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How Do You Abbreviate "Yesterday" in Your Designs?

over 4 years ago from , Designer

We're playing around with abbreviating yesterday from a size constraint, and we can't decide on the best options. For example, we have:

  • ystdy
  • ystd
  • yday

I'm a fan of yday, but perhaps there are other options out there. For additional context: this abbreviation appears inside a map pin, which is a tiny spot. We abbreviate other things as well:

  • Weekend > Wknd
  • Monday-Sunday > Mon-Sun
  • Tomorrow > Tmrw

8 comments

  • Koos Looijesteijn, over 4 years ago

    To me they’re all confusing! Perhaps something like ‘12h ago?’

    3 points
    • Erol AhmedErol Ahmed, over 4 years ago

      Indeed! For context, we abbreviate:

      Weekend > Wknd Monday-Sunday > The usually method Tomorrow > Tmrw

      I like 12h ago, too. The space is incredibly tight, since it's a map pin, but we can give it a try.

      0 points
  • Jennifer Nguyen, over 4 years ago

    I would suggest using time instead because right off the bat, no matter how you abbreviate yesterday - you will need a tooltip to explain it since abbreviating yesterday is not a common knowledge.

    1 point
    • Erol AhmedErol Ahmed, over 4 years ago

      True! We're displaying it inside a map pin, so the space is very tight and a tooltip may not work. I agree though, the user won't know off the bat, but hopefully the other day abbreviations might provide context and education.

      0 points
      • Jennifer Nguyen, over 4 years ago

        Is supporting other languages a concern at all for what you're building? Another reason why time would work better

        1 point
        • Erol AhmedErol Ahmed, over 4 years ago

          Luckily not yet, but it would be a problem if we did. Though perhaps other countries have common abbreviations for these words. I'm not sure myself.

          0 points
  • Kemie GuaidaKemie Guaida, over 4 years ago

    2019-03-12? mar12? None of your abbreviations are very clear. If you MUST have the word yesterday, I'd rethink the layout to make space for it.

    1 point
    • Erol AhmedErol Ahmed, over 4 years ago

      It is interesting that we don't have common abbreviations in english for tomorrow, yesterday, or weekend, when we do for the actual day names. I wish we did. Inside the app we're abbreviating all of it, so perhaps the context will help. This abbreviation is displayed within a map pin, so the space is very, very tight.

      0 points