{"$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/guitaripod/wwdc-sessions/master/schema/transcript.schema.json", "id": "wwdc2026-290", "language": "eng", "source": "https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2026/290", "wordCount": 2181, "segments": [{"start": 7.0, "text": "Hi, I'm Heej, a UX writer on the Human Interface design team."}, {"start": 11.0, "text": "Think about the last time you opened an app"}, {"start": 13.0, "text": "and just knew where to go."}, {"start": 15.0, "text": "That feeling is designed."}, {"start": 18.0, "text": "And one of the most powerful tools you have for creating it"}, {"start": 21.0, "text": "can also be easy to overlook — the name you give things."}, {"start": 25.0, "text": "For over 50 years, Apple has created names"}, {"start": 28.0, "text": "that have become part of everyday life for many."}, {"start": 31.0, "text": "Names like Mac, iPhone and iCloud."}, {"start": 35.0, "text": "But naming happens at every level — from menus to tab bars to settings."}, {"start": 41.0, "text": "And all of those choices, big and small,"}, {"start": 44.0, "text": "add up to how someone feels about your app."}, {"start": 48.0, "text": "Today we're going to look at how to make those choices well."}, {"start": 52.0, "text": "So we'll start with the qualities that make a name work"}, {"start": 55.0, "text": "and what's at stake when a name falls short."}, {"start": 59.0, "text": "Then we'll walk through an exercise,"}, {"start": 60.0, "text": "a way to get to the right name by understanding who you're building for"}, {"start": 64.0, "text": "and testing how a name actually works in practice."}, {"start": 68.0, "text": "And we'll close with how to evaluate any name you come up with"}, {"start": 72.0, "text": "so you can walk away with something concrete"}, {"start": 75.0, "text": "to apply to whatever you're building."}, {"start": 78.0, "text": "Let's start with the criteria."}, {"start": 81.0, "text": "Belongs — this first one is about fit."}, {"start": 84.0, "text": "A name that truly belongs doesn't just sound like your app,"}, {"start": 88.0, "text": "it works at every level."}, {"start": 90.0, "text": "What users expect to find there."}, {"start": 93.0, "text": "How it lives among everything else you've named."}, {"start": 97.0, "text": "Expectations — the second is about clarity and trust."}, {"start": 102.0, "text": "When someone reads a name,"}, {"start": 103.0, "text": "they're already predicting what they'll find."}, {"start": 106.0, "text": "The right name delivers on that and when it does, trust builds."}, {"start": 112.0, "text": "And finally — works everywhere."}, {"start": 114.0, "text": "A name that travels — holding up across languages, markets,"}, {"start": 118.0, "text": "and the platforms and contexts where your app lives."}, {"start": 122.0, "text": "Keep in mind that names won't always check every box."}, {"start": 125.0, "text": "You may have criteria of your own,"}, {"start": 128.0, "text": "like trademark considerations or specific regulations in your industry."}, {"start": 133.0, "text": "So think of these criteria as a guide, not a rulebook."}, {"start": 136.0, "text": "The trade-offs are yours to make."}, {"start": 139.0, "text": "Now let's see them at work with an example from Apple Cash."}, {"start": 144.0, "text": "When I want to send money with Apple Cash,"}, {"start": 146.0, "text": "there's one thing I need to know right away — how much I have."}, {"start": 150.0, "text": "That amount is right next to the button I use to send it."}, {"start": 154.0, "text": "And we need to label what it is."}, {"start": 157.0, "text": "What if we called it Spending Power?"}, {"start": 160.0, "text": "It sounds compelling, but it's not concrete."}, {"start": 163.0, "text": "And it raises more questions."}, {"start": 165.0, "text": "Is it a credit limit?"}, {"start": 167.0, "text": "A score?"}, {"start": 169.0, "text": "In a financial context, ambiguity is the last thing you want."}, {"start": 173.0, "text": "It also doesn't quite feel like something that belongs in an Apple service."