Labeling systems

Labeling systems are the words and icons that represent content and choices: menu items, headings, link texts, button captions, index terms. In information architecture, a label is a promise about what lies behind it.

Good labels

• Use the users' vocabulary, as revealed by Card sorting and search logs — see Mental models
• Are consistent: the same thing has the same name everywhere, which a Controlled vocabulary enforces
• Are specific: "Replace the seal" beats "Information"
• Fit the context: the label of a link tells readers where it leads before they click

Kinds of labels

• Contextual links within text
• Headings, which label the content that follows
• Navigation labels in Navigation systems
• Index terms and Metadata values used by search

In technical documentation

Headings of procedures conventionally start with a verb ("Install the pump", "Check the pressure"), concept topics with a noun. Consistent heading patterns are labels, too: they help readers recognize information types at a glance — one of the ideas behind Topic-based authoring.