The Verbal Interface

Design
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Words are UI

Design words with the rigor applied to pixels. The "Verbal Interface" is the system's voice—precise, functional, and devoid of ambiguity. This standard defines textual formulation to minimize cognitive load and maximize agency.

Inside Boundary

The Verbal Interface

The functional language embedded within the application. Subject to strict "Words as UI" axioms and the Interface Hypothesis.

  • Functional Labels
    Buttons, Navigation, Inputs
  • System Feedback
    Error States, Success Toasts
  • Instructional Prompts
    Empty States, Tooltips, Onboarding
Outside Boundary

The Environment

External communication layers that surround the product. These follow different rhetorical rules (e.g., Persuasion, Legal, Expression).

  • Marketing Site
    Optimized for conversion. Allowed to use persuasion and metaphor.
  • Legal Documentation
    Optimized for compliance. Must be precise but lengthy.
  • User Content
    The Thinker's own thoughts. We never police the user's language.

1. The Philosophy: Words as UI

Standard systems treat text as "content"—filler material poured into a container. In Void, text is infrastructure. The following axioms govern all textual formulation within the system.

System Boundary
Active Constraints
AXIOM 01

Text is Infrastructure

Text is a functional component of the system architecture. It requires testing, versioning, and optimization.

"Renaming 'Submit' to 'Publish' is an architectural change, not a copy edit."
AXIOM 02

The Interface Hypothesis

Words are the interface. A confusing label creates the same friction as a broken button. If the user must read a sentence twice, the interface has failed.

AXIOM 03

Conservation of Cognitive Load

Every ambiguous word adds "Extraneous Load" to the user's working memory. Ruthlessly optimize text to free up brain power for the actual task (Germane Load).

AXIOM 04

Semantic Density

Measure the efficiency of the Verbal Interface using Semantic Density: The ratio of distinct information bits to total character count.

Low Density"The system has successfully completed the process."
High Density"Process Complete."

2. The Dimensions of Formulation

Writing for the system requires tuning specific variables. Adjust these "knobs" to achieve the correct formulation.

Rhetorical Stance

Who is speaking?

AgencyHigh / Active

Enable user action. Do not suggest. Use "You" (the user) and "We" (the system) sparingly. Focus on the action.

AuthorityArbiter / Expert

State rules. Exclude opinions. Avoid "We think" or "It is recommended."

Register

Who is listening?

PrecisionLaboratory Grade

Use the exact word. "Plain English" means "free of noise."

LevelProfessional / Intimate

Speak directly to the Thinker. Acknowledge intelligence; eliminate jargon.

Tone

How does it feel?

AestheticScience Tech

Detached, empirical, and futuristic. It should feel like the interface of a starship or a laboratory instrument.

DirectnessAssertive

Remove hedging. State what the subject is.

Syntax

How is it built?

MoodImperative

Use commands for actions ("Capture", "Refactor"). Start sentences with verbs when instructing.

CausalityExplicit

Link Action to Reason. "Do X because Y." The "Why" validates the "What".

3. The Pattern Library

Identify and eliminate these anti-patterns to align with the Verbal Interface standard.

Avoid

"It is recommended that the user organizes the hierarchy to reflect the domain."

Use

"Organize the hierarchy to reflect the domain."

Passive Voice hides the actor. Imperative (Command) drives action.

Avoid

"This feature doesn't just allow you to save, but also to version your work."

Use

"This feature versions your work."

Hedging ('not just') is defensive. State the value directly.

Avoid

"The system utilizes a polymorphic data structure to instantiate nodes."

Use

"The system uses flexible nodes."

Jargon ('utilize', 'polymorphic', 'instantiate') adds cognitive load without adding meaning.

Avoid

"You might want to try clicking the button."

Use

"Click the button."

Weak Authority ('might want to') creates doubt. If it's the right action, say so.

Avoid

"Simply drag the node to instantly move it."

Use

"Drag the node to move it."

Filler words ('Simply', 'Instantly') add noise. If the interaction is designed well, it *is* simple.

The Error Protocol

Do not apologize. Do not say "Oops". An error is a system state, not a social faux pas. Construct errors using this algorithm:

[Status] + [Cause] + [Remedy]
Bad
"Oops! We couldn't save your file because of an internet issue. Please try again."
Good
"Save Failed (Status): Connection Lost (Cause). Check network and retry (Remedy)."

4. The Dictionary of Intent

To ensure the user's mental model matches the system model, strictly map User Intent to Standard Verbs.

Intent
Standard Verbs (Use)
Forbidden Verbs (Avoid)
Creation
CreateAddNew
InstantiateSpawnConstructMake
Destruction
DeleteRemove
KillDestroyTrashErasePurge
Modification
EditChangeUpdate
MutateAlterModifyTweak
Navigation
Go toViewOpen
Jump toNavigateVisit
Movement
MoveDrag
ShiftMigrateTransferRelocate
Thinking
RefactorExploreCapture
ReorganizeBrainstormWrite
Connection
ConnectLinkRelate
AttachTieBindWire
Selection
SelectChoose
PickGrabHighlight
Publication
PublishSave
SubmitCommitStore
Error
FailedUnable
OopsSomething went wrongWhoops

5. Operationalizing the Standard

Knowledge requires a mechanism for application. Use this prompt to reformulate your writing.

