By the end of this lesson you can
- Write navigation and section labels that users understand at a glance.
- Use research to find the words users actually use.
- Keep labels consistent across a product.
The idea
Labels are the words on navigation, buttons, headings and links. They are tiny pieces of text with a big job: telling people what they will find before they click.
Use users' words
Organisations develop internal language: product names, department names, jargon. Users do not share it. Search logs, support tickets, interview transcripts and card sorts show the words people use. If customers search for "cancel" and your menu says "Manage membership lifecycle", they will not find it.
Qualities of good labels
- Specific: "Delivery and returns" beats "Information".
- Distinct: labels should not overlap. "Resources", "Tools" and "Support" are hard to tell apart.
- Front-loaded: put the key word first so people can scan.
- Consistent: call the same thing by the same name everywhere. If the menu says "Orders", the page title should not say "Purchases".
Clever is costly
Playful names ("The Lab", "Discover") can fit a brand but make people guess. Use them sparingly and never for core navigation.
Why it matters in real projects
People decide where to go by reading labels, so unclear labels break even a well-structured product. Labels are cheap to change and easy to test, which makes them one of the highest-value things a designer can improve. Consistent naming also reduces confusion between teams and in documentation.
A realistic example
An energy company's app has a section called "Insights". Tree testing shows only 20% of people look there to see their energy use; most look under "Account" or "Usage".
The team renames "Insights" to "Energy use", the phrase customers use in support calls. They also align terms: the app said "meter reading", "submit reading" and "send reading" in different places, which they standardise to "Send a meter reading". Retesting shows success above 80%.
Step by step
Collect users' words
Review search logs, support tickets and research transcripts.
List current labels
Write down every navigation and section label in the product.
Spot problems
Mark jargon, overlaps, vague labels and inconsistencies.
Rewrite
Draft specific, distinct, front-loaded labels using users' language.
Test
Use tree tests or quick first-click tests to compare options.
Document
Record agreed terms in a shared glossary or content guide.
Common mistakes
Mistake Using internal or product names.
Instead Use the words customers use, found through research.
Mistake Overlapping labels like "Help", "Support" and "Resources".
Instead Merge or rename so each label is clearly different.
Mistake Different names for the same thing.
Instead Pick one term and use it everywhere.
Check your understanding
Choose an answer, then check it. There is an explanation either way.
Practice exercise
Exercise · about 30 min
Label audit
Audit the navigation labels of a real website or app you use.
Steps
- List every navigation label.
- Mark jargon, overlaps and vague terms.
- Rewrite at least five labels.
- Ask three people to say what they expect under each old and new label.
Deliverable
A before and after label list with test notes.
Self-assessment
Tick each item when it is true of your exercise. Be honest; this is for you.
4 items
Summary
- Labels tell people what they will find before they click.
- Use users' language, not internal jargon.
- Make labels specific, distinct, front-loaded and consistent.
- Test labels; they are cheap to change.
Further reading
Third-party sources, chosen for reliability. They open in a new tab.
- Navigation: you are here (opens in a new tab)Nielsen Norman Group
- Writing link text (opens in a new tab)GOV.UK
Your notes
Marking complete updates your course and roadmap progress.