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Grandma rubric

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Also called Grandma mode, Grandma principle

What is Grandma rubric?

Sivants' UX principle that interfaces should be understandable to non-technical users. Specific rules govern button labels, status messages, error copy, and more.

The Grandma rubric is a checklist applied to user-facing UI. Examples: buttons name outcomes not actions ("Looks Good — Start" not "Approve & Execute"), every status has a plain-English second line, destructive actions require confirmation, hide jargon like "gate" in user copy (use "review"), warnings explain what will happen not just what's wrong.

How it relates to Orbit

Orbit uses the Grandma rubric when wording user-facing errors so the message explains the problem in plain language.

When you would use it

You apply the Grandma rubric whenever reviewing user-facing changes. The pre-beta Grandma pass uses it to audit the entire UI.

Common operations

  • Reviewing UI before shipping
  • Auditing existing UI for clarity
  • Drafting confirmation copy and error messages

Related terms

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Where this is taught

No learning path uses this term yet. Browse the Learning Atlas for guided sequences through related ideas.