Let’s say you come over to visit at my house. It’s getting dark and I ask you to turn on a lamp that’s next to your chair. I phrase the request as, “Would you please turn on the electric lamp?”

You might wonder why I would call it an “electric lamp.” Why didn’t I just ask you to turn on the lamp?

If you talk to someone who is 65 or older about researching a topic, for example, looking for a recipe that includes eggplant, you’re likely to hear them say something like, “I’ll go look that up online” or “I’ll look that up on the Internet.”

If you have the same conversation with someone younger, they’re likely to say, “I’ll go find a recipe” or “Let me see what I can find.”

Adding the word “online” or the phrase “on the Internet” is like saying it’s an electric lamp. So what does it matter that the language is a little different? It shows a different mental model.

People who grew up before the advent of the Internet think of the Internet as a place to go. It’s like going to the library, or going to the store. People who grew up with the Internet don’t have that same mental model.

If you have one mental model about the Internet and are designing or writing about products, you’re likely to use language that conveys your mental model. That’s fine if the people you’re designing or writing for have the same mental model that you do. But if they don’t, then they’ll find parts of your language or your design to be either quaint or confusing.

Takeaways

If you’re older and designing or writing for younger people, ensure that your language matches the audience. For example, filter out references to “go online” or “on the Internet.”If you’re younger and designing or writing for older people, be aware that older people have a different mental model. Make sure to test your designs, labels, and instructions with people who are older to make sure your mental model hasn’t caused confusion in your design or language.