Word choices

The right words help people navigate easily and feel confident in our products. By accurately conveying the intended meaning, we strengthen our brand and ensure clarity.

    Remove or delete?

  • Use remove to take something out of view or use without permanently eliminating it.
  • Use delete to permanently erase something, making it difficult or impossible to undo.
  • When in doubt, choose delete if the action significantly affects other data or flows.
An example of situation when using the word remove is appropriate.

Do

Remove feels softer and suggests the action is reversible or limited to a specific area.

An example of situation when using the word delete is appropriate.

Do

Delete is more definitive, prompting careful thought and deliberation.

    And/or

  • Avoid using and/or structure as it's redundant, confusing, and disrupts scanning.
  • Most of the time, or works just fine and doesn't exclude choosing both options.
  • If stronger emphasis is needed, rephrase your message to ensure clarity.
This phrasing remains clear while avoiding adding to cognitive load:
“Select users or teams with limited access to the project.”
Using and/or leads to over-explaining and disrupts communication:
“Select users and/or teams with limited access to the project.”
Share your feedback on the #design-systems channel in Slack.