Published in UX Collective·Apr 18, 2019Automatic replies that don’t feel automaticA short guide to replying to people like a person. — Today I was reminded of how bad automatic replies can be. I’d found myself in an unsafe situation, which service staff had contributed to. I wrote to the service via Twitter, receiving this automatic reply.Customer Service3 min read
Published in UX Collective·Mar 16, 2019Writing clearer error messagesA short guide to helping users fix errors — Error messages. Let’s face it, there are a lot of bad ones out there. But when they’re good, they’re wonderful. Why? Because they enable users to get stuff done. Things don’t always run smoothly. Our systems can fail us. And sometimes we’re to blame. …UX4 min read
Published in Prototypr·Dec 23, 2018Writer and Designer: A content-first love storyPutting content first with a mutually beneficial relationship — Writers do more than ‘put words on a page’. Designers do more than ‘make things look pretty’. Great digital experiences rely on the bond between language and design. Writers and Designers: You’re the power couple of content-first design. We need both of you together to plan, design and create content. Be in it together from the startUX4 min read
Published in Prototypr·Nov 18, 2018Experience mapping for UX WritersUnderstanding the full conversation — To talk to our users in the right way, in the right place, at the right time, we need to consider the whole journey. Experience mapping is a strategic tool that dissects experiences from start to finish. …UX5 min read
Published in UX Collective·Nov 10, 2018Using tone of voice when writing design guidelinesUsing tone to ease your readers through your guidelines — Guidelines don’t need to be dry. And they shouldn’t make the reader want to drag their feet. Guidelines should ease your reader through a tricky process. Imagine someone’s teaching you how to assemble a chest of drawers. …UX3 min read
Sep 1, 2018Writing good text alternativesMaking your content more accessible — They say a picture paints a thousand words. Alt text and captions give people who aren’t able to see pictures these words. What’s the difference? Alt text stands for ‘alternative text’. This is the written description of an image on a website. …Accessibility3 min read
Jul 30, 2018Teaching voice assistants to talkTaking voice assistants from voice to language — The word voice has taken on a whole new meaning in the wake of voice assistants. But what is the true meaning of the word? Voice Definition: The sound produced from the lungs and voice box. Voice is sounds. Sounds without any real meaning — the simplest form of communication. …Artificial Intelligence2 min read
May 31, 2018Being counter-intuitive with user researchWhy the results aren’t always what you expect — 160 million people across 191 countries choose to sleep in a stranger’s bed. How did the founders of Airbnb convince people to take part in such reckless behaviour? Airbnb challenged intuition. They did this by creating a service based on trust. Investor Ashton Kutcher tells Business Insider how intuition leads…User Experience2 min read
Jan 29, 2018How your 3 egos interact in a digital workspaceBalancing your parent, child and adult ego — You’ve bought a Billy Bookcase from Ikea. You take your trophy home and insist on putting it together. Your partner tries to help. You shout “Clockwise! CLOCKWISE!” at them until they can’t take it anymore. …Psychology2 min read
Dec 7, 2017Should children have more choice over how they learn digitally?How choice can give children more autonomy — Asking a child if they’d prefer an apple or a banana can determine their personality. According to psychologist Erik Erikson, giving children choice brings a sense of autonomy. This means our apple and banana kids will grow up with healthy personalities. And, get one of their five a day. The…Education2 min read
