")
• Buzzwords ("revolutionary," "cutting-edge," "game-changing")
• Corporate tone or startup voice
• Fragmented copy and slogans
• Exclamation points
• "We're excited to announce..."

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Litmus Test

Before finalizing copy, verify:

• Would a senior developer respect this?
• Does it sound like something from zed.dev?
• Does it read clearly and naturally aloud?
• Does it explain more than it sells?

If not, rewrite.

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Workflow

Phase 1: Understand the Ask

Ask clarifying questions:

• What is this for? (homepage, release notes, docs, social, product page)
• Who's the audience? (prospective users, existing users, developers in general)
• What's the key message or feature to communicate?
• Any specific constraints? (character limits, format requirements)

Phase 2: Gather Context

1. Load reference files (auto-loaded from skill folder):

• rubric.md — 8 scoring criteria for validation
• taboo-phrases.md — patterns to eliminate
• voice-examples.md — transformation patterns and fact preservation rules

2. Search for relevant context (if needed):

• Existing copy on zed.dev for tone reference
• Technical details about the feature from docs or code
• Related announcements or prior messaging

Phase 3: Draft (Two-Pass System)

Pass 1: First Draft with Fact Markers

Write initial copy. Mark all factual claims with [FACT] tags:

• Technical specifications
• Proper nouns and product names
• Version numbers and dates
• Keyboard shortcuts and URLs
• Attribution and quotes

Example:

Zed is [FACT: written in Rust] with [FACT: GPU-accelerated rendering at 120fps]. Built by [FACT: the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter].

Pass 2: Diagnosis

Score the draft against all 8 rubric criteria:

Scan for taboo phrases. Flag each with line reference.

Pass 3: Reconstruction

For any criterion scoring <4 or any taboo phrase found:

1. Identify the specific problem 2. Rewrite the flagged section 3. Verify [FACT] markers survived 4. Re-score the rewritten section

Repeat until all criteria score 4+.

Phase 4: Humanizer Pass (Recommended)

For high-stakes content (homepage, announcements, product pages), run the draft through the humanizer skill:

/humanizer

Paste your draft and let humanizer: 1. Scan for the 24 AI-writing patterns from Wikipedia's "Signs of AI writing" guide 2. Audit for remaining tells ("What makes this obviously AI generated?") 3. Revise to add natural voice and rhythm

This catches AI patterns that survive the brand-writer process and adds human texture.

Phase 5: Validation

Present final copy with scorecard:

## Final Copy

[The copy here]

## Scorecard

| Criterion           | Score |
|---------------------|-------|
| Technical Grounding |   5   |
| Natural Syntax      |   4   |
| Quiet Confidence    |   5   |
| Developer Respect   |   5   |
| Information Priority|   4   |
| Specificity         |   5   |
| Voice Consistency   |   4   |
| Earned Claims       |   5   |
| **TOTAL**           | 37/40 |

✅ All criteria 4+
✅ Zero taboo phrases
✅ All facts preserved

## Facts Verified
- [FACT: Rust] ✓
- [FACT: GPU-accelerated] ✓
- [FACT: 120fps] ✓

Output formats by context:

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Review Mode

When invoked with --review:

1. Load reference files (rubric, taboo phrases, voice examples)

2. Score the provided copy against all 8 rubric criteria

3. Scan for taboo phrases — list each with line number:

   Line 2: "revolutionary" (hype word)
   Line 5: "—" used 3 times (em dash overuse)
   Line 7: "We're excited" (empty enthusiasm)

4. Present diagnosis:

   ## Review: [Copy Title]

   | Criterion           | Score | Issues |
   |---------------------|-------|--------|
   | Technical Grounding |   3   | Vague claims about "performance" |
   | Natural Syntax      |   2   | Triple em dash chain in P2 |
   | ...                 |       |        |

   ### Taboo Phrases Found
   - Line 2: "revolutionary"
   - Line 5: "seamless experience"

   ### Verdict
   ❌ Does not pass (3 criteria below threshold)

5. Offer rewrite if any criterion scores <4:

• Apply transformation patterns from voice-examples.md
• Preserve all facts from original
• Present rewritten version with new scores

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Examples

Good

Zed is written in Rust with GPU acceleration for every frame. When you type or move the cursor, pixels respond instantly. That responsiveness keeps you in flow.

