How Writing for A Kid’s TV Program Made Me More Empathetic
A few years ago, I began my career as a script writer for the muppet segment of Jalan Sesama, an Indonesian sister-show of Sesame Street. Surprisingly, this opportunity fundamentally shaped my future and opened the door to my true passion as a UX copywriter.
This gig entailed writing scripts for the muppet segment of Jalan Sesama, an Indonesian sister-show of Sesame Street played by local characters. Since these muppets bear the same semblance to their American cousins, they also share the same drawbacks: child viewers might realize they’re just puppets.
Since the children who watched Jalan Sesama were old enough to recognize what humans look like, they perceived the characters to be less than human (with all their muppet-ness). This prevented the children from connecting with the muppets on screen and also limited the children’s ability to empathize with the actions and situations of the characters on screen. This resulted in the children becoming disconnected from the real, human messages we were trying to deliver. And it took me three seasons to figure this out.
As such, realizing the importance of empathy between a child viewer and a character on screen helped me breathe new life into the characters of Putri, Tantan, Jabrik, and Momon by bridging the gap between what toddlers felt when viewing those muppets and the human situations they experienced.
Since we are all just grown-up kids at heart, I learned that my experiences writing empathetically for a children’s show could be applied to product copywriting. The results were surprising to say the least and completely changed how I approached product language and communication! Below are my key takeaways from this experience.
Close the Gap
While writing the show scripts, I was expected to maintain a certain level of interaction between the muppet and human characters on the show (scenes frequently featured actual humans interacting with muppet characters). This included interactions like shaking a muppet’s hand to translating a muppet’s expression into words. The purpose of this was to ensure that our audience believed the muppets were real-life toddlers.
We were trying to close the gap between the human audience and the non-human muppet characters. The connection one has with a human is automatically closer than that which one has with a non-human, so we needed to somehow add human features to the non-human puppets so that human children could connect with these muppets.
And just like muppets, our products are also an entire level away from being human: they are computer programs or machines! This is why I often incorporate human emotions into notifications or other interactions with the user. For example, when informing users about out-of-stock items, a “We know you feel sad” text can be shown. In this small moment between human and machine, the user feels that the app is empathizing with them by acknowledging the very real human emotion of sadness. It may even tell the user that someone with heartbeat lies behind this line of code, trying to reach out and understand.
Know Our Limit
Meet Putri: sporting double ponytails and a shiny yellow batik dress, one can imagine how buoyant she might be. But since Putri is a hand-rod muppet, her movement is quite limited, and often not very human. This kind of constraint needed to be considered in every script featuring her cheerful presence.
The challenge lay with not allowing these limitations to get in the way of the connection a human audience member would feel to the bubbly personality she outwardly portrayed!
It turns out these same roadblocks also exist in the world of product copywriting. We are tied to things like character limits or technical terms regular users might find hard to understand. This often makes it difficult to create a connection or drive an action of the user when these limitations prevent them from empathizing with the product.
One such example is the usage of error message to inform users when something goes wrong. Often, we give up easily with our terms’ (and system’s) restrictions, by simply spurting out something like “Terjadi kesalahan pada sistem” (There’s something wrong with our system). The problem is, this could leads to user confusion (“Is it mine or yours?”) or worse, complete abandonment of the task. By instead writing a more empathetic message, such as “Tenang, ini bukan kesalahan dari sisimu” (Relax, this wasn’t your fault), the human’s need for composure is taken into account. This results in better outcomes, while abiding by the limitation.
Speak Loudly and Clearly
Compared to their relatively talky American counterparts, the muppet characters in Jalan Sesama talk slower and use fewer words. Not to mention that each sentence is delivered in an as simple and (sometimes) repetitive manner as possible. The story might be the outward attraction, but the message behind it was the real appeal.
I have an almost irresistible impulse to write using sumptuous words. It is a common curse for a writer and it often backfires. Dealing with a diverse audience with different levels of language understanding, it is often best to simplify text as much as possible so even children could understand.
This means follow the Jalan Sesama method: communicate slowly and with fewer words; be repetitive if need be; and keep words loud, simple, and clear.
Just as in the show: the words may sound nice, but it is the message and action behind them that matters. If nobody understands the message, then the words are completely missing the point!
After all, I can always disport with words during the loading state :)
Stay True to the Character
Jabrik, the one-horned baby rhino, has a hasty attitude which is quite annoying for the smart-ass Momon. If you think those two clashing characters sound familiar, you’re not alone! They are blessed with our very real human traits! Well, for the toddlers watching the show, they will undoubtedly face people with these types of personalities later in life, or maybe even grow into these personality types themselves.
I spent my first week at Bukalapak attending onboarding with the Bukalapak mascot. No, he does not resemble Mas Zaky. Hell, he’s not even a real person! But once I met him, I could feel his human side: a regular Joe who shared similar traits with us, such as empathy, compassion, and joy. Always smiling, he was easy to connect with. Now that I found it, I can proudly write on his behalf.
The same goes for product copywriting: it is important to embody some human characteristics and stay consistent with them. Nobody is perfect, not even brand mascots! But humans can generally relate to other humans who share human characteristics, including personality traits. In this way, it is critical to be human, and this includes being flawed and making mistakes as we all are and wont to do!
Always Be Local
Even though the show originated from a global franchise, Jalan Sesama had the freedom to develop characters that depicted the local creature, such as Tantan. Being an orangutan, her presence was bigger than the others, both literally (she is physically the largest amongst the three) and figuratively (she has a wiser, more caring heart). The goal was to inspire the audience to care more about these endangered species of animals.
Despite wherever your company may have grown, it is critical to stick to what your audience recognizes and believes. I always try to write the way Bukalapak’s users naturally talk (which we learn through user research studies). This means our product copy often uses local jargon or idioms (e.g. Pelapak instead of “Seller” or “Penjual”) and references local events or experiences (e.g. added the Badai word into our flash deal program’s name, not only to differentiate with other marketplaces, but also to give some local ‘favor’ as a regular patron of tropical storms).
Even though we sometimes overcross the KBBI (and its firm believers — yeah, they are everywhere!), believe me, the more a product can empathize with the local user in this way, the stronger the human connection.
Conclusion
In the end, the world of screens is the world of wonders, but we are still often walking on four legs trying to figure out how to make it as wondrous as possible.
Coming from script writing for a kid’s TV show opened my eyes to a lot of the challenges faced in product copywriting. From seemingly small details such as not using simple language to the deeper challenge of empathizing with the user and creating a human bond, the learnings began there on the script paper. And making a connection with a human, whether a kid or an adult, is more than just selling product. It is about putting a smile on their face every chance you get, and putting a human behind every product.
If you want to strive to stand up tall, have the talent needed, and possess a big heart to compassionately listen to users, you might be the one Bukalapak Design are looking for. We’re a team of researchers, designers, and copywriters who proudly design impactful products for humans with the goal of serving and improving the lives of millions of humble, hardworking people working for SMBs.
So, are you ready to say something heartfelt today?
Thanks to Yoel for adding some zings!
