Per-Chassis Terminology
Each chassis labels the platform's primitives in its own way. The underlying objects are the same — just the words change.
The terminology table
| Chassis | Project | Projects | New project | Conversation | Conversations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyquest (default) | Project | Projects | New Project | chat | chats |
| Paper & Ink | Folio | Folios | New Folio | piece | pieces |
| Ridgeline Health | Case | Cases | New Case | chart | charts |
| Quant | Mandate | Mandates | New Mandate | memo | memos |
| Apsis Mission Control | Mission | Missions | Open Mission | transmission | transmissions |
| Matrix Terminal | Op | Ops | New Op | session | sessions |
| Atelier | Collection | Collections | New Collection | edit | edits |
| Courtroom | Matter | Matters | Open Matter | brief | briefs |
| Atlas | Course | Courses | New Course | lesson | lessons |
| Studio Console | Repo | Repos | New Repo | session | sessions |
| Prism | Array | Arrays | New Array | stream | streams |
| Garden | Garden | Gardens | New Garden | entry | entries |
The objects are identical. A "Mandate" in Quant is the same row in the projects table as a "Mission" in Apsis, with the same system_prompt field, same preferred_model, same drag-drop semantics. Switch chassis and your "Cases" become "Matters" become "Missions" — same underlying records.
Where terminology surfaces
- Sidebar headers — the projects list in the sidebar shows the chassis term
- Buttons — "+ New Folio" vs "+ New Op" vs "Open Mission"
- Empty states — "No matters yet" vs "No ops yet" vs "No missions yet"
- Tooltips and hover labels — terminology localizes
What's not localized
- System prompts you write — they're your text, untouched
- The model's responses — the model doesn't know your chassis; replies are in whatever language and style your prompts elicit
- Help articles — these always use the generic terms ("project", "conversation") so docs apply across chassis. Each chassis Welcome intro shows the chassis-specific labels, but the rest of the help section sticks to generic terms.
- Backend API responses — the JSON always says
project_id,conversation_id, etc.; the frontend translates only at render
Edge cases worth knowing
"session" appears twice
Both Matrix and Studio call conversations "sessions." This is intentional — both are technical chassis where "session" is the natural term. They're distinct objects (a Matrix session vs a Studio session in different chassis), just identically named.
"Garden" appears twice
In Garden chassis, projects are also called "Gardens." The chassis is named Garden, projects within it are called Gardens. A Garden in a Garden, etc. We accept the recursion as a small joke; it works in context.
Plural vs singular
The terms map has both forms. Most UI uses the plural for sidebar headers and the singular for buttons. So Quant shows "Mandates" as the section header and "+ New Mandate" as the button.
Sentence-form labels
A few chassis go further and customize button text beyond just the noun:
| Chassis | Generic | Customized |
|---|---|---|
| Garden | Send | Send gently |
| Garden | Sign out | Farewell |
| Garden | New conversation | Begin anew |
| Apsis | Send | TRANSMIT |
| Apsis | Sign out | Disconnect |
| Matrix | Send | TRANSMIT |
These aren't in the terms map — they're hardcoded in each chassis's Shell component. If you want to know what a button says in a specific chassis, the Welcome intro for that chassis lists them.
Why per-chassis terminology
Three reasons:
- Mental fit. A lawyer thinking in "Matters" doesn't have to translate "Project" → "Matter" mentally. The UI matches the mental model.
- Demo and onboarding. Showing a doctor "Cases" makes the platform feel built-for-them. Showing them "Projects" doesn't.
- Avoiding generic SaaS feel. The platform is the same primitives underneath, but the surface signals "this is for you" via the language.
Customization
The terminology is chassis-fixed — you can't change "Mandate" to "Portfolio" within Quant. If you want a different word, switch chassis (or stay in Quant and live with "Mandate").
A future per-user terminology override is on the roadmap but low priority. Most users find chassis terminology fitting once they pick the right chassis.
Where to next
- Workspace Overview — customization scope
- Switching Chassis — how to switch
- Visual Effects and Animations — ambient features per chassis
- Picking a Chassis — comparison guide
- Welcome intros — see Welcome to Ridgeline for how a single chassis's terms feel in context