The possessive pronoun smackdown!

MY

YOUR

vs

Selecting a the right possessive pronoun is

important and deceptively complex.

There is also very little useful information out

there to help you…

"It doesn't matter which one you use, just be

consistent"

Even if you go with “My”, the interaction will

eventually become a dialog...

**********

Confirm my password

The password I typed is too weak, please include

a special character and 2 fibonacci numbers

This is not a find and replace!

YOUR MY

And the winner is...

1 2

(tie)

2 (tie)

(No possessive pronoun)

Exhibit A

Choosing a possessive pronoun

1. Do you REALLY need to use a possessive

pronoun?

2. What is the metaphor for the interaction?

I’m not talking about an overarching navigation

or behavoural methaphor here, I’m talking

about a metaphor for the basic nature of the

interaction.

Consider an iPhone

It's like a car. You

drive it, you don't

have a conversation

with it.

On the web it's not so clear cut.

Consider an online

banking site...

ATM?

Private space?

Interaction with a

teller/assistant?

What about the nature of the interaction of

users with each other?

A "cybernetic extension of your personal

infospace"

"It is as if the user has printed out labels and

stuck them to various objects: My Lunch, My

Desk, My Red Stapler. Except the user hasn't

done this; you (the site) did it for them"

'My' reinforces a solipsistic state of mind

"in a social site we want to avoid the call of

introversion and instead encourage our

participants to open themselves up to the

possibility of conversation, both with their co-

denizens and with the site (or rather people

behind the site) itself"

'Your' reinforces a social state of mind

The person's name:

And don't forget the 3rd alternative

Facebook uses almost no possessive pronouns

LinkedIn uses almost no possessive pronouns

So?

A well selected possessive pronoun is a subtle

but crucial element in creating the right context

for the experience you are trying to deliver.

If you really need one, consider:

1. The nature of the interaction between the

user and the site

2. The nature of the interaction between users

with each other

Thanks!

@AndrewUX

designthinkage.com