“Ongoing” → “Indefinite”: one word in an access table
A small wording change in a redesigned enterprise feature, decided with research rather than taste.
Context
One step of data center access management is defining how long access permissions last. Users go to a table with date selectors for each data center location. Access rights can be defined without an end date.
Problem
What word should the table use to show that access has no end date? The existing label was “Ongoing”.
What I did
- Quick desk research on the exact definition and usage of “ongoing”.
- Ideated alternatives – “unlimited” and “indefinite” – and researched those too.
- Chose “indefinite”: it fits the purpose exactly.
Because the rest of the team was in the US and Singapore, my role was close to a consultant’s: I met with the UX designer or the PM, discussed what the copy needed to do and wrote it. With the designer, I also discussed design choices so the design and the copy worked together.
Before and after
Result
Access permission periods that are easy to understand.
What I’d do differently
Run quick research and testing with back-office staff in different locations, to learn how “ongoing” is understood elsewhere and to confirm (or rule out) “indefinite” as the right choice.
“Ewa not only understood the Data Center Access Management solution, but she was also able to take a customer-centric approach to solution design and craft content that ensures a delightful experience.”