Member-only story
naming things is hard, or, user-centered language
Quick show of hands: how many times, in a usability test (or just in life), have you heard a user say:
“What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure what will happen if I click here…”
“Um, maybe I’ll try this?”
Language — the words we use for links, services, spaces, you name it — it’s a common challenge in design, no matter what domain you’re in. In Library Land, jargon has been a concern since at least the late 70s, and it continues to bedevil us today.
Why? Why does this matter? Why is it so hard? Is there anything we can do?
why it matters
Plenty of people have written beautifully about why clear, concise, plain language matters on the web. Still, you might hear these objections:
- “yes, but we’re working with experts/academics/highly knowledgeable folks! they’ll get it.”
2. “yes, but we’re dealing with super complex stuff! we can’t dumb it down.”
3. “yes, but they’ll get used to what we call things…once they’ve been here long enough.”
Let’s take these one at a time.
dem experts
Turns out, even domain experts prefer web content that is clear, concise, and easily scannable….because domain…
