diff --git a/doc/api/axes_api.rst b/doc/api/axes_api.rst
index e637263a39bf..3457368fa51c 100644
--- a/doc/api/axes_api.rst
+++ b/doc/api/axes_api.rst
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-.. _matplotlib-axes:
-
 *******************
 ``matplotlib.axes``
 *******************
diff --git a/doc/api/index.rst b/doc/api/index.rst
index 11d367715535..0482cd33a24c 100644
--- a/doc/api/index.rst
+++ b/doc/api/index.rst
@@ -41,30 +41,40 @@ Matplotlib provides two different interfaces:
 - Within the *Axes interface* you create a Figure and one or more Axes objects
   (typically using `.pyplot.subplots`). Then, you use methods on these objects to add
   data, configure limits, set labels etc.
-- The *pyplot interface* consists of functions that make changes
+- The *pyplot interface* consists of functions. Figure and Axes are manipulated through
+  these functions and are only implicitly present in the background.
 
 See :ref:`api_interfaces` for a more detailed description of both and their recommended
 use cases.
 
-.. grid:: 2
+.. grid:: 1 1 2 2
+    :padding: 0 0 1 1
 
-    .. grid-item-card:: ``Axes`` interface
+    .. grid-item-card::
+
+        **Axes interface** (object-based, explicit)
+        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
         API:
 
-        - `~matplotlib.figure.Figure`: configure all figure related settings
-        - :ref:`Axes <matplotlib-axes>`: add data, configure limits, set labels etc.
+        - `~.pyplot.subplots`: create Figure and Axes
+        - :doc:`Axes </api/axes_api>` add data, limits, labels etc.
+        - :doc:`Figure <figure_api>` for figure-level methods
 
         Examples:
 
-        - Most of the :ref:`examples <examples-index>` use this
+        - Most :ref:`examples <examples-index>` use this
+
           (except for the pyplot section)
 
-    .. grid-item-card:: ``pyplot`` interface
+    .. grid-item-card::
+
+        **pyplot interface** (function-based, implicit)
+        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
         API:
 
-        - `matplotlib.pyplot` function reference
+        - `matplotlib.pyplot`
 
         Examples:
 
@@ -72,34 +82,6 @@ use cases.
         - :ref:`Pyplot examples <pyplots_examples>`
 
 
-The Axes interface
-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-
-Typically, you will use `.pyplot.subplots` to create a `.Figure` and one or more
-`~matplotlib.axes.Axes` objects. From then on, you will use methods on these objects
-to add data, configure limits, set labels etc.
-
-Relevant API:
-
-
-Examples:
-
-
-
-The pyplot interface
-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
-
-`matplotlib.pyplot` is function based interface.a collection of functions that make
-Matplotlib work like MATLAB. Each pyplot function makes some change to a
-figure: e.g., creates a figure, creates a plotting area in a figure, plots
-some lines in a plotting area, decorates the plot with labels, etc.
-
-`.pyplot` is mainly intended for interactive plots and simple cases of
-programmatic plot generation.
-
-Further reading:
-
-
 .. _api-index:
 
 Modules
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/pylab.py b/lib/matplotlib/pylab.py
index a5b9abebffe9..684021b2e977 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/pylab.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/pylab.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 """
 `pylab` is a historic interface and its use is strongly discouraged. The equivalent
-replacement is `matplotlib.pyplot`.  See :ref:` api_interfaces` for a full overview
+replacement is `matplotlib.pyplot`.  See :ref:`api_interfaces` for a full overview
 of Matplotlib interfaces.
 
 `pylab` was designed to support a MATLAB-like way of working with all plotting related
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
    `numpy.fft`, `numpy.linalg`, and `numpy.random`, and some additional functions into
    the global namespace.
 
-   Such a pattern is nowadays considered bad practice, as it clutters the global
+   Such a pattern is considered bad practice in modern python, as it clutters the global
    namespace. Even more severely, in the case of `pylab`, this will overwrite some
    builtin functions (e.g. the builtin `sum` will be replaced by `numpy.sum`), which
    can lead to unexpected behavior.