Some references for handling wording

wording [' wə: diŋ] n. wording;

Wording is something every designer needs to face every day, whether it's using a standard text element or crafting a specially designed dialog that takes a lot of time on it. Sometimes we often feel that a dialog box has a problem but do not know where the problem is, and sometimes we want to concentrate on a hint of the big wisdom (or how wise they are) when they feel the heart is not able to lonely lonely cold. But fortunately, the time is long, there is always a power, let us tears, there are always some tricks, let us improvise.

Check consistency
To illustrate, this example is a counter case, not a precedent.

"Do you want to put the file in the Recycle Bin?" Yes, no, cancel "
"Do you want to empty the trash?" Empty, not empty, cancel "

As an important part of the interactive design criterion, consistency is always in a very important position in order to not let the user passively transform the thinking mode, produce unnecessary paranoid, and better manage the design and content. The consistency in wording design can be embodied in 3 aspects: the only writing, the fixed mode, the language character.

In this case, the first is the only way the Recycle Bin is written, although the Recycle Bin in the PC can be called the wastebasket on the Mac, in the same product of the same platform, do not define the same thing in different ways, or the same behavior such as "Copy/Copy/copy", three select one, no bargaining. The next step is to use a fixed pattern, in this example is to provide users with the choice of the model, the traditional and standard "yes/no" mode and often advocated "Do/don ' t" mode, in different occasions, although there are pros and cons, but let us fix the same pattern will be more appropriate. The last is the language character this, a preview, this will be specifically said later, if we want users to be able to focus on and our design dialogue and not always like to keep a few people together to meet, it is necessary to pay special attention to the consistency of language character.

To ensure accurate expression

"Browse a photo album"

Why use this as an example, the original version of this wording is "preview a photo album", seemingly OK, the problem is where? This is not a traditional album, in this particular product, an album is the management system of the smallest granularity, rather than the usual use of pictures as the smallest granularity. and "Preview"-The presence of "pre-browsing" means that there is a "formal browsing". But in all systems, as a minimum granularity object, it does not have a different browsing style and timing and does not allow any of its photos to behave, so "preview" is not accurate. Its later version is "View a photo album", which is a bad and not bad choice, although there is no problem, but it is not very interesting, so the most suitable word for the album is "browsing", there is no logical irregularities, but also in line with our behavior mapping.

Accurate expression is a rigorous matter, is wording scientific and literary nature of the inevitable choice, is to meet the industry's increasingly professional requirements of the environment and meet the growing cultural needs of the people.

Let the product have the character

"NPC will no longer be in a state of floating ... Unless they are really floating. ”

Let each of our products through the wording has its own character, is a rigorous learned scientist, or relaxed humor friends, or a steady and reliable assistant. Many designs can be wording to make their products flesh and blood, or different.

Every time we talk about this topic, in addition to the various 404 series that we relish, I would like to say the famous World of Warcraft patch Update, a change of the traditional face of the data, so that the game's information really become part of the game, interesting and straightforward, whether it is the brand personality or the game in the framework of the worldview has obvious help. I firmly believe that the traditional patch statement used in this article will certainly be written as "correcting all NPC location errors." "Whether you believe it or not, I believe it anyway."

Of course, the front also said, language character should be consistent, do not split the personality as well.

Why are you so clever?

"Do you like it?" We have more interesting software for you to discover.

This passage appears in an unusual interface to a widely acclaimed software, with two large icons of other software being presented to the user as pushed content. In fact, this is an advertisement, and did not do too much camouflage, just put away the desire to push the software, and not directly using the "boutique recommendation software" such as the traditional marketing lines, but first in a successful software to use a screening problem "like it?" ", the first to choose a positive and brand identity of users, while repeating the existing feelings of users to identify the identity of the user to strengthen, and use the second half of the words and icons to enhance the interest of active users, expect users to accept the modified push. The whole situation is the core of the situation to create a "hey, just you like" such a coincidence scene, in the right time to stimulate the user's false empathy deviation, to try to avoid marketing aversion and improve the success rate of push.

Use something other than wording.

　　There are no examples, because sometimes things just depend on wording, and no matter how hard we struggle to get a satisfactory answer, we rely on some other means. For example, when I tried to design a user education, I wanted users to understand "dragging one or more folders or files from the left to a specific area on the right". But no matter how I write, I can't be satisfied with writing a straightforward and brief education, finally had to find the visual designer made a picture with the mouse to drag and drop folders and files, there are trace lines and the target area of the logo, relaxed and crisp, as the target area without content when the operation guide, it is really convenient.

There are many means can be combined with wording or alternative use, graphics, animation, sound are very common, comprehensive use can be very good in many times.

Can you not do it?

There is no example of one, originally this one I want to write "Don't let the user feel stupid", later feel this and cure the same, however, the root cause is the most important, sometimes a lot of stupid (or make people feel stupid) and unfriendly wording not because they are designed to have problems, Instead, they should not appear on the product. For example, in a bank card number of the input control should be prohibited from typing instead of the prompt "illegal input", or in the word limit when you disable the input box instead of the prompt "enter no more than 140 words." These are actually very basic ideas.

For interactive design, it is not simply to optimize and solve problems, many times still need to think from strategy and even strategic level with product manager, how to avoid some problems, not to create unnecessary trouble, the symptoms of the root cause, after all, I think the interaction designers should be very rational and logical, these things should be done.

The treatment of wording not only plays an important role in the design, but also has a very important position in the common workflow, such as writing emails, making PPT and so on, I think you all understand. Many companies will give the wording design work to the product manager or the operations specialist to deal with, but the effect is not necessarily very good (well, I don't mean to disrespect these positions), of course, there are a handful of companies that will be dedicated to this job, of course, a bit extreme, in fact, Designers should be the most relevant candidates to deal with wording, especially the interaction designers, more should assume the responsibility of wording design, after all, this is a logical and inspiration of the task.

Finally, the way to improve wording design skills, in fact, there is a simple way, is to read more and write articles, interactive design books, psychological books, creative copy of Books will help, of course, outside the professional books have more to read is better, reading the time to pay more attention to details. By the way, Jesse personally does not recommend the usual sense of "reading professional books, to learn professional road", life should contain a variety of books, the more serious the more the more serious.

Finally to tell you a cold joke: carefully slippery.