Vicky BuserInformation architect, GOV.UKGovernment Digital Service@vickybuser

Getting the words right

GDS

1. Why words matter

2. Why they’re hard to get right

3. Tools and techniques

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190,000+ documents

10m visitors a week

General public and professional users

1. Why words matter

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Words = language = meaning

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Language = a commonly held agreement between people about what verbal sounds will represent which buckets of ideasSource: “The Silo Effect” by Gillian Tett

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IAs group, categorise and label things on behalf of users

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Labels are important in navigation

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So getting the words right is core to UX

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Context is key

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Context can be level of knowledge

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Pharmacovigilance?

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Context can be culture

GDShttps://www.flickr.com/photos/curioustangles/15537562818/

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Context can be emotional state

GDShttps://www.flickr.com/photos/a-lish147/5021241570

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Words can create the right (or wrong) emotional tone

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Literacy and accessibility

GDShttp://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexic/eyes-and-dyslexia

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buyhelpaboutliketell

2. Why words are hard

GDShttps://www.flickr.com/photos/chris_schultz/11306328493

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Words are often ambiguous

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Synonyms

Homonyms

Contronyms

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Language changes all the time

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3. Tools and techniques

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Tool 1: Contextual user research

GDSwww.gov.uk/design-principles

GDSwww.flickr.com/photos/woolgenie/16093952683/

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Tool 2: Search term analysis

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6% of users use site search

About 5m searches a month

66m searches in 2015

Almost 17m different search terms used in 2015

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Tool 3: Card sorting

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GDShttps://www.flickr.com/photos/lendingmemo/11442225495/

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Bringing all the evidence together

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Thanks!

Vicky Buser@vickybuser