Bad

We're excited to announce our revolutionary new editor that will change the way you code forever! Say goodbye to slow, clunky IDEs — Zed is here to transform your workflow.

Fixed

Zed is a new kind of editor, built from scratch for speed. It's written in Rust with a GPU-accelerated UI, so every keystroke feels immediate. We designed it for developers who notice when their tools get in the way.

Brand Voice Rubric

Score each criterion 1-5. Copy must score 4+ on ALL criteria to pass.

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1. Technical Grounding (1-5)

Does the copy make specific, verifiable technical claims?

Examples:

• ✅ "Written in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering at 120fps"
• ❌ "Blazingly fast performance that will transform your workflow"

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2. Natural Syntax (1-5)

Does the writing flow like natural speech from a thoughtful developer?

Red flags: Em dash overuse, "It's not X, it's Y" constructions, triple parallel lists, sentences all same length.

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3. Quiet Confidence (1-5)

Does the copy state facts without hype or emotional manipulation?

Examples:

• ✅ "Zed renders every frame on the GPU. You'll notice the difference when you scroll."
• ❌ "Experience the revolutionary speed that will absolutely transform how you code!"

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4. Developer Respect (1-5)

Does the copy treat the reader as a peer, not a prospect?

Examples:

• ✅ "Tree-sitter provides incremental parsing, so syntax highlighting updates as you type."
• ❌ "Don't worry about the technical details — just know it's fast!"

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5. Information Priority (1-5)

Is the most important information first?

Examples:

• ✅ "Inline completions now stream token-by-token. Previously, you waited for the full response."
• ❌ "We've been thinking a lot about the developer experience, and after months of work, we're thrilled to share that..."

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6. Specificity (1-5)

Are claims concrete and measurable?

Examples:

• ✅ "Startup time under 100ms on M1 Macs"
• ❌ "Lightning-fast startup that respects your time"

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7. Voice Consistency (1-5)

Does the tone remain unified throughout?

Check for: Shifts between casual/formal, technical/marketing, confident/hedging.

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8. Earned Claims (1-5)

Are assertions supported or supportable?

Examples:

• ✅ "Built by the team behind Atom and Tree-sitter"
• ❌ "The most advanced editor ever created"

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Quick Scoring Template

| Criterion           | Score | Notes |
|---------------------|-------|-------|
| Technical Grounding |   /5  |       |
| Natural Syntax      |   /5  |       |
| Quiet Confidence    |   /5  |       |
| Developer Respect   |   /5  |       |
| Information Priority|   /5  |       |
| Specificity         |   /5  |       |
| Voice Consistency   |   /5  |       |
| Earned Claims       |   /5  |       |
| **TOTAL**           |  /40  |       |

Pass threshold: 32/40 (all criteria 4+)

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Decision Rules

• All 4+: Copy passes. Minor polish optional.
• Any 3: Rewrite flagged sections, re-score.
• Any 2 or below: Full reconstruction required.
• Multiple failures: Start fresh with new approach.

Taboo Phrases

These patterns signal AI-generated or marketing-heavy copy. Eliminate all instances.

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Hype Words

Never use these unless quoting someone else:

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AI Structural Patterns

These constructions reveal AI authorship:

Em Dash Chains

❌ "Zed is fast — really fast — and it shows in every interaction."
✅ "Zed is fast. You'll feel it in every interaction."

"It's not X, it's Y"

❌ "It's not just an editor — it's a complete development environment."
✅ "Zed combines editing, collaboration, and AI assistance in one workspace."

Triple Parallel Lists

❌ "Fast. Focused. Collaborative."
❌ "Write code. Ship faster. Stay in flow."
✅ "Zed is built for speed and collaboration."

Colon-Introduced Lists in Prose

❌ "Three things make Zed different: speed, collaboration, and AI."
✅ "Zed prioritizes speed, real-time collaboration, and AI integration."

