An event taxonomy small mobile teams can keep honest

Event taxonomies fail when they try to look like enterprise data dictionaries. Early-stage mobile products need something lighter: a verb list, an object list, and a rule for properties.

Prefer object_action patterns such as order_submitted over vague labels like click_button3. Reserve screen names for navigation events only. Put mutable business details—amount, plan tier, content category—in properties, not in the event name.

Document banned synonyms. If the product uses “save,” do not also allow “store,” “persist,” and “bookmark” for the same action. Publish the list in a shared note that engineers and product managers can open during sprint planning.

Review the catalogue every major release. Retire events that no longer map to a decision. Keeping a lean taxonomy is part of metric design for early-stage mobile products, not a separate housekeeping chore.