Interface Concept: Wording

MPDL

=Using Verbs and Nouns= The main menu is a central starting point to access functionality with two hierarchical levels. In spite the fact that levels are called "options" and "actions" it is not always possible to apply verbs and nouns accordingly. The use of verbs and nouns can be applied to build "sentences" or at least meaningful strings. The basic principle of grammar can be applied: Subject, Predicate, Object. The Menu levels could be populated as following as far as possible:

If the functionality does not change data a noun is used (View, Browse)

 * 1) Main menu: Noun
 * 2) Options menu: Verb
 * 3) Action menu: Noun

Example

 * 1) Main menu: My Items (noun)
 * 2) Options menu: Export (verb)
 * 3) Actions menu: as APA (noun)
 * 4) Further Actions can be a verb again: Download (verb)

The sentences would be:

Invoke "My Items" and "Export" it "as APA" and "download".

If the functionality changes data a verb is used (edit, submit)

 * 1) Main menu: Verb
 * 2) Options menu: Noun
 * 3) Action menu: Noun

Example

 * 1) Main menu: Submit (verb)
 * 2) Options menu: (by) import (noun)
 * 3) Actions menu: as BibTex (noun)
 * 4) Further Actions can be a verb again: Download (verb)

The sentences would be:

"Submit" by "Import" "as BibTex".

If a meaningful sentence can be formed it is not necessary to add or repeat words like "Items", "View", "Fetch"

=English=

Constraints for wording and labels

 * 1) Description of spacial areas
 * 2) H1 Titles for content area e.g. "My Items" are displayed in "up style"
 * 3) Group labels in e.g. "View Item Version" are displayed in "up style"
 * 4) Description of functional areas
 * 5) Menu entries are displayed in "all up style" (Uppercase)
 * 6) Labels on action elements (Links, Buttons) are displayed in "up style"
 * 7) Save
 * 8) Upload
 * 9) Description of data displayed in the frontend
 * 10) Labels for meta data values are displayed in "up style"
 * 11) Info messages in the status line are displayed in "sentence style"
 * 12) Labels for a group of metadata entries are displayed in "up style"
 * 13) Labels for metadata values are displayed in "up style"
 * 14) Wording in controls e.g. first entry of drop downs "up style"
 * 15) Help text is displayed in "sentence style"

Colons and question marks should be avoided.

=German=

Constraints for wording and labels
Most of the GUI labels should be available in "Gross- und Kleinschreibung". Menu entries are displayed in "Großschreibung"

Colons and question marks should be avoided.

Place for especially german labels: Currently labels can produce a line break if too long. The following elements flow accordingly which does not look nice.

Links
http://www.usabilitypost.com/2008/08/30/usability-tip-use-verbs-as-labels-on-buttons/

http://blog.autotyper.de/2008/08/26/gros-kleinschreibung-in-englischen-uberschriften/

=Display of Values and Labels=