}, {"start": 178.0, "text": "And consider the tone."}, {"start": 180.0, "text": "If my Spending Power is low, or at zero"}, {"start": 183.0, "text": "that stops being a label and starts feeling like a judgment."}, {"start": 188.0, "text": "Payment services carry a lot of trust."}, {"start": 190.0, "text": "A name that passes judgment, even unintentionally, breaks that trust."}, {"start": 197.0, "text": "What about something more descriptive like Current Funds?"}, {"start": 201.0, "text": "It describes what's here — the funds currently in my account."}, {"start": 206.0, "text": "But Current Funds sounds like something out of a spreadsheet."}, {"start": 209.0, "text": "Try saying it out loud — let me check my Current Funds."}, {"start": 213.0, "text": "People don't really talk like that in natural conversation."}, {"start": 217.0, "text": "That gut check alone tells you it doesn't belong in a service"}, {"start": 220.0, "text": "that people use to send and receive money."}, {"start": 224.0, "text": "So the best name here for this value is Balance."}, {"start": 228.0, "text": "It's the industry-standard term for it"}, {"start": 230.0, "text": "because it's well-understood, clear, and neutral."}, {"start": 236.0, "text": "Clarity and trust come first here, not brand expression."}, {"start": 241.0, "text": "Balance belongs in this app,"}, {"start": 243.0, "text": "sets exactly the right expectation, and travels without friction."}, {"start": 249.0, "text": "Sometimes the most obvious word is the right one"}, {"start": 252.0, "text": "because it's already doing the job."}, {"start": 255.0, "text": "There are times when the pull toward something more clever or branded is real."}, {"start": 260.0, "text": "Consider a subscription screen in a gym app."}, {"start": 263.0, "text": "Two plans - Basic Access and All Access."}, {"start": 267.0, "text": "They're pretty clear and easy to choose between."}, {"start": 271.0, "text": "But what if we got a little creative with the plan names?"}, {"start": 274.0, "text": "What if we called them Lightweight and Heavyweight plans instead?"}, {"start": 279.0, "text": "That's fun and seems on brand."}, {"start": 282.0, "text": "But there's a learning curve."}, {"start": 283.0, "text": "What do those names actually mean?"}, {"start": 286.0, "text": "That friction makes choosing harder."}, {"start": 289.0, "text": "So how do you decide?"}, {"start": 291.0, "text": "Here's the thing about the criteria I mentioned at the beginning,"}, {"start": 294.0, "text": "about a name belonging, setting expectations,"}, {"start": 298.0, "text": "and working everywhere — you don't have to check every box."}, {"start": 302.0, "text": "Maybe Lightweight and Heavyweight really do fit the gym brand better."}, {"start": 305.0, "text": "That's totally fine,"}, {"start": 307.0, "text": "there's just more work to do to make sure those names are understood."}, {"start": 312.0, "text": "Sometimes you lean into clarity."}, {"start": 314.0, "text": "Other times you lean into brand."}, {"start": 316.0, "text": "Ask yourself what matters most given where a feature or setting lives"}, {"start": 321.0, "text": "and let that guide which criteria you prioritize."}, {"start": 325.0, "text": "Now let's look at how to come up with a great name."}, {"start": 329.0, "text": "When you're building something, it's natural to name it by what it does,"}, {"start": 333.0, "text": "the technology behind it, or the function."}, {"start": 336.0, "text": "But the people using your app don't see it that way."}, {"start": 339.0, "text": "They want to know what it does for them."}, {"start": 342.0, "text": "Who's your app for?"}, {"start": 343.0, "text": "New parents?"}, {"start": 345.0, "text": "People training for a marathon?"}, {"start": 347.0, "text": "Start by getting clear on your audience first,"}, {"start": 349.0, "text": "and try this exercise."}, {"start": 351.0, "text": "With the audience in mind, ask yourself"}, {"start": 354.0, "text": "when they encounter this feature, what should they"}, {"start": 358.0, "text": "think,"}, {"start": 359.0, "text": "feel,"}, {"start": 360.0, "text": "and do?"