Secrets to consistency in UX writing
As a UX writer, one of the ultimate goals to achieve is maintaining consistency. It should be an all-time top priority. No. Matter. What.
Maintaining consistency is actually pretty simple, though.
You only need to apply the same format. And terminology. And spelling. And punctuation. And the point of view.
And many other things to make sure that the copy lines that you write represent an embodiment of a well-crafted character. (phew, that’s a lot)
In other words, consistency means applying the same rules throughout the piece of writing.
Why consistency matters in UX writing?
Imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend who switches personalities every few minutes. This is what inconsistency is like.
The experience is just… bizarre. He may still be functional, but somewhat difficult to interact with. And confusing.
The same goes for dealing with inconsistent copy lines on a well-built system. After all, the system may be flawlessly working.
It’s just, such inconsistencies may break the intended experience. ̶U̶n̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶e̶m̶b̶r̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶s̶t̶e̶n̶c̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶a̶c̶t̶e̶r̶.̶
And inconsistencies can be subtle, though.
At one time, it appeared in the form of a minor spelling mistake or typographical error. No one’s really aware because it’s buried deep in the pile of letters.
The next time it appears, probably you’re not all that lucky. Nothing’s more embarrassing than your wrong-doings exposed in public.
Although the majority of the audience may not complain about inconsistent writing, believe me, they can feel it.
And people would just say that it’s… buggy.
When it happens, you’re in trouble. As a UX writer, you’d want a polished, smooth-sailing, pristine experience through writing, right?
Maintaining consistency in UX writing… What are the secrets?
The secrets are, ehm, no secrets at all.
Remember when I said that consistency means applying the same rules?
Rules. Plural.
You’re going to need a set of rules, especially when you and your team are writing for different audiences in various environments.
This set of rules can be flexible, depending on the different situations you’re facing. The rules may vary, but they must stem from the same set of ideas.
1. Get the personality right
First of all, understand what constitutes the character. Yes, you read that right. THE character.
UX writers represent an entity through writing. Think of an actor who plays a role. You must stay in character. Try to answer this: “Who are you?”
The easiest way to start is through brand guidelines. From there, you are able to synthesize which trait or personality that constitutes the character. Read the documentation, watch videos, use the system, or just do whatever you feel necessary to help you grasp more contexts.
However, if you don’t have the privilege of previously-written documentation, perhaps you may find these four dimensions of the tone of voice quite useful by Nielsen Norman Group.
Once you’ve determined the above dimensions, you may need to dive deeper into these 37 tone-of-voice words. According to Nielsen Norman Group, it’s called “detailed tone descriptors”.
2. Style guide
Style is all that matters.
Once you get the character and personality, you should think of how a character would react in different situations. That’s the style.
For example, as an entity that’s funny and casual, what would the call-to-action sound like?
Not only tone & voice, but a style guide can also comprise a number of other things. For instance, content structure, grammar & mechanics, and even rules when writing for a specific group of people.
At Blibli, the style guide stemmed from the tone & voice. Aligned with the brand voice, Blibli embraces four characters: creative, passionate, resourceful, and lively & witty.
From there, Blibli UX copywriters decided on the primary tones for our copy: conversational and empathetic. Despite the content type and the user’s emotions, all copies should aim toward this direction.
3. Copy documentation
Write. Document. Repeat.
Copy documentation makes the immense copy work a lot easier. It’s like you’re taking daily snapshots of your work.
That’s the spirit. Collect every single letter and every punctuation mark you’ve crafted. Don’t forget to also mention the context or situation when this or that term appears.
Use the documentation as some kind of reminder. You can circle back every time you need more context on what had been done previously.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, to be frank. Just think of a place to contain all the copy lines that you have crafted.
If you happen to have access to a digitally-enabled copy documentation system, do it. Otherwise, you can always employ Microsoft Excel to good use.
You only need to make sure that it’s accessible for you and other stakeholders.
4. Word list
Once you’ve nailed the copy documentation game, don’t let it sit for too long. You will need to document all the words as well.
Like, all of them?
Yes. And yes, it’s going to be a handful of tasks. It’s necessary anyways, as a way to achieve consistency on the word-by-word level in different environments or situations.
Think of it like you’re building your own dictionary.
However, it can be time-consuming. You might need to prioritize based on its complexity and familiarity.
For example, you can start with the most important words first. Alternatively, you can also start by collecting words that you use frequently.
At Blibli Design, this mechanism is super important to make sure that every term is documented.
I usually identify the conceptually-difficult terms first. After that, I decide whether it’s quite familiar to the audience or not. Then, I check on how frequent or on how many different occasions such a term tends to appear.
If it’s difficult to understand yet familiar and appears quite often, then yes, it must be registered in the word list.
5. Fruitful discussions with peers
Rely on your teammates.
Your teammates should always become your support system. This way, they are able to help you along the way. And so are you.
Schedule frequent discussions, be it weekly or biweekly. If you & your team are comfortable, daily stand-ups may also work.
Then, try to address copy issues. Among other things, consistency should always be in check. You can start with irregularities or, perhaps, recent reports from the users that a misspelling has occurred.
Wrapping up~
Remember when, in the beginning, I said that maintaining consistency should be a top priority at all times?
It requires constant effort.
Rome can’t be built in a day. And so does consistency. You will only see results once you’ve put in all the effort for quite some time. Everyone in the team must harness a role to play.
Get prepared, it’s gonna be a long ride. Good luck! 🍀
If you’re interested in applying for a full-time position or intern, Blibli is currently hiring! Send your resume to recruitment@blibli.com and get the chance to work with our PM and UX team and create our own unique stories.
