The Motive Web Design Glossary

assumed knowledge

Assumed knowledge is the internal understanding of a system or service.

It can be the root cause of poor information structure often epitomised by menus that use exclusive/industry-specific terminology.

Relying (unconsciously) upon assumed knowledge leads an organisation to create a site that uses models or structures that are not applicable to the target audience. These can include:

• internal structure
  unless you want your audience to contact board members, it is preferable to direct inquiries to ‘front of house’ staff
• floor plan
  a physical map locating services may be applicable if your site fulfills a wayfinding role, however grouping information based upon its proximity in an office space may not help your audience to find what they seek
• industry-specific jargon
  describing a service in a manner using industry standard terminology demonstrates a working knowledge of your industry, if your site also fulfills a sales or educational function, it is preferable to use terms understood by the general public (at least for entry-level navigation options)
• industry-specific metaphor
  presenting/navigating information as an object or process that is unfamiliar to your audience or poorly suited to the information (the exception is using a physical interface to represent a physical relationship, e.g. a location map or assembly diagram)

Related terms: information architecture, navigation, natural language, usability.

Motive Web Design Glossary Trivia