}, {"start": 362.0, "text": "So let's walk through this exercise together."}, {"start": 365.0, "text": "Imagine you're part of the Apple Maps team,"}, {"start": 367.0, "text": "and you're naming a feature that remembers the places you've been;"}, {"start": 371.0, "text": "that new café you discovered last week,"}, {"start": 374.0, "text": "or the park with the accessible trails."}, {"start": 377.0, "text": "We'll apply our criteria as we go."}, {"start": 379.0, "text": "Because without the perspective of who you're naming for,"}, {"start": 383.0, "text": "the criteria can seem abstract."}, {"start": 386.0, "text": "With it, they become specific and actionable."}, {"start": 391.0, "text": "On your own or with your team,"}, {"start": 393.0, "text": "write down a few thoughts in each of these sections,"}, {"start": 396.0, "text": "one idea per sticky note."}, {"start": 399.0, "text": "Think."}, {"start": 400.0, "text": "What does the team want people to think when using this type of feature?"}, {"start": 404.0, "text": "Maybe … that it's easy, or helpful, or even clever."}, {"start": 409.0, "text": "When you do this, write down as many ideas as you can"}, {"start": 413.0, "text": "and don't filter yet."}, {"start": 416.0, "text": "You're not looking for the perfect word."}, {"start": 418.0, "text": "You're looking for the themes that keep coming up."}, {"start": 422.0, "text": "Then move on to \"feel\"."}, {"start": 424.0, "text": "What should people feel?"}, {"start": 426.0, "text": "Like when you find a place"}, {"start": 428.0, "text": "you couldn't remember the name of for the longest time."}, {"start": 431.0, "text": "That can feel like a fun moment."}, {"start": 434.0, "text": "And secure."}, {"start": 435.0, "text": "Knowing your places are private and encrypted."}, {"start": 438.0, "text": "Both matter here."}, {"start": 441.0, "text": "And finally, \"do\"."}, {"start": 443.0, "text": "The team wants people to find this feature,"}, {"start": 445.0, "text": "use it, and share places with whomever they want."}, {"start": 449.0, "text": "Now keep in mind that I'm only showing a few examples here."}, {"start": 453.0, "text": "You might be surprised by how many you or your team actually come up with."}, {"start": 457.0, "text": "More ideas are better here."}, {"start": 461.0, "text": "Once all the ideas are down, step back."}, {"start": 464.0, "text": "You'll start to notice things repeating"}, {"start": 466.0, "text": "different words pointing to the same feeling."}, {"start": 469.0, "text": "That's when you start to group them by theme."}, {"start": 473.0, "text": "For visited places, a few themes came up."}, {"start": 476.0, "text": "Ease — finding what you're looking for without effort."}, {"start": 479.0, "text": "Excitement — the fun surprise of rediscovering a place you loved."}, {"start": 484.0, "text": "And security."}, {"start": 485.0, "text": "Because this feature was built with privacy in mind,"}, {"start": 488.0, "text": "that has to come through."}, {"start": 491.0, "text": "What name could capture ease?"}, {"start": 494.0, "text": "Excitement?"}, {"start": 495.0, "text": "A sense of security?"}, {"start": 497.0, "text": "We can probably cross out a few right away,"}, {"start": 500.0, "text": "because they don't meet the criteria we've been talking about."}, {"start": 503.0, "text": "Some of these just don't fit Apple."}, {"start": 507.0, "text": "Some feel a little vague, while others might not translate well."}, {"start": 512.0, "text": "You can narrow down the options even further with a simple test."}, {"start": 516.0, "text": "Take the names and drop them into the sentences"}, {"start": 518.0, "text": "you might read or say to a friend."}, {"start": 521.0, "text": "Something like: Hey, check out Private Memories."}, {"start": 524.0, "text": "Or just search for Private Memories."}, {"start": 528.0, "text": "A name that reads and sounds natural — that's a name worth exploring further."}, {"start": 533.0, "text": "The Apple Maps team ultimately landed on Visited Places."