UX Writing Challenge | Day 1
I’d like to explore the UX Writing world, so I started the Daily UX Writing Challenge to build my writing skills. I also decided to work on the UI part to push me to evaluate what is of value in the visual aspect as well.
UX Writing Challenge | Day 1
Scenario: A traveler is in an airport waiting for the last leg of a flight home when their flight gets abruptly canceled due to bad weather.
Challenge: Write a message from the airline app notifying them of the cancellation and what they need to do next.
Headline: 45 characters
Body: 175 characters max
Button(s): 25 characters max
Reasoning
The first thing I considered when delivering bad news is to be clear and concise: notify flight [number] cancellation and explain why. Then, quiet down concerns by explaining the next steps the airline will take.
Step 1
Important: Flight ZX750 cancelled
Unfortunately, your flight to Paris has been cancelled due to unsafe weather conditions. Don’t worry, we’re working to reschedule you on the next flight available.
CTA [View Options] [Call Customer Service]
Step 2
I tried to be as empathetic and helpful as possible, and decided to avoid phrases like “sorry” or “don’t worry” as I read from other research it had seemed hollow to customers during testing, and they neither like it when an app tells them how they feel.
I also removed the redundancies of that first version.
Important: Flight ZX750 has been cancelled
Unfortunately, we are unable to fly due to unsafe weather conditions. We’re working to take you to your destination on the next flight available.
Step 3
Some people won’t want to take the next available flight. They would like to consider other possibilities, like asking for a refund or a voucher, or choosing another date, if applicable with policy.
In addition, the airline can’t control the weather. There is not always certainty that it will improve anytime soon, and the users may not trust that the airline will actually relocate them to another flight.
At first I added a [View Options] button, but in the end it wasn’t enough. So I thought about an [Explore more options] call to action. That way, the user can evaluate alternatives and not only wait for the next available flight.
Then, what people first probably want to do when a flight is cancelled is to contact a human being to solve the problem and to know when they would fly, so it’s likely that everyone might want to call at the same time. Considering this, it would be better to think in other communication options with a more comprehensive call to action.
That’s why I took into consideration replacing [Call Customer Service] for a [Contact us] button that provides access to different contact options (phone call, chat, email, or a gate map, in case the user is already at the airport).
In addition, it is a more accessible proposal.
Final version
Strategy
· Highlight most critical information: Flight cancellation
· Explanation of what went wrong: Bad weather conditions
· Quiet down concerns by explaining next steps the airline will take
· Allow the user to consider other options and facilitate a quick access to contact options
