Writing Style

Overview

Keep on-screen text simple, clear, and informal. Users should be able to navigate your app quickly without having to read long passages of explanatory text.

Messages

Ask yourself what the purpose of a message is and what information you need to convey.

  • Remove non-essential words.

  • Don’t state the obvious..

  • Don't include a message that overlaps with a visual cue.

    For example, you don't need to state "Swipe right" or "Swipe left" when visual cues on the screen suggest the action clearly.

Voice

Use the active voice whenever possible to save space and make messages easier to understand. Avoid using negative words or expressions that blame the user. Use positive expressions that promote the watch as a capable, reliable, and powerful device.

  • Do not use “Sorry,” "Please," or "Thanks.

Capital Letters

Use sentence capitalization in buttons, headers, and menu options.

Terms

Use the following terms when referring to a specific device/state, or indicating results/progress.

  • Don't include a message that overlaps with a visual cue

    Always use phone to refer to the smartphone that the user's device syncs with and connects to, instead of smartphone or Samsung Galaxy.

  • No data search results

    When a search doesn't find any results, use "No (item names) found." If the search could cover a wide range of things, then use "No results found."

Shortened words

Use the following abbreviations in watch apps.

Full Abbreviation Full Abbreviation
Application App

 Kilometer, centimeter, mile km, cm, mi
SIM card SIM

 Minutes, hours, seconds min, hr, sec
Days of the week Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

 Currencies ISO currency code

Date and Time

Use the styles shown below when displaying times and dates.

Type Values Min. Max. Initial position Remarks
Date Month Jan (1) Dec(12) Today

(for date of birth,

12/31/2016)

 Max. Day: It depends on the month.
Day 1 28 ~ 31
Year 1900 2050 Year: The indicator is reset every 100 years. (It can be stopped according to app’s limitation.)
Time Hour 1 12 Current Time Can be customized to show seconds.
1 24
Minute 0 59
AM/PM Toggle button