}, {"start": 537.0, "text": "Descriptive, clear,"}, {"start": 539.0, "text": "and already at home in an interface that uses the word places throughout."}, {"start": 545.0, "text": "It also sets the right expectation about ownership"}, {"start": 549.0, "text": "these are your places, that can't be read by Apple."}, {"start": 552.0, "text": "And it works in different languages."}, {"start": 555.0, "text": "When you're evaluating your own options,"}, {"start": 558.0, "text": "look for the name that honors the themes you identified"}, {"start": 560.0, "text": "and tests well against the criteria."}, {"start": 563.0, "text": "Remember, it doesn't have to pass all 3 criteria,"}, {"start": 567.0, "text": "but it's great when it does."}, {"start": 569.0, "text": "The examples we've looked at lean straightforward and descriptive"}, {"start": 572.0, "text": "but that's not the only approach."}, {"start": 575.0, "text": "The right name for your app"}, {"start": 576.0, "text": "might be something a bit more evocative or expressive."}, {"start": 581.0, "text": "The Photos app has a feature that looks at your library"}, {"start": 584.0, "text": "and automatically surfaces moments that matter."}, {"start": 587.0, "text": "A birthday, a trip, a regular Tuesday that turned out to be worth remembering."}, {"start": 593.0, "text": "It's an algorithmic photo grouping."}, {"start": 596.0, "text": "What would you call it?"}, {"start": 598.0, "text": "Think about who's on the other end of this feature."}, {"start": 601.0, "text": "Someone who just opened up Photos"}, {"start": 603.0, "text": "and found something from five years ago they'd forgotten about."}, {"start": 607.0, "text": "Or a video of a laugh they hadn't heard in years."}, {"start": 610.0, "text": "That person isn't thinking about algorithms."}, {"start": 613.0, "text": "They're looking for a memory."}, {"start": 616.0, "text": "Memories works because it meets them there"}, {"start": 618.0, "text": "in a way that a technical label never could."}, {"start": 622.0, "text": "It fits the tone of the app"}, {"start": 623.0, "text": "and the relationship people have with their photos."}, {"start": 627.0, "text": "And while it is still straightforward,"}, {"start": 629.0, "text": "the clarity comes from emotion, not explanation."}, {"start": 634.0, "text": "Every example we've looked at so far works but for different reasons."}, {"start": 638.0, "text": "The question is how you know when yours does too."}, {"start": 642.0, "text": "Let's walk through an example in Apple Podcasts."}, {"start": 646.0, "text": "Audio quality in podcasts can vary wildly, some shows are polished,"}, {"start": 650.0, "text": "while others are recorded in kitchens or cars."}, {"start": 654.0, "text": "So here's where that feature lives,"}, {"start": 656.0, "text": "in a menu that also controls the playback speed."}, {"start": 660.0, "text": "It isolates voices, reducing background noise"}, {"start": 663.0, "text": "without altering the original audio."}, {"start": 666.0, "text": "There are a few ideas that pop up."}, {"start": 669.0, "text": "Right away, vocal isolation comes to mind."}, {"start": 672.0, "text": "But wait… For a feature like this, a verb works well"}, {"start": 676.0, "text": "because we're putting the person using it in control."}, {"start": 679.0, "text": "The feature is something you do, not something you have."}, {"start": 684.0, "text": "So let's try Isolate Vocals instead."}, {"start": 688.0, "text": "But, that's an audio engineering term."}, {"start": 691.0, "text": "It describes what the technology does, not what you experience."}, {"start": 696.0, "text": "How about Clarify Speech?"}, {"start": 698.0, "text": "Closer."}, {"start": 700.0, "text": "But it only tells half the story."}, {"start": 702.0, "text": "There's more to this feature than clarity alone."}, {"start": 706.0, "text": "Another obvious choice might be something like Enhance Playback,"}, {"start": 710.0, "text": "but it puts the feature before the person."}, {"start": 713.0, "text": "What's being enhanced?"