Before the Docs: Writing for User Interfaces
summary
Shows concrete changes and results: an HR app exposes internal names so users see request view record instead of book a holiday, Google changes incoming to shared with me to boost clarity, mirroring SQL Server terminology for familiarity, Slack surfaces search modifiers in-context, GitHub adds brief explanatory lines, and embedding full setup instructions in the UI removes support emails. Presents an error-message formula — state what went wrong, the consequences, and a clear recovery action — and prefers concise inline help or expandable details.
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chapters (11)
- 0:00Microcopy
- 3:30Think from the user perspective
- 5:05Think about terminology
- 7:20Think about phrasing
- 9:07Embedded help
- 10:14What goes in embedded help
- 17:33Inline help
- 18:50Hover text
- 19:17Error messages
- 22:04Consequences
- 24:24Summary
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