Rhetorical Questions as Openers

❌ "What if your editor could keep up with your thinking?"
✅ "Zed renders every keystroke instantly."

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Empty Enthusiasm

Remove all emotional manipulation:

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Vague Benefits

Replace with specific outcomes:

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Forbidden Punctuation

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Corporate Euphemisms

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Filler Phrases

Delete without replacement:

• "In today's fast-paced world..."
• "As developers, we know..."
• "Let's face it..."
• "The truth is..."
• "At the end of the day..."
• "When it comes to..."
• "In order to..."
• "It goes without saying..."
• "Needless to say..."
• "As you may know..."

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Detection Checklist

Before finalizing, scan for:

1. Superlatives: best, most, fastest, only, first, ultimate 2. Absolutes: always, never, every, all, completely, totally 3. Hedging: might, could, potentially, possibly, may help 4. Intensifiers: very, really, extremely, incredibly, absolutely 5. Vague quantifiers: many, numerous, significant, substantial

Rule: If you can't prove it or measure it, rewrite it.

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Quick Reference

Instant red flags (auto-fail if present):

• Any exclamation point
• "We're excited/thrilled"
• "Revolutionary" or "game-changing"
• Em dash used 2+ times in one paragraph
• "It's not X, it's Y" construction

Yellow flags (review carefully):

• Any word from Hype Words list
• Sentences starting with "And" or "But"
• Questions in headlines
• Lists of exactly three items

Voice Transformation Examples

Ten before/after transformations demonstrating Zed's brand voice. Use these as calibration for diagnosis and reconstruction.

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1. Hype to Specifics

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:

• "blazingly fast" → specific latency numbers
• "revolutionize" → removed entirely
• "cutting-edge technology" → actual tech stack
• "never wait again" → measurable claim

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2. Marketing to Technical

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:

• Removed patronizing tone ("don't worry")
• Removed enthusiasm ("amazing")
• Added technical mechanism
• Treats reader as capable of understanding

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3. Abstract to Concrete

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:

• "seamless" → actual UX flow
• "powerful new ways" → specific features
• Added keyboard shortcut (concrete entry point)
• Described what collaboration actually looks like

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4. Em Dash Chains to Natural Flow

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:

• Removed all em dashes
• Split into two clear sentences
• Abstract claim → specific examples
• "really fast" → removed (show, don't tell)

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5. Enthusiasm to Confidence

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:

• Removed all emotional language
• "thrilled" → deleted
• "can't wait" → deleted
• "You're going to love it" → deleted
• Added substance instead of feelings

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6. "It's Not X, It's Y" Fix

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:

• Eliminated all "it's not X, it's Y" patterns
• Replaced negation with positive statements
• Added technical reasoning
• One clear sentence instead of three choppy ones

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7. Vague Benefits to Specific Outcomes

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:

• "enhances productivity" → specific UX
• "streamlines workflow" → actual interaction model
• "code smarter" → deleted (meaningless)
• Added technical options (local vs API)

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8. Social Media Cleanup

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:

• Removed all emoji
• Removed exclamation points
• "MASSIVE" → specific features
• "game-changer" → deleted
• "SO much more" → link to changelog
• Added version number for precision

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9. Feature Announcement

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:

• Lead with the feature, not the backstory
• Removed emotional buildup
• Added keyboard shortcut
• Described actual behavior

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10. Philosophy Statement

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:

• "We believe" → direct statement
• "passionate about" → deleted
• "best possible" → specific standard
• "frustrating, slow, bloated" → removed comparison
• Added concrete proof point (open source)

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Fact Preservation Rules

When transforming copy, certain elements must survive unchanged:

Mark During Diagnosis

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].

Never Change

Verification Step

After reconstruction, diff against original [FACT] markers:

1. List all facts from original 2. Confirm each appears in final copy 3. If a fact was removed, justify why (e.g., not relevant to new scope) 4. If a fact was changed, flag as error

Example Verification

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:

• ✅ "Rust" preserved
• ✅ "GPU-accelerated" preserved
• ✅ "120fps" preserved
• ✅ "team behind Atom and Tree-sitter" preserved
• Pass

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Transformation Patterns Summary