© 2014 Leah Guren

Label Editing Great things in small packages

Leah Guren, Cow TC

Perfuming the Pig

Agenda

Understanding labels

Following best practices

Finding creative solutions

Q&A

Labels are mini-chunks of info.

Part of the product: • GUI for SW

• control indicators for HW

Elements that identify or explain part of a product

Labels provide cues to help users.

Almost all products need labels

But why are we needed?

Most UI programmers don’t “get” language and usability!

Best practices are challenging!

1. Concise: as short as possible

2. Clear: provide just enough info to trigger recall

3. Unique: distinct from other labels

4. L10N-compatible: easy to translate

5. Enduring: must survive the user learning curve

1. Concise: every letter counts!

Use telegraphic speech

Avoid unnecessary modifiers

Don’t try to explain everything

Emergency Water Pressure Shut-off Valve

Emergency Shut-off

2. Clear: help trigger recall.

Did you understand the paintbrush icon the first time you saw it on a toolbar?

But once you know…

Transitions

Review

3. Unique: distinguish from other labels.

Avoid synonyms • Find vs. Search vs. Query

Avoid relying only on color

4. L10N-compatible: support translation.

Easy to translate

Consistent linguistic structure: • Create XX vs. New YY

Large enough to support language bloat

Pre-event drainage recommended!

Drain before cleaning.

Ablassen Flüssigkeit vor der Reinigung.

5. Enduring: make it useful for longer.

Labels must support three phases: • immediacy

• learning curve

• permanency

Exercise

Create a label for either:

• HW label: round dial on a water heater panel; allows you to program the time (start and end) of a heating and circulation cycle.

• SW GUI label: checkbox in a software application for managing your grocery shopping; the checkbox allows you to indicate that an item should be automatically reordered at specified intervals.

Find creative solutions: think visually.

Not all labels have to be (or have) text: • save space

• support I18N

All-graphic: • be careful!

• requires extra usability testing

Combined text and graphic: • best solution

• but adds some L10N costs

Consider the risk of failure.

What’s the frustration factor?

Can the design itself reduce the need for labels?

Tips: • try to show action

• focus on goal, not feature

Rotate

Test the prototype.

Follow best practices for usability testing:

1. Find testers who match your personas.

2. Give them specific tasks with product and docs.

3. Remind them that they are helping you test the product.

4. Observe without interfering.

5. Conduct an exit interview.

Conclusion

Are you ready to face the challenge?

Get involved earlier in the development cycle

Learn more about: • design

• GUIs

• content strategy

• usability

Build internal alliances (identify the stakeholders and their POVs)

Q&A

Leah Guren technical communication training & consulting

tel: (+972) 54-485-3473

email: leah@cowtc.com

Skype: leah.guren

website: www.cowtc.com

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