Employ terms that the user will understand.
If we don’t speak in a way that our users understand, we’re not communicating—we’re confusing.”
- Erika Hall (Conversational Design)
Why use our users’ language?
- Clarity: By using language and content design that users are familiar with, we reduce the cognitive load required for them to understand the content. Cognitive load refers to the amount of information our working memory can process at any given time. For educational purposes, cognitive load theory helps us to avoid overloading learners with more than they can effectively process for long-term memory storage and future recall.
- Credibility: Speaking to our users in a way they relate to helps builds trust. It shows they are understood and that we are committed to providing them with the information they need.
- Satisfaction: By reducing friction we create a more personal experience which can lead to higher satisfaction
- Inclusivity: Inclusive language ensures that all users can access and benefit from our content. Oxford is a diverse environment therefore it is important to include users from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
How do we use our users’ language?
- Readability: Tools such as Hemmingway run readability tests on content to determine how readable your content is
- User research: Use tools such as survey monkey to see how the language used resonates with the target audience
- Personas: create detailed user personas and check that you meet their expectations
- AI: Use AI tools such as CoPilot, ChatGPT, Jasper to review content or pitch it to the correct audience.
