Interface language is part of the interaction. It establishes expectations, explains choices, and helps people recover. Generated text needs the same editorial rules as authored text.
Lead with the useful next step
Use action-led button labels such as Save draft. Put the result before implementation detail. Keep headings specific enough to scan outside their surrounding paragraph.
Design recovery, not just errors
Describe what happened, what was preserved, and what the person can do next. Associate field errors with their inputs. Avoid blame, vague apologies, and success messages that promise unverified outcomes.
Treat generated copy as a draft
Provide approved terminology, audience, locale, prohibited claims, and length guidance to an agent. Review factual claims and localization. Keep labels stable across screens rather than generating synonyms on every visit.
Default decisions
Starting conventions for this system. Validate them in the context of your product.
- Voice
- Clear, calm, direct
- Action labels
- Verb + object
- Error structure
- Problem + preserved state + recovery
- Long copy
- Wrap naturally; never hide required instructions