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From the section of the iOS HIG about writing alert copy: > Avoid using “you,” “your,” “me,” and “my” as much as possible. Sometimes, text that identifies peop

From the section of the iOS HIG about writing alert copy: > Avoid using “you,” “your,” “me,” and “my” as much as possible. Sometimes, text that identifies people directly can be ambiguous and can even be interpreted as an insult.

tadfisher 14y ago
I agree with this. Using the example from the article, "Profile" is just as expressive as "My Profile", more concise, and groups better with other similar actions. Taken to its logical extreme, you'll have to put "My" everywhere; imagine GMail with "My Inbox", "My Starred", "My Important Messages", "My Circles", etc.
- abstractbill 14y ago
  Mostly. The downside is with words ("profile" even, though rarely enough that it probably doesn't matter) that can be both nouns and verbs. Leaving off the my/your then makes the button ambiguous.
  - andrenotgiant 14y ago
    Anecdotally, I have run into this with Google Products (Mail & Voice): The "Archive" button is problematic because you can almost always navigate to the noun Archive folder, or verb Archive an item.
    - lotharbot 14y ago
      how about "view archive" and "send to archive"?
      - vitalique 14y ago
        This is the proper approach, I suppose. I don't use images for button labels in Gmail's interface myself, but I'm pretty sure that properly designed icons + tooltips with verbs (for both icons and textual labels) can be used quite effectively to differentiate between verbs and nouns: 'arrows' icons as verbs for moving stuff, 'boxes' images as nouns for storage places, 'tools' as verbs for some particular actions associated with those particular tools, etc. - just your usual common sense UI stuff. Switched Gmail settings to icons for buttons just to check if this is being used here and immediately notice annoying inconsistency in Gmail's UI: Archive button has an icon of a storage box with an arrow (good choice), but has ambiguous tooltip saying 'Archive', whilst Delete button has an icon of just a trash bin with a proper action-tooltip 'Delete'. 'Report spam' has the worst icon by far, I think. Then again - manila folder icon for moving to label (which is a bit unclear) - it acts very much like the 'archive' action, but somehow doesn't have an arrow. Labels button tooltip - 'Labels' - also lacks the word 'apply/attach/add'. I understand that you can get accustomed to almost anything, but this doesn't mean you have to fight your way through UI. I thought a bit more about this and now I think that a verb is more or less mandatory for buttons of actions, i.e. for buttons that change some objects properties or performs actions on the objects ('Apply labels', 'Move to trash' are probably better than 'Labels', 'Trash'). Verbs are not mandatory for buttons that just change your position inside the system ('Go to inbox' is probably worse than 'Inbox').
        charliepark 14y ago
        Rather than the language used, perhaps the interface would give the proper contextual cue: * Use a button interface for all actions the user can take: [send][archive]. * Use a link for nouns / places the user can go: inbox | archive | trash. * Icons tend to be actions (a star for 'mark this as a favorite', a trash can for 'delete this thing', a paper+pencil for 'edit this entry'), so they get grouped more with the buttons.
- homosaur 14y ago
  Oh gravy, tell me about it. I fought at work for two days about taking the "our offices", "our whatever" off all the nav links.
- kyro 14y ago
  I think pronouns should be reserved more for interactions, where a UI's personality really shines through. So when refreshing your inbox, you may see "Fetching your email", for example.
  - tadfisher 14y ago
    Why does a UI have to have personality? Why can't it just look good and be easy to use? Does anyone actually care if an application is "speaking" as if it is a conscious entity?
    - elithrar 14y ago
      > Why can't it just look good and be easy to use? Does anyone actually care if an application is "speaking" as if it is a conscious entity? I don't think it's fair to say that a UI shouldn't attempt to have some "personality". Whether it is ultimately effective (or not) is another argument entirely, but there is more to UX than just the style and "ease of use". Copy, labeling and alerts are all part of the UX too.
    - snprbob86 14y ago
      It depends on the application. For a tool that you use as often as Gmail, you want something functional, but that doesn't mean it can't let the personality of Google shine through. Gmail's empty spam page says something like "No spam here, Hurray!" where as Outlook's says generic and bland like "There are no items in this view". However, consider a shopping experience that you may use a couple of times per year at most. The application has a real opportunity to expose the user to your brand. Also consider a new user experience that you only ever do once. These processes are boring, so maybe some personality helps conversions and reduces falloff. There is no right answer here because there are so many different types of applications.
    - schraeds 14y ago
      Why do most cars still have face-like features when viewed from the front or back?
    - olliesaunders 14y ago
jameshart 14y ago
Yet Siri calls me 'you', and refers to herself as 'I'. Rules are made to be broken. Actually, on a recent road trip, I found myself asking Siri for an update on my progress by asking: "What's our ETA?". While she gave me the right answer, I kind of wish she'd responded by saying when "we" would arrive. An interface that is actually in it together with me - that would be a step forward.
- fudged71 14y ago
  Siri is not an app. Siri was built to be a personal assistant, and as such, it was designed to have a personal connection with the user, making the 'you' and 'I' very important. Interesting point about 'we', though.

