Writing style guides is just another information design task. From the very beginning, the site manager must assign resources for their writing, review and maintenance. This effort may come from specified members of each team. It may be assigned to technical writers. It should feature both peer review and technical editing to ensure completeness and accuracy.

Early drafts of the style guides come from design notes, prototypes and any other defining source. For example, the writing team can use audience analysis to determine prose style and terminology. The technical team can use audience analysis to determine appropriate bandwidth and coding sophistication.

As planning continues, each team must keep its style guide in agreement with the latest decisions. This keeps everyone on the same team in agreement. It keeps everyone on different teams in agreement. The teams cannot isolate their work. A technical limitation may affect content. A change in content may affect design. Style guides record the compromises and creative solutions that result from this interaction. This is the middle road that leads to a Web site that is robust, efficient and effective in delivering the right information.

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