Writing Guidelines and Terminology
Tiffinbox calls the same thing an "order" on the cart screen, a "booking" on the tracking screen and a "purchase" in its emails. Customers write to support asking whether they have been charged for three meals. Words are interface too. A design system that standardises every button's colour but leaves its label to chance is only half a system.
The rule
Same thing, same word; say what happens in as few words as it takes.
Writing guidelines are the rules that make every screen read as if one careful person wrote it. Thali's include:
- Sentence case for buttons, headings and menus: "Place order", not "Place Order". It is easier to read and needs no rules about which words to capitalise.
- Buttons say what they do, usually as a verb and a noun: "Place order", "Save address", "Call rider". Avoid "Submit", "OK" and "Click here", which make people guess.
- Errors explain and help. Say what went wrong and how to fix it, without blaming the reader: "Enter a 6-digit PIN code" rather than "Invalid input".
- Plain words, active voice, key point first. "Your rider has picked up your order", not "Your order has been picked up by the delivery executive assigned to it".
- Consistent formats for prices, times and dates: "₹250", "7:30 pm", "Today".
Terminology is the product's own word list, often called a glossary. Each entry gives the approved term, a one-line definition and the words not to use:
| Use | Meaning | Don't use |
|---|---|---|
| order | Everything a customer buys in one checkout | booking, purchase |
| partner | A restaurant that sells on Tiffinbox | vendor, merchant |
| rider | The person who delivers the order | driver, delivery boy |
| cart | Items chosen but not yet ordered | basket, bag |
The shortcut
Check every piece of copy with three quick passes: verb for the button, fix for the error, glossary for the nouns.
The original
Title: "Error 402: Transaction Failed". Buttons: "Submit" and "Cancel".
Drills
Answer fast — trust the rule.
Which button label follows Thali's writing guidelines?
Which error message follows the guidelines?
The glossary says "rider". A new screen says "Your driver is nearby". What should change?
What is a product glossary for?
Remember
- Same thing, same word; say what happens in as few words as it takes.
- Shortcut: verb for the button, fix for the error, glossary for the nouns.
- Trap: standardising how a button looks while leaving what it says to chance.