The document discusses the power of language and semantics in user experience (UX). It contains several tweets by Rebecca Hugo on topics such as understanding the purpose or "why" behind a message, framing information strategically, and how word choice can influence memory, interpretation, and decision-making. It emphasizes that semantics are important to effectively communicate with audiences and that words should be chosen carefully.

1. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
SIMPLY SPEAKING SIMPLY
The Story of Semantic Power and UX

2. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
NOT-SO-SIMPLE SIMON

3. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Start with
Why
Understand your why.
Understand your
proposition.
Find your words to
support it.
Talk to people in ways
that they’ll listen.

4. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Three Simple Truths
• Everyone is trying to
sell you something
• Every market is
saturated
• People don’t buy
what you do they
buy why you do it

5. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
SEMANTIC SUPERHEROES

6. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Pretend
People say I’m a believer
However I’m not on my
own
I wish eventually you’ll
come along
And the earth won’t be
alone.

7. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Word
Power
What you see is what
you get and it’s all
down to how you
interpret it.

8. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Variable Verbs
Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction
between language and memory [Loftus and Palmer, 1974]
• Different groups watched a
video of two cars involved in an
incident.
• Each group were asked ‘About
how fast were the cars going
when they [adjective] into each
other?’
The word ‘smashed’ elicited
higher estimates of speed than
questions which used the verbs
‘collided’, ‘bumped’, ‘contacted’,
or ‘hit’ in place of ‘smashed’.

9. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
What’s in a word?
Proceed
Continue
Submit
Enter
Okay
Go

10. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Forms
To submit or not to
submit – is that the
question?

11. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Wait,
what?
If you confuse, you
lose.

12. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
PREPARE YOUR PROPOSITION

13. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Finding the Frame
Framing
Consumers were more favourable
towards beef labelled ‘75% lean’
over that labelled ‘25% fat’.
£1000 / 12
£84 * 12

14. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Call and
Response
Find the phrase to
make you stand out.
There’s a difference
between what you
want to say and what
people want to hear.

15. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Selling the Abstract and Buying the Concrete
Adventure
Car
Home
House
Piece of Mind
Insurance

16. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
TEST THE TESTER

17. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Don’t Set
Traps
If you have to ask, it
probably is.
Implication
Interpretation

18. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
Words have Power
• Understand what your
words really mean
• Understand what
people are going to
understand about
your words
• Speak in a way that
will encourage people
to listen

19. @becstex Rebecca Hugo
THANK YOU