6 pictures that sum up my life as a UX Writer

1.

“Can you write this so it fits into two lines?”

2.

“The designs are approved. Just replace all the placeholder text with the actual copy.”

3.

“So, I’m trying to tell the user that this component is not adjustable with their current settings and they need to actually go back one step, change their status to active, and come back to this screen. In one word.”

4.

“We can put all the terms and conditions in a short line below the CTA.”

5.

“This is how Airbnb does it.”

6.

“ The feature is already in development, I just need you to check the copy.”

There you have it. Six pictures that sum up what happens when content gets left for last.

This is what it’s like, folks! This is the type of shit we have to deal with when projects don’t consider content from the get-go. It’s really really really frustrating. But it’s also really really reaahuhuhuuly easy to fix.

I know, implementing a new process or way of working can be daunting, and the “quick fix” seems like less of a hassle. But in the long run, it’s not. So, start small, but start somewhere.

Here are some things you can start doing today:

• At the beginning of each project, try to wrap your head around the scope of the content first, before sketching a single thing. Then start looking for the best design solution for the content, not the components. How can you decide between a toast or a card if you’re not even sure what it’ll say?
• Forget lorem ipsum. For good. Get your content as close to ‘final’ (whatever that is, lol) as possible for your user tests and your feature reviews. This will give everyone a much clearer understanding of your feature, without you ever having to say “ignore the copy for now”.
• Stop thinking about the content as a (final) ‘step’ in the design process and start seeing it as an integral ‘part’ that runs in parallel with the design process. Not sure if this makes sense, but it sounds smart and three bullet points look better than two.

And if all of this is still too scary, just try this one thing: include the writer in all conversations as early as possible. You won’t regret it.