[thelist] help! UI naming/language conventions

[Marc Seyon]

Message from Otto Johnson (3/20/2002 09:45 AM)
>I have been ordered to create a "naming and
>abbreviations conventions guide" for an online brokers
>management app, with standard column headers like
>Date,Amount, Description etc as well as more unusual
>ones like Type/Check, Price/Entry and other industry
>specific terms.

Who will be your users? What will they understand? Probably not
programmatic naming conventions.

Know your users. Understand the level of expertise/experience they have and
work from there. Brainstorm some likely choices, and (ideally) bounce these
off said users, or at least a representative sample of them.

If they're industry specific terms, how do other players in the industry,
especially major players and industry-wide associations (if applicable)
abbreviate them?

Make sure not to over abbreviate. Don't be too cryptic. Typical
abbreviation methods include removing syllables from words, contracting
them to the first letter or letters, or using a punctuation mark.
eg, Price = $?


User interface naming needs to be concise yet descriptive, and as
unambiguous as possible.

good luck.

regards.
-marc