| name | defining-feature-vocabulary |
| description | Creates the canonical vocabulary for a feature, including term definitions, usage rules, and prohibited alternatives. Use when starting content work on a new feature, resolving terminology inconsistencies, or establishing naming conventions for concepts within a feature. |
Defining Feature Vocabulary
Quick start
Collect or infer:
- Feature name and scope
- Core concepts that need naming
- Existing terminology (if any) from product, engineering, or design
- User research on mental models and natural language
- Adjacent features with related terminology
Then produce output using TEMPLATES.md. Validate with RUBRIC.md.
Workflow
- Inventory all concepts requiring terminology decisions.
- Gather existing terms from all sources (code, design, support, user research).
- Identify conflicts where different teams use different terms for the same concept.
- Propose canonical terms following the naming principles.
- Define each term with scope, usage context, and prohibited alternatives.
- Validate against the conflict checklist.
- Document rationale for non-obvious naming decisions.
- Run the rubric check. Revise until it passes.
Degrees of freedom
- Default: Low. Vocabulary must be precise and consistent.
- Allowed variation: Documentation format may adapt to team preferences. Rationale depth may vary based on contentiousness of term.
Failure modes to avoid
- Using different terms for the same concept across the feature
- Using the same term for different concepts
- Choosing terms that conflict with platform conventions
- Ignoring user mental models in favor of internal terminology
- Creating vocabulary without checking adjacent feature terminology
- Defining terms without prohibited alternatives list
References