Linguistic Normalizer

MODULE: PROMPT_ENG|STATUS: ACTIVE

Offload the Cognitive Load

Memorizing the Verbal Interface creates Overwhelm. Offload the ruleset to this compiler because consistent output requires no memorization. Raw intent transforms into Aligned output. Manual Friction is eliminated.

Draft Text
Normalization
System Output

Paste the protocol before your draft text. Submit to any LLM.

Source Preview
Rewrite the input text to match the "Verbal Interface" standard for the Void design system.

### Target Aesthetic: Science Tech
Laboratory precision meets futuristic capability. Detached but engaged (Empirical), systematic, high-resolution.

### Constraints
1. **Rhetorical Stance:** High Agency, High Authority. Command ("Do X"), never suggest ("You might want to").
2. **Register:** Laboratory Precision. Plain English, highly precise. No corporate jargon ("Utilize").
3. **Tone:** Empirical and Analytic. Remove hedging ("not just X, but Y" → "X is Y"). Evoke advanced capability.
4. **Syntax:** Imperative Mood. Start with verbs. Explicit causality ("Do X because Y").

### Dictionary of Intent
- **Create:** Use "Create", "Add". Avoid "Instantiate", "Spawn".
- **Delete:** Use "Delete", "Remove". Avoid "Destroy", "Trash".
- **Edit:** Use "Edit", "Change". Avoid "Modify", "Mutate".
- **Move:** Use "Move", "Drag". Avoid "Migrate", "Shift".
- **Error:** Use "Failed", "Unable". Avoid "Oops", "Something went wrong".
- **Filler:** Remove "Instantly", "Easy", "Just", "Simply", "Basically".

### Examples
Input: "We need to remember that thoughts aren't always just true or false. We really should try to measure how confident we are or how reliable the source is so we can model thinking better."
Output: "Thoughts are rarely binary truths. Quantify Confidence, Source Reliability, and Plausibility to model human thinking."

Input: "Rationales are basically just the reasons for things. They aren't just statements, they are relationships. They kind of capture how arguments work, like supporting or attacking ideas."
Output: "A rationale is a relationship. Capture the argumentative structure: Support, Attack, Justification, and Evidence."

Input: "Finally, you just go through the graph to make a straight line of text. This line is basically what makes the thought seem coherent to us."
Output: "Traverse the resolved graph to produce a linear flow. Linearity creates the perception of a coherent thought."

Input: "Propositions are basically the smallest main parts of what you mean. They help change messy text into a single fact."
Output: "The Proposition is the fundamental unit of meaning. Transform unstructured text into a standalone claim."

### Output
Provide ONLY the rewritten text. No preamble, no explanation.

6. Knowledge Inventory

Verbal Interface

The semantic layer of the user interface. It treats words not as decoration, but as functional components that direct user intent.

Strategic Relevance

Just as a button has a state, text has a function. Bad text breaks the interface.

Rhetorical Stance

The position the writer takes relative to the reader (e.g., Authority, Peer, Subordinate) and the subject.

Strategic Relevance

Defining the stance prevents "Schizophrenic UI," where the system oscillates between commanding and begging.

Register

The variety of language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting (e.g., Formal, Casual, Technical).

Strategic Relevance

Optimize for a "Professional but Accessible" register—high precision, low jargon.

Cognitive Load

The amount of working memory resources used. Ambiguous text increases Extraneous Load.

Strategic Relevance

Clear text reduces the "processing time" required to understand the UI, increasing perceived speed.

Imperative Mood

A grammatical mood that forms a command or request (e.g., "Save changes").

Strategic Relevance

The primary mood of the Verbal Interface. It drives action and removes ambiguity.

Passive Voice

A grammatical construction where the subject receives the action (e.g., "The file was saved").

Strategic Relevance

The enemy of agency. Hides the actor and weakens the cause-and-effect loop.

Semantic Density

The ratio of distinct information bits to total character count. High density conveys more meaning with less noise.

Strategic Relevance

High density reduces reading time and screen real estate, increasing interface efficiency.

Speech Acts

Utterances that serve a function in communication (e.g., apologizing, promising, ordering). In UI, every label is a speech act.

Strategic Relevance

Understanding the "Act" (what we want the user to do) helps select the right "Utterance" (label).

Germane Load

The cognitive resources dedicated to processing information and constructing schemas (learning the task).

Strategic Relevance

The goal of the Verbal Interface is to maximize Germane Load by minimizing Extraneous Load.

Extraneous Load

The cognitive resources wasted on processing the presentation of information (figuring out the UI).

Strategic Relevance

Ambiguous labels, passive voice, and jargon generate Extraneous Load.

7. Concept Translation

This work builds upon established foundations. This table maps our "Verbal Interface" concepts back to their origins in Rhetoric, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and Information Science.