Thomas Hanley mentioned this in a conversation in the tracker today.
Small words in an interface do matter.
http://bokardo.com/archives/writing-microcopy/
-Derek
Hi Derek
Many thanks for sharing the article!
I taught Usability Engineering for one semester at a local college and never came across the concept of microcopy - until now. This is a great article with a simple yet powerful concept in interface design. We've been experiencing the powerful effects of microcopying each time we fill in a well-designed online form, and we don't even know it! I guess that's why some students opt to study psychology and user interface design.
What's the power of microcopying? To increase sales! Here are two related articles entitled "Microcopy: Tiny Words That Make A Huge Impact On Conversions" and "The Power of Microcopy In Web Design".
You learn something new everyday!
Regards
Frankie Kam