}, {"start": 715.0, "text": "For whom?"}, {"start": 717.0, "text": "How about Enhance Dialogue?"}, {"start": 720.0, "text": "It answers both questions — what's being enhanced and for whom"}, {"start": 724.0, "text": "before you even tap."}, {"start": 727.0, "text": "And that's exactly what they went with."}, {"start": 730.0, "text": "It fits the context."}, {"start": 731.0, "text": "It sets the right expectation."}, {"start": 733.0, "text": "And when you turn the feature on, it delivers exactly what it promised."}, {"start": 738.0, "text": "All three criteria, working seamlessly."}, {"start": 743.0, "text": "And the good news?"}, {"start": 744.0, "text": "The same name already appears on Apple TV for a similar feature —"}, {"start": 748.0, "text": "even more evidence that it belongs."}, {"start": 752.0, "text": "There's more than one way to be clear."}, {"start": 754.0, "text": "Let's look at a name that takes a slightly different approach."}, {"start": 758.0, "text": "AutoMix is a setting in Apple Music that does what a good DJ does —"}, {"start": 763.0, "text": "keeps the music moving."}, {"start": 765.0, "text": "It handles the transitions between songs automatically,"}, {"start": 768.0, "text": "so playback never stops."}, {"start": 771.0, "text": "Auto — it happens without you doing anything."}, {"start": 774.0, "text": "Mix — it blends songs together."}, {"start": 778.0, "text": "Together they form a word that doesn't exist"}, {"start": 780.0, "text": "yet you can understand it immediately."}, {"start": 784.0, "text": "Naming deliberately isn't just for hero features."}, {"start": 787.0, "text": "And when you name with intention,"}, {"start": 789.0, "text": "you don't have to default to words that already exist."}, {"start": 793.0, "text": "AutoMix earns its clarity from its parts"}, {"start": 796.0, "text": "so that the invented word doesn't have to explain itself."}, {"start": 801.0, "text": "Descriptive like Enhance Dialogue, emotional like Memories,"}, {"start": 805.0, "text": "branded like AutoMix — the criteria don't change."}, {"start": 809.0, "text": "How you weigh them is your call."}, {"start": 811.0, "text": "So what does this all add up to?"}, {"start": 814.0, "text": "Three things worth taking with you."}, {"start": 817.0, "text": "Naming is as fundamental to the experience of your app"}, {"start": 820.0, "text": "as the layout, interactions, and visual scheme."}, {"start": 824.0, "text": "It shapes how someone experiences your app."}, {"start": 828.0, "text": "The next time you're naming something, come back to the criteria."}, {"start": 832.0, "text": "Does it belong in your app?"}, {"start": 834.0, "text": "Set the right expectation?"}, {"start": 836.0, "text": "Will it hold up everywhere your app lives?"}, {"start": 840.0, "text": "The best names don't just describe what something does."}, {"start": 843.0, "text": "They speak to the person using it."}, {"start": 846.0, "text": "When those two things align —"}, {"start": 848.0, "text": "what the product is and what the person needs"}, {"start": 851.0, "text": "that's when the name feels like it truly belongs."}, {"start": 855.0, "text": "Every good name you choose makes the next one easier."}, {"start": 859.0, "text": "Names build on each other — and over time, they become the language of your app."}, {"start": 865.0, "text": "Naming is one of those decisions that can feel small in the moment."}, {"start": 869.0, "text": "But the clarity it brings, the trust it builds,"}, {"start": 872.0, "text": "and the way it makes someone feel at home in your app — that accumulates."}, {"start": 877.0, "text": "The next time you're wondering what to call something,"}, {"start": 879.0, "text": "you have a way to work through it."}, {"start": 881.0, "text": "And your app or game will be better for it."}, {"start": 885.0, "text": "If you want to dig deeper,"}, {"start": 886.0, "text": "check out some of our other UX writing sessions from previous years."}, {"start": 891.0, "text": "We can't wait to see what you build and what you name it."}, {"start": 894.0, "text": "Thanks for watching!"}]}