Friday, November 13, 2009

Quick Thought: What's in a name? Centuries of comprehension


Writing good site/application copy isn't easy. Naming features and companies is even harder.

A rose will still smell like a rose if it is called a rose but if today if we renamed roses to something like, say, snaggles, it would be very, very strange.

Shakespeare assumed we were starting from scratch--we are not. Language has been around too long to be forgettable. Language carries with it centuries of baggage. Opting for clarity above fun, catchy, colorful, or alternative language might seem boring, but muddling a message is rarely good . Since this is UX though, there are always exceptions. Like this Bouys & Gulls bathroom sinage. So cute!


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