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| /* UI tables */ |
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| .ui_table { |
| width: 100%; |
| background: #282828; |
| color: #fff; |
| border-radius: 2px; |
| box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.25); |
| border-collapse: separate; |
| } |
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| .ui_table th, |
| .ui_table td { |
| padding: 5px 10px; |
| } |
| |
| .ui_table thead th { |
| font-weight: 600; |
| } |
| |
| .ui_table tfoot td { |
| border-top: 1px solid #494949; |
| border-right: 1px solid #494949; |
| text-align: center; |
| } |
| |
| .ui_table tfoot td:last-child { |
| border-right: 0; |
| } |
| |
| .list_item_margins { |
| margin-left: 30px !important; |
| } |
| |
| .example_label { |
| margin-bottom: 10px; |
| padding-left: 20px; |
| background: transparent none no-repeat scroll 0px 3px; |
| } |
| |
| .example_label.bad { |
| background-image: url(../static/ico_wrong.png); |
| } |
| |
| .example_label.good { |
| background-image: url(../static/ico_good.png); |
| } |
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| <div id="content"> |
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| |
| <div class="layout-content-row content-header"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-9"> |
| <h2>Writing Style</h2> |
| </div> |
| <div class="paging-links layout-content-col span-4"> |
| <a href="#" class="prev-page-link">Previous</a> |
| <a href="#" class="next-page-link">Next</a> |
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| |
| |
| |
| |
| <p>When choosing words for your app:</p> |
| <ol> |
| <li> |
| <p><strong>Keep it brief.</strong> Be concise, simple and precise. Start with a 30 character limit (including |
| spaces), and don't use more unless absolutely necessary.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p><strong>Keep it simple.</strong> Pretend you're speaking to someone who's smart and competent, but doesn't |
| know technical jargon and may not speak English very well. Use short words, active verbs, and |
| common nouns.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p><strong>Be friendly.</strong> Use contractions. Talk directly to the reader using second person ("you"). If |
| your text doesn't read the way you'd say it in casual conversation, it's probably not the way |
| you should write it. Don't be abrupt or annoying and make the user feel safe, happy and |
| energized.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p><strong>Put the most important thing first.</strong> The first two words (around 11 characters, including |
| spaces) should include at least a taste of the most important information in the string. If they |
| don't, start over.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p><strong>Describe only what's necessary, and no more.</strong> Don't try to explain subtle differences. They |
| will be lost on most users.</p> |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| <p><strong>Avoid repetition.</strong> If a significant term gets repeated within a screen or block of text, find |
| a way to use it just once.</p> |
| </li> |
| </ol> |
| |
| <h2>Examples</h2> |
| |
| <ol><li class="value-1"><strong>Keep it brief.</strong> From the setup wizard:</ol> |
| |
| <div class="layout-content-row"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6 list_item_margins"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label bad">Too formal</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"><tbody><tr><td> |
| Consult the documentation that came with your phone for further instructions. |
| </td></tr></tbody></table> |
| |
| </div> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label good">Better</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"><tbody><tr><td> |
| Read the instructions that came with your phone. |
| </td></tr></tbody></table> |
| |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div class="vspace size-1"> </div> |
| |
| <ol><li class="value-2"><strong>Keep it simple.</strong> From the Location settings screen:</ol> |
| |
| <div class="layout-content-row"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6 list_item_margins"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label bad">Confusing</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table bad"> |
| <thead> |
| <tr> |
| <th> |
| Use GPS satellites |
| </th> |
| </tr> |
| </thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| When locating, accurate to street level. |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table> |
| |
| </div> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label good">Better</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"> |
| <thead> |
| <tr> |
| <th> |
| GPS |
| </th> |
| </tr> |
| </thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| Let apps use satellites to pinpoint your location. |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table> |
| |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div class="vspace size-1"> </div> |
| |
| <ol><li class="value-3"><strong>Be friendly.</strong> Dialog that appears when an application |
| crashes:</ol> |
| |
| <div class="layout-content-row"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6 list_item_margins"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label bad">Confusing and annoying—"Sorry" just rubs salt in the |
| wound.</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table bad"> |
| <thead> |
| <tr> |
| <th colspan="3"> |
| Sorry! |
| </th> |
| </tr> |
| </thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td colspan="3"> |
| Activity MyAppActivity (in application MyApp) |
| is not responding. |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| <tfoot> |
| <tr> |
| <td width="33%">Force close</td> |
| <td width="33%">Wait</td> |
| <td width="33%">Report</td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table> |
| |
| </div> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label good">Shorter, more direct, no faux-apologetic title:<br><br></div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"> |
| <thead> |
| <tr> |
| <th colspan="3"> |
| MyApp isn't responding. |
| </th> |
| </tr> |
| </thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td colspan="3"> |
| Do you want to close it? |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| <tfoot> |
| <tr> |
| <td width="33%">Wait</td> |
| <td width="33%">Report</td> |
| <td width="33%">Close</td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table> |
| |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div class="vspace size-1"> </div> |
| |
| <ol><li class="value-4"><strong>Put the most important thing first.</strong></ol> |
| |
| <div class="layout-content-row"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6 list_item_margins"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label bad">Top news last</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table bad"><tbody><tr><td> |
| 77 other people +1'd this, including Larry Page. |
| </td></tr></tbody></table> |
| |
| </div> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label good">Top news first</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"><tbody><tr><td> |
| Larry Page and 77 others +1'd this. |
| </td></tr></tbody></table> |
| |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div class="layout-content-row"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6 list_item_margins"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label bad">Task last</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table bad"><tbody><tr><td> |
| Touch Next to complete setup using a Wi-Fi connection. |
| </td></tr></tbody></table> |
| |
| </div> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label good">Task first</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"><tbody><tr><td> |
| To finish setup using Wi-Fi, touch Next. |
| </td></tr></tbody></table> |
| |
| </div> |
| </div> |
| |
| <div class="vspace size-1"> </div> |
| |
| <ol><li class="value-5"><strong>Describe only what's necessary, and no more.</strong></ol> |
| |
| <div class="layout-content-row"> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6 list_item_margins"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label bad">From a Setup Wizard screen</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table bad"> |
| <thead> |
| <tr> |
| <th> |
| Signing in... |
| </th> |
| </tr> |
| </thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| Your phone needs to communicate with<br> |
| Google servers to sign in to your account.<br> |
| This may take up to five minutes. |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table> |
| |
| </div> |
| <div class="layout-content-col span-6"> |
| |
| <div class="example_label good">From a Setup Wizard screen</div> |
| |
| <table class="ui_table good"> |
| <thead> |
| <tr> |
| <th> |
| Signing in... |
| </th> |
| </tr> |
| </thead> |
| <tbody> |
| <tr> |
| <td> |
| Your phone is contacting Google.<br> |
| This can take up to 5 minutes. |
| </td> |
| </tr> |
| </tbody> |
| </table> |
| |
| </div> |
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