In shortSay what happened / Say why / Say what to do next / Keep the joke small.
1. Say what happened
"Something went wrong" is not an error message. It is a shrug. Name the thing that failed.
2. Say why
If you know the reason, share it. Chickens can handle details if they are given politely.
3. Say what to do next
Every error should suggest a next step: retry, check a setting, or contact support. An error with no next step is a dead end.
4. Keep the joke small
A little humor is fine, but never at the expense of clarity. The user is already having a bad day.
Written by Cornelius Cornfield, Head of Hardware. Disagree? Tell us. We read every message, usually before the second coffee.