3 Terms and definitions

What this clause covers

The vocabulary is small and deliberate. User assistance is wider than a help page: it includes principles, design techniques and solutions. A coach mark is a small pop-up laid over the interface, not a tooltip in a web page. An icon is a screen graphic that stands for a function. Minimalism is not brevity for its own sake; it is critical information plus the least extra information needed to be complete. Responsive design is about adaptation to the device layout. Context of use brings in users, tasks, equipment and the physical and social setting. The abbreviations show the technical range of the draft: AI, AR, CSS, JSON, STE and UI all appear in the mobile help conversation.

The headings in this clause

• 3.1 Terms
• 3.2 Abbreviated terms

What to put in place before publication

1. Put the nine terms and eight abbreviations into the house style guide with the same meaning as the draft.
2. Write a short usage note for user assistance, user experience and user interface so the team stops using them as synonyms.
3. Decide how you will name gestures and controls in help content, and keep that list beside the glossary.
4. Check translated glossaries for a matching term, not a literal translation.
5. Review the glossary when the published edition appears, because defined terms can change between a draft and publication.

Evidence to keep

Where teams usually fall short

• The team uses help, documentation and user assistance interchangeably.
• A coach mark is called a tooltip in the design file, so the build and the text diverge.
• The glossary is copied from a web style guide and never checked against the draft.

What happens next

Re-read clause 3 when the FDIS appears. A changed definition can change the reading of every clause that uses the term, so update the glossary before the pages or the templates.