Chapter #89. Write Like a Human Being

Too often, terminology in software is written from a systems-oriented or organization-centric point of view. We often see menu options like "edit customer" or "create new customer", but stop and think about this for a second—customers are people and we don't create them. The first option doesn't actually edit a customer and the second doesn't create a new customer.

For the developer, customers are just database records, so of course it makes sense to edit them and create new ones, but for the user, these options should be better named: "edit a customer's details" and "add a new customer".

This principle is best achieved through objectivity and empathy. In other words, being able to step outside of your view of a product and see it through a customer's eyes. You must take this step to build usable software and it's worth the effort.

The words that you use for in-product copy, for menu controls and even for marketing materials, have power and weight: you...