tadfisher 14y ago

I agree with this. Using the example from the article, "Profile" is just as expressive as "My Profile", more concise, and groups better with other similar actions. Taken to its logical extreme, you'll have to put "My" everywhere; imagine GMail with "My Inbox", "My Starred", "My Important Messages", "My Circles", etc.

abstractbill 14y ago
Mostly. The downside is with words ("profile" even, though rarely enough that it probably doesn't matter) that can be both nouns and verbs. Leaving off the my/your then makes the button ambiguous.
- andrenotgiant 14y ago
  Anecdotally, I have run into this with Google Products (Mail & Voice): The "Archive" button is problematic because you can almost always navigate to the noun Archive folder, or verb Archive an item.
  - lotharbot 14y ago
    how about "view archive" and "send to archive"?
    - vitalique 14y ago
      This is the proper approach, I suppose. I don't use images for button labels in Gmail's interface myself, but I'm pretty sure that properly designed icons + tooltips with verbs (for both icons and textual labels) can be used quite effectively to differentiate between verbs and nouns: 'arrows' icons as verbs for moving stuff, 'boxes' images as nouns for storage places, 'tools' as verbs for some particular actions associated with those particular tools, etc. - just your usual common sense UI stuff. Switched Gmail settings to icons for buttons just to check if this is being used here and immediately notice annoying inconsistency in Gmail's UI: Archive button has an icon of a storage box with an arrow (good choice), but has ambiguous tooltip saying 'Archive', whilst Delete button has an icon of just a trash bin with a proper action-tooltip 'Delete'. 'Report spam' has the worst icon by far, I think. Then again - manila folder icon for moving to label (which is a bit unclear) - it acts very much like the 'archive' action, but somehow doesn't have an arrow. Labels button tooltip - 'Labels' - also lacks the word 'apply/attach/add'. I understand that you can get accustomed to almost anything, but this doesn't mean you have to fight your way through UI. I thought a bit more about this and now I think that a verb is more or less mandatory for buttons of actions, i.e. for buttons that change some objects properties or performs actions on the objects ('Apply labels', 'Move to trash' are probably better than 'Labels', 'Trash'). Verbs are not mandatory for buttons that just change your position inside the system ('Go to inbox' is probably worse than 'Inbox').
      - charliepark 14y ago
        Rather than the language used, perhaps the interface would give the proper contextual cue: * Use a button interface for all actions the user can take: [send][archive]. * Use a link for nouns / places the user can go: inbox | archive | trash. * Icons tend to be actions (a star for 'mark this as a favorite', a trash can for 'delete this thing', a paper+pencil for 'edit this entry'), so they get grouped more with the buttons.
homosaur 14y ago
Oh gravy, tell me about it. I fought at work for two days about taking the "our offices", "our whatever" off all the nav links.
kyro 14y ago
I think pronouns should be reserved more for interactions, where a UI's personality really shines through. So when refreshing your inbox, you may see "Fetching your email", for example.
- tadfisher 14y ago
  Why does a UI have to have personality? Why can't it just look good and be easy to use? Does anyone actually care if an application is "speaking" as if it is a conscious entity?
  - elithrar 14y ago
    > Why can't it just look good and be easy to use? Does anyone actually care if an application is "speaking" as if it is a conscious entity? I don't think it's fair to say that a UI shouldn't attempt to have some "personality". Whether it is ultimately effective (or not) is another argument entirely, but there is more to UX than just the style and "ease of use". Copy, labeling and alerts are all part of the UX too.
  - snprbob86 14y ago
    It depends on the application. For a tool that you use as often as Gmail, you want something functional, but that doesn't mean it can't let the personality of Google shine through. Gmail's empty spam page says something like "No spam here, Hurray!" where as Outlook's says generic and bland like "There are no items in this view". However, consider a shopping experience that you may use a couple of times per year at most. The application has a real opportunity to expose the user to your brand. Also consider a new user experience that you only ever do once. These processes are boring, so maybe some personality helps conversions and reduces falloff. There is no right answer here because there are so many different types of applications.
  - schraeds 14y ago
    Why do most cars still have face-like features when viewed from the front or back?
  - olliesaunders 14y ago

jameshart 14y ago

Yet Siri calls me 'you', and refers to herself as 'I'. Rules are made to be broken. Actually, on a recent road trip, I found myself asking Siri for an update on my progress by asking: "What's our ETA?". While she gave me the right answer, I kind of wish she'd responded by saying when "we" would arrive. An interface that is actually in it together with me - that would be a step forward.

fudged71 14y ago
Siri is not an app. Siri was built to be a personal assistant, and as such, it was designed to have a personal connection with the user, making the 'you' and 'I' very important. Interesting point about 'we', though.