Writing for user interfaces
Aim to minimise by being as clear as possible and using the same language as your users. This helps:
- reduce the amount of time you spend dealing with mistakes
- make your service inclusive for people who struggle with reading or have limited English
- make your service accessible
Even specialist users prefer clear language. No one likes having their time wasted, .
It바카라 사이트™s especially important to choose an intuitive name for your service. If your title reflects your users바카라 사이트™ language, they바카라 사이트™ll be able to find your service and understand what it does.
Don바카라 사이트™t follow strict grammar conventions if it makes things clearer not to.
Think about alternatives before you add more words
On the internet . Even more so when they바카라 사이트™re using a transactional service.
So start with less. If you바카라 사이트™re creating a form, start with some simple questions and only add help text if user research shows that you need it.
Design your service to take account of the fact that lots of people won바카라 사이트™t read the content in detail. For example, rather than putting a long list of eligibility conditions on the start page.
If you find yourself having to explain how the user interface works, that바카라 사이트™s a sign something has gone wrong. Fix the interface so it doesn바카라 사이트™t need explaining.
Keep copy short and direct
Break up copy into short sentences. One idea per sentence.
Space is at a premium with user interfaces. So put the important words first and drop any unnecessary words.
For example, if you바카라 사이트™re writing help text there바카라 사이트™s usually no need to say 바카라 사이트˜This is the total cost바카라 사이트™. Just say 바카라 사이트˜Total cost바카라 사이트™. If you바카라 사이트™re writing an error message, don바카라 사이트™t say 바카라 사이트˜You have entered the wrong password바카라 사이트™. Say 바카라 사이트˜Wrong password바카라 사이트™.
You don바카라 사이트™t usually need the word 바카라 사이트˜now바카라 사이트™. For example, just say 바카라 사이트˜apply바카라 사이트™ rather than 바카라 사이트˜apply now바카라 사이트™ (unless you바카라 사이트™re giving the user two options: apply now or apply later).
Tone
Be approachable and helpful, but not overly familiar. Remember that it바카라 사이트™s government 바카라 사이트˜speaking바카라 사이트™.
Say 바카라 사이트˜sorry바카라 사이트™ if something serious has gone wrong - for example, the service has stopped working completely. 바카라 사이트˜Sorry, there is a technical problem. Please try again in a few moments.바카라 사이트™
There바카라 사이트™s no need to say 바카라 사이트˜sorry바카라 사이트™ in validation error messages.
There바카라 사이트™s usually no need to say 바카라 사이트˜please바카라 사이트™ or 바카라 사이트˜please note바카라 사이트™.
There바카라 사이트™s usually no need to say thank you. For example, it바카라 사이트™s fine to say 바카라 사이트˜Application complete바카라 사이트™ rather than 바카라 사이트˜Thank you for your application바카라 사이트™.
Avoid things like humorous error messages. People often use government services for serious things or when under stress.
If people don바카라 사이트™t notice your copy, you바카라 사이트™re probably doing it right. .
Don바카라 사이트™t exclude anyone
Don바카라 사이트™t rely on shape, size, colour or location alone to communicate information, because not all users will share that frame of reference. For example, don바카라 사이트™t say things like:
- 바카라 사이트˜click the green button바카라 사이트™
- 바카라 사이트˜use the menu on the left of the page바카라 사이트™
- 바카라 사이트˜find more information in the square box바카라 사이트™
Break up long pages with headings. It바카라 사이트™s easier to scan and read. Headings should describe the purpose of the text that follows - they shouldn바카라 사이트™t be part of the text.
Screen reader users often read out lists of links in isolation, so make the purpose of the link clear from the link text alone. For example, 바카라 사이트˜click here바카라 사이트™ is not accessible link text.
Sometimes you need to shorten link text to avoid lots of duplication. If you do that, make sure links are still accessible to screen readers. For example, by adding hidden text to the 바카라 사이트˜change바카라 사이트™ links on check your answers pages.
Style
Follow the 바카라 사이트 style guide on how to write times and dates, spelling, punctuation, acronyms and other conventions.
Headings and <title>
It바카라 사이트™s fine to have headings as questions. In fact, it can help to remove duplication.
But make sure every text box, set of radio buttons or other input field still has a question directly associated with it in the html, so it makes sense to screen readers. For example, by using a visually hidden <legend>
or <label>
.
Each page should have a single <h1>
. The <h1>
should describe what the page does.
The <title>
should be based on the <h1>
, and follow this format:
Where do you live? - Register to vote - 바카라 사이트
Pronouns (we, you, me, my)
Forms are like a conversation between the service and the user.
If it바카라 사이트™s the service 바카라 사이트˜speaking바카라 사이트™, the user is 바카라 사이트˜you바카라 사이트™ or 바카라 사이트˜your바카라 사이트™ and the service is 바카라 사이트˜we바카라 사이트™, 바카라 사이트˜us바카라 사이트™, 바카라 사이트˜our바카라 사이트™ and so on.
If it바카라 사이트™s the user 바카라 사이트˜speaking바카라 사이트™, use 바카라 사이트˜I바카라 사이트™, 바카라 사이트˜me바카라 사이트™ or 바카라 사이트˜my바카라 사이트™.
This applies to all microcopy, including headings, input labels and link text.
For example, the Register to vote service asks users 바카라 사이트˜What is your National Insurance number?바카라 사이트™. If the user doesn바카라 사이트™t know their number, they can click a link labelled 바카라 사이트˜I don바카라 사이트™t know my National Insurance number바카라 사이트™.
Use 바카라 사이트˜they바카라 사이트™ instead of 바카라 사이트˜he or she바카라 사이트™ or 바카라 사이트˜he/she바카라 사이트™. It바카라 사이트™s simpler, and works better for people who don바카라 사이트™t identify as male or female.
Capitalisation and punctuation
Use sentence case everywhere, except for proper nouns.
Headings and input field labels are sentence case, but not punctuated. Write other copy in full sentences, with a full stop at the end.
Contractions, abbreviations and acronyms
Don바카라 사이트™t use 바카라 사이트˜ie바카라 사이트™. Use 바카라 사이트˜for example바카라 사이트™ instead of 바카라 사이트˜eg바카라 사이트™.
Use simple contractions like 바카라 사이트˜you바카라 사이트™re바카라 사이트™ and 바카라 사이트˜we바카라 사이트™ll바카라 사이트™.
Avoid:
- should바카라 사이트™ve, could바카라 사이트™ve, would바카라 사이트™ve, they바카라 사이트™ve - these can be hard to read
- negative contractions like 바카라 사이트˜can바카라 사이트™t바카라 사이트™ and 바카라 사이트˜don바카라 사이트™t바카라 사이트™ - some users find them harder to read, or misread them as the opposite of what they say
Include any relevant acronyms on your 바카라 사이트 start page for SEO purposes, but try to avoid using them inside the transaction.
And if you do use them, spell them out in full on each page. Don바카라 사이트™t rely on people remembering them across different pages.
URLs
Make sure your URLs are clear and readable. This will help users understand where they are in your service.
Don바카라 사이트™t include personal information (like a user바카라 사이트™s name or date of birth) in the <title>
field of a URL - you don바카라 사이트™t want it to show up in your site analytics.
Legal content
All language should be as simple to understand as possible, including privacy policies and declarations. Explaining users바카라 사이트™ rights and obligations clearly is good legal practice as well as being good for usability.
Further reading
Read these blogs to find out more about writing for user interfaces:
- Last update:
-
Added guidance about using contractions and abbreviations.
-
Added guidance on designing URLs.
-
Guidance first published