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Mozilla Automation TeamAly Blenkin2 min readintermediate

Desktop Settings: Removing technical jargon

Read on thunderbird.net

Summary

Thunderbird’s Automation Team rewrote 250+ settings strings to plain language, ran user tests with new copy on Notifications, Appearance, and Composition, and achieved >80% comprehension and high confidence, though interaction mismatches remain.

  • Plain‑language copy raised purpose comprehension to 86‑100% across tested categories.
  • User confidence scores averaged 4.0‑4.4/5, showing users felt able to change settings without help.
  • Interaction design still needs work; checkboxes confused users where toggles were expected.
  • Auditing all content for 8th‑grade readability exposed outdated or overly technical phrasing.

UX designers and product engineers building settings panels should see how systematic copy audits and simple user testing can measurably improve usability.

6/10
frontendtestinguxdesignproduct

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