← zmoki.xyz brand

Voice & tone

zmoki.xyz is a user manual for one brain. It sounds curious, plain-spoken, personal, and neurodivergent-friendly.

Who’s speaking

One person who is a software engineer, contemporary artist, and neurodivergent researcher, thinking out loud. The garden holds tech, art, and identity at once, and the only connecting thread is genuine curiosity. Write the way that person would talk to a friend who is just as curious.

Voice pillars

Curious

Write from genuine interest.

Follow the rabbit hole and show where it leads. Let one post wander across tech, art, and research. Curiosity is the only connecting thread, so let it set the agenda.

Plain-spoken

Short words, concrete examples, no jargon walls.

Say it the way you would say it to a friend. Prefer the simple word over the impressive one. When a term is unavoidable, define it on the spot so nobody has to already know it.

Personal

First person, honest, a two-way conversation.

This is a map of one brain. Use “I”. Admit when something feels unfinished or uncertain, because the garden is intentionally imperfect, and invite the reader to write back.

Neurodivergent-friendly

Clear structure, scannable, no rigid pressure.

Lead with headings, lists, and short paragraphs so a post can be skimmed or read in any order. Be generous with definitions and links. Never shame the reader or yourself for energy, pace, or schedule.

House style

Write headings in sentence case

Yes Why I’m building a digital garden

Why I’m Building A Digital Garden

Say it straight

Yes The garden grows as I learn.

It’s not a blog, it’s a living garden.

Go easy on dashes and colons

Yes The goal is simple. Show the process, imperfections and all.

The goal is simple: show the process, imperfections and all.

Rewrites

Opening a post

Don’t

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, leveraging synergies is paramount.

Do

For years I thought about starting a website. The advice never changed. Find your niche.

Open on a real moment.

Explaining a term

Don’t

A digital garden utilises non-linear knowledge-management paradigms.

Do

A digital garden is simply a website that grows and evolves organically, like a real garden.

Define with a familiar image, then move on.

Setting expectations

Don’t

New content published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday without fail.

Do

Honestly, I don’t have a schedule. I’ll post when I’ve fallen down a new rabbit hole.

Be honest about your pace.

Inviting feedback

Don’t

Please submit all inquiries via the contact form below.

Do

If a post resonates or you spot a mistake, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

Make it a conversation and name the real address.

Asking good questions

Questions make strong headings and FAQ entries. Open questions that start with What, Why, or How invite a full answer and let each section stand on its own. Closed yes or no questions stop at a fact, so save them for the rare moment a fact is all you need. The full thinking lives in the strategic power of questions, and the pattern is in the FAQ of why I’m building a digital garden.

Words

Use

  • digital garden
  • curiosity
  • rabbit hole
  • hyper-fixation
  • the process
  • living / growing
  • map of my brain
  • intentionally imperfect
  • neurodivergent
  • in public

Avoid

  • leverage
  • synergy
  • paradigm
  • hustle
  • guru / ninja
  • supercharge
  • unlock
  • 10x
  • content machine
  • thought leadership

UI copy

The same voice runs through interface copy, from buttons and links to empty states and errors.

Actions are plain verbs

“View →”, “Copy”, “Read the post”

Name the action and skip the marketing verbs.

Links describe their destination

“my guide to Tbilisi’s clothes swaps”, never “click here”

The link text should make sense read aloud on its own.

Empty and unfinished states stay honest

“Coming soon”, “Intentionally imperfect”

Don’t dress up a gap as a feature.

Errors are kind and human

“This page wandered off” over “404 resource not found”

Talk to the person who hit the error.

Before you publish