Transitional text to show something is happening
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Use -ing verbs and ellipses (…)
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Do not use informal, transitional wording
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Confirmation messages: Use the same verb as the transitional text
- Updating user roles…
- Submitting log files…
- Saving project… > Project saved
- Training models… > Models trained
- Getting ready…
- Chopping fruit…
- Saving project… > Project uploaded
- Training models… > Training done
Error messages
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Add a clear reason for the error
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Do not blame the user
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Add clear instructions for the user regarding what to do next to resolve the error
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Do not over communicate
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Use … to show an action is required, i.e. fill this in …
- System error: You’re offline. Check your connection and try again.
- File error: We cannot upload this file. Try uploading again.
- Permission error: To carry out this task, you need more permissions. Contact admin to change permissions.
- What did you do!?
- The email address you entered does not match the required format. Please enter your email address using the standard format.
Empty-state text
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Empty-state wording tells the user the empty space is intentional and should be there, i.e. not an error
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Use wording to move the user forward
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Use wording to help users understand the function of the empty state
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Do not over communicate
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Use wording to show users how to resolve the empty state, e.g. with an action, click, etc.
- Allocate users in User management.
- To show rows, select a project.
- To save a project, select Save in Project detail list.
- No allocated users.
- No rows to show.
- No projects saved.
Restoring behavior of items
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Be clear on deleting, removing, creating and adding
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Create goes hand in hand with Delete, it usually means it cannot be restored
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Add goes hand in hand with Remove, it usually means it can be restored
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Do not use Delete and Remove as synonym
- Create a chart and delete a chart
- Add a sensor to a chart and remove a sensor from chart
- Create a chart and remove it
- Add a sensor and delete the sensor