The UX Writing assignment that got me hired at Bynder

Check out the story and the UX Writing process that made it all happen.

Right at the beginning of 2022, the thought of looking for another job was starting to creep into my mind. By February I already got my resume and UX portfolio in good shape and started to apply to remote UX Writing jobs. Around 20 interviews took place in the following six months.

Searching for new UX horizons

I was looking for a new job because I felt ready for something new, something challenging. But most of all, I wanted to work in a company where UX and UX Writing are truly valued. From the 20 something interviews I had, around five of those meetings advanced to a UX Writing assignment. It was usually a UX problem that needed an UX Writing solution. But the most important part of all was sharing my thinking process with others.

The first UX Writer in Bynder history

Around the same time, Bynder was looking to hire their first UX Writer. And as you may know, being the first of your kind in any company can be as daunting as it is attractive. The first UX Writer in a UX Team is also the one responsible for the first impression, the awareness, and the adoption of UX Writing across an entire company. Some might find that type of job description intimidating. But not me — I was ready.

About the UX Writing (UXW) assignment

One day after I applied to the job on LinkedIn I got a call from HR. Not even a week passed by and I had a meeting with Julián Montoya, my future manager. All went well and soon after our talk he shared a UXW assignment with me, along with plenty of context and useful resources. Here’s a super short brief about the assignment:

CONTEXT: Brand Guidelines is a Bynder module that most general end users are unaware of. Users who only use the base product rarely know that they have the possibility to upgrade by adding modules such as Brand Guidelines.

DESIGN STATEMENT: How might we use product-led growth to raise awareness of the complete value of the Brand Guidelines module to users who are only using the base product?

TONE OF VOICE: Informal and friendly, yet reliable.

CHALLENGE: Use in-app modals, dialogs, and actions to define a UX Writing solution that compels general end users to be acquainted with the Brand Guidelines module and try it out.

This is the module that came with the assignment brief.

My 4-step UX Writing process

#1 Research

After going over all the available information, I started drafting a user persona combined with an empathy map. I did this to identify potential user pain points, but also to highlight the essential information I needed to fill in my screen considerations.

You can’t start framing a message before you know who your audience is and what it wants.

#2 Mapping

The following table is essential to me because when I fill in the screen considerations, I give myself a clear overview of what the copy needs to achieve.

I use this table for almost every UXW task, with the exception of editing and quick fix requests.

Once I had my screen considerations in place, I continued to outline the business and user needs, before moving on to copy iteration.

Capturing business and user needs side to side.

#3 Iteration

I created different copy versions and tweaked them until I settled on one message that is short, clear, and useful, while supporting user and business goals.

Version 1

This was the first iteration. I started by dumping everything I wanted to include in the message. Even if it’s lengthy now, laying it out like this gives me a good starting point.

Version 2

My second iteration. Trimmed the microcopy a bit and decided to add benefits as bullet points. The message is still too lengthy and salesy at this time.

Version 3

The third version is even shorter, but I still wanted to have a simpler, clearer headline that corresponds with the call-to-action (CTA) buttons.

Final version

This was the final version that I shared with the team. I tweaked the CTAs and also trimmed the microcopy even more, making it short, clear, and useful.

#4 Presentation

It was essential for me to make the process easy to understand, but I also wanted to justify my reasoning, like why did I pick this particular moment for the message to appear on screen?

When we talk about UX Writing metrics, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Your number one goal will probably be to ensure that your words are simple to understand and that your message easily gets across to users. And that’s why I tested my UX Writing solution for readability using the well-established Flesch-Kincaid grading system.

After the team had a chance to review my assignment, I had two more meetings before getting the job offer. The way I shared and explained my process played a major role in the positive feedback that I received. That and my dazzling video conference skills, I’m sure.

I decided to join Bynder because from all the interviews I had, this one felt right. The company has a strong level of UX maturity and good positioning on the market. But what convinced me to join was my manager and the UX assignment I received. It was by far the most relevant and documented approach that I experienced during all my interviews. And that made me believe that UX Writing is valued, wanted, and well-documented within the company.

So there you have it, folks! That’s the process and the story of how I got the job as Bynder’s first UX Writer. And now that I’m here, I’m more excited than ever to get the ball rolling and write some UX history with my team!