Writing better product copy

Michael Le
2 min readOct 18, 2019

Writing product copy can be a challenge for many designers. It is that is not traditionally taught but we do it all the time in our roles when designing screens.

This is my process to writing better product copy.

1. Write down what you have in mind to say

Get the words out of your head onto the screen (or paper).

It ok if it is terrible and messy at this point. Get the words out anyways.

2. Say it out loud

Read it out loud or in your head. Do you sound like a robot giving an error message 🤖? Does the tone of the message match the context in which it is presented?

Change your copy until flows well when you say it out loud.

3. Refine

To get to the point where the copy is as simple as it can be is to be aware of the words you choose. I created the Hemingway plugin in Figma to help you find opportunities to keep your sentences simple and avoid unnecessary words.

An additional benefit of using Figma is that you can ask for someone to review your copy by sharing a link to the same file you are working on.

Iterations of showing the simplification of a line of copy
The process of refining copy

4. Repeat until it is as simple as possible

It’s okay not to get it right in your first iteration. Keep on repeating this process. The more you do this the faster and better you will get.

Illustration from https://undraw.co

Start using the Hemingway plugin for Figma to start making your product copy bold and clear. Link to the plugin is here https://www.figma.com/c/plugin/760035865558407437/Hemingway

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Michael Le

Product designer, speaker, father, design mentor #ux. Based in Sydney. Creator of Navibaby