Creating terminology and usage lists

Words shape how a product lands, and inside an organization, they need roots. Crafting terminology and usage lists isn’t busywork—it’s forging a shared language. Start by listening. Teams toss around terms daily; snag the ones that stick. “Cart” or “Basket”? “Submit” or “Send”? What clicks for coders might stump marketers.

Next, pin it down. A list isn’t a suggestion—it’s a pact. Lay out each word, its meaning, and how it rolls out. “Delete” means gone forever; “Remove” leaves a trace. Clarity’s king—vague terms create hiccups. Define it up front, and eliminate confusion.

Stay consistent. If “Sign Up” flips to “Register” mid-flow, users blink twice. Lock it in across screens, docs, chats—everywhere. But don’t choke creativity. A rigid list that bans “Join” for “Sign Up” misses the point. Offer alternates, not handcuffs. “Preferred: Sign Up. Okay: Join.” Flexibility keeps it human.

Share it wide. A list buried in a drive’s useless—spread it where folks trip over it. Slack pinned posts, wikis, onboarding decks—make it loud. Then, test it. See how others stumble through; if “Checkout” flops, tweak it. Usage evolves—revisit the list, don’t fossilize it.

Best practice? Keep it lean. Fifty terms beat five hundred; wield what works. Tie it to goals—does “Pay” speed users or stall them? Build a list that’s sharp, alive, and shared, and the whole org moves smoothly. Mess it up, and you’re herding cats with a broken whistle.