In any organization, words matter. The terms a company uses—internally and externally—shape how people understand the product, collaborate across teams, and communicate with customers. However, as companies grow, misalignment in terminology can create friction. Marketing may call something one name, while the product team uses a different name, and customer support hears yet another variation from users. This slows teams down, causes unnecessary debates, and creates confusion that impacts both internal efficiency and the customer experience.
This is where design plays a crucial role. A well-defined glossary of terms—curated with input from product, marketing, support, and leadership—ensures clarity, consistency, and a seamless experience across touchpoints. This effort is closely tied to service design, which considers the entire ecosystem of a product or service and ensures coherence in how users engage with it.
Why a Shared Glossary Matters
Consistency Across Teams: A common language ensures that product, marketing, and customer support are aligned. When a feature is called “Smart Lists” in the product but “Automated Segments” in the marketing materials, confusion arises—both internally and for users.
Faster Decision-Making: Without a shared glossary, teams waste time debating what to call things. When language is standardized, teams can focus on solving real problems rather than getting stuck on semantics.
Stronger Product Marketing Connection: The way a product is positioned externally should be reflected in how it’s experienced internally. If marketing promises an “AI-powered assistant” but the interface calls it a “helper bot,” the disconnect weakens trust.
Improved Onboarding & Support: Clear, unified terminology makes it easier for new employees and customers to learn and navigate a product. It also reduces the cognitive load on customer support teams who would otherwise have to interpret and translate inconsistent naming conventions.
Scalability & Future-Proofing: As companies grow, new teams, products, and features emerge. A well-established glossary provides a foundation for consistency, making it easier to onboard new employees and expand product offerings without creating linguistic chaos.
How Design Leads This Effort
As designers, we’re uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between strategy, communication, and user experience. Creating a company-wide glossary isn’t just a linguistic exercise—it’s a service design challenge that impacts every touchpoint in the customer journey.
Auditing Existing Terminology: Start by gathering terms currently in use across teams. What does marketing call this feature? How is it labeled in the UI? What terminology is used in support tickets? Mapping out inconsistencies is the first step to alignment.
Facilitating Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with product, marketing, support, and leadership to create consensus on terms. This can be done through structured workshops, collaborative documentation, or ongoing governance models.
Embedding the Glossary in Design Systems: Just as design systems create consistency in UI components, a language system ensures consistency in naming conventions. The glossary should be easily accessible—embedded in style guides, onboarding materials, and internal documentation.
Speeding Up Cross-Functional Workflows: When everyone refers to features and concepts by the same agreed-upon terms, it eliminates unnecessary back-and-forth discussions and makes cross-functional collaboration more efficient.
Testing with Users: Ultimately, the success of a shared language isn’t just about internal clarity—it’s about how easily users understand and adopt it. A/B testing terminology, conducting user interviews, and monitoring support inquiries can help validate language choices.
Tying It Back to Service Design
Service design emphasizes the end-to-end experience, ensuring that everything from marketing messages to UI labels to customer support scripts is cohesive. A well-defined glossary is a service design tool—it unites teams, clarifies communication, speeds up workflows, and enhances the overall user experience.
By leading this effort, designers don’t just improve usability—they improve the way the entire company operates and communicates. A strong shared language creates alignment, strengthens brand trust, eliminates internal inefficiencies, and ensures that users encounter a seamless, intuitive experience at every touchpoint.
Need help creating a glossary?
I’m available for full time or contract work and I’d love to help you with your project. Drop me a line and let’s see how we can work together.
Justin Dickinson 