Words in the interface.
WHY LABELS MATTER MORE THAN LAYOUT
People navigate by reading. A wrong label sends them somewhere else entirely.
WHAT TO USE
The words your users use.
WHAT NOT TO USE
Internal terminology Product names nobody knows Invented words Clever phrasing
THE PRODUCT NAME POINT
A menu item named after your internal product name tells a visitor nothing.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD LABEL
Specific Predictable Distinct from its siblings Short enough to scan
WHAT TO AVOID
Labels that could mean several things Two labels a person cannot distinguish One-word labels where the word is ambiguous
WHAT TO TEST
Ask someone what they expect to find behind each label, before clicking.
WHAT THAT REVEALS
Every label that misleads.
WHAT TO KEEP CONSISTENT
The same thing called the same thing everywhere.
WHY
Different names for one thing make people believe they are different things.
