Words that Work for Everyone: A Simple Guide to Inclusive UX Writing
How to charm your users by being approachable and respectful.
When it comes to human relationships, we all know that being unique attracts people. Our style and the way we walk can grab attention at first sight, but that’s not all that matters. Being approachable and respectful is also vital to maintain or even enhance our attractiveness. People with these qualities can build bridges instead of walls, making sure that no one feels disregarded.
So, how to be an approachable and respectful person?
Starting with a smile or a friendly greeting is a great way to appear approachable. It shows that you are interested in getting to know the other person. Try asking them about their hobbies and interests to find common ground. This will help others connect with you on a deeper, more emotional level.
Meanwhile, to be respectful is to treat everyone equally, whether talking to a famous person, a kid from down the block, or someone selling stuff at the market. Listen to what people say and care about their points of view. The more we interact with different kinds of people, the more we’ll understand what being respectful means.
But, this is not a personality development article. Let’s get to the main point: inclusive UX writing!
Writing for user journeys on a website or mobile app requires similar qualities to make it more appealing to users. We can say that “accessible” is equivalent to “approachable” and “inclusive” covers being respectful.
Accessible and inclusive copy helps users get what they need and reach their goals while feeling like they’re personally being spoken to. While it might be informative, giving long explanations about benefits and detailed instructions can be a buzzkill, as people might get bored or overwhelmed. So, here’s the tricks!
Writing Accessible Content
Always start with the three basic principles of UX writing in mind. Consider users’ backgrounds, such as education and ability, to know the best way to deliver the information.
Write in plain language
One of the three principles of UX writing is to write clearly. Avoid using complicated terms, and tell users about their condition and the expected action. In other words, make our copy sound like we’re talking to an eighth grader. It can take some practice and empathy, so testing our writing on kids, teenagers, and even older adults is a good idea to ensure they can get it.
Also, sometimes, it’s not easy to explain complex information using short and simple sentences due to space limitations. On this Account Level page, you can see that a user’s progress in maintaining or upgrading their level is determined by some rather complicated requirements. While a more thorough explanation can be found on the FAQ page (see the yellow question mark icon?), most users want to understand everything without jumping to another screen. That’s why we put the info icon to explain the average daily balance, partner linking steps, and level updates.
Pay attention to formatting
It’s not without reason why we use bold for headings, titles, and other important information. It draws people’s attention. See the word Aktivasi in the How to link to partner section? It helps users spot the most important step they need to do. It also emphasizes that the word is used in both English and Indonesian versions, so English-speaking users can be more aware of it.
Also, italics and underlining might be more challenging for people with dyslexia to read.
Refrain from giving guidance based on direction
When we use words like “above,” “below,” “left,” or “right” in our copy, we assume that it would help the users find important information easily. However, different people navigate the screen in different ways. Therefore, it is best to avoid any language that requires users to think about the page layout. A good practice would be to place the title and the list or description together to prevent the need for directional instructions.
Writing Inclusive Content
“Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”
— Verna Myers
Yep, inclusion should be an enjoyable and interactive experience, rather than simply tolerating others. So, instead of just inviting people and letting them feel uncomfortable in the corner of the room, let’s dance and have fun with them!
Treat everyone equally and make them feel appreciated through our writing, regardless of their age, ability, sexual preference, gender identity, race, or culture. Here are some tips to help us write more inclusively:
Use gender-neutral language
If you’re Indonesian and chronically online on social media, you must have witnessed some intense arguments about addressing a young woman using the word “mbak” (older sister in the Javanese language, often used by people who live in Jakarta and its neighboring regions as well).
The netizens are so divided that some consider it the most proper way to address a young woman they don’t know personally, while others think the total opposite. It’s not gender-neutral and impolite, especially because it’s often used to call a maid or helper.
Fortunately, the word “Kak” (which has the same meaning, but can be used for any gender) came and solved the problem.
Well, not forever solved as the “Can everyone stop calling me Kak?” content went viral as well, but at least for now, “Kak” is still the most proper term.
On the Jago app, users are addressed by their names. They can even choose to display their nickname or full name. It feels good to be called by our own name as if we’re being addressed by a person who knows us, not just by a “you.” It’s friendly, but not too casual, and most importantly, neutral.
Other tips that might help:
- Avoid using “he” or “she” if you’re not sure about the third person’s gender/pronoun, opt for “they” instead.
- Replace “husband/wife” with “spouse” to avoid heteronormative language.
- Change “congressman” to “legislator”.
- “Workforce” sounds better than “manpower”, doesn’t it?
Avoid words that are related to certain culture, religion, race, or ethnicity:
To decide the right words to use, ask ourselves first:
- Am I referring to certain colors when explaining a concept?
Colors are not just colors. They could represent thoughts, communities, and power relations. So, whenever you find a term with a color’s name in it, think twice and find a synonym to replace it if necessary.
Example: Change “Blacklist/Whitelist” to “Deny list/Allow list”.
- Am I using widely used borrowed words?
While most of the words are harmless, when they come from a certain language with rather strong religious or cultural nuance, it’s best to avoid them. Some of these words are also more suitable for content marketing than for user journeys.
Example: Change “Guru” to “Expert”.
- Am I using the term implying that a certain group/person is inferior to others?
When talking to and about people, avoid using words that are often used in a power-relation context.
Example: Change “Master bedroom” to “Main bedroom”.
Ableism is a big NO
Physical health, mental health, and body functionality don’t define a person’s value, so changing the way we describe a certain group or person will have a positive impact on their self-image and well-being.
Examples:
- Use “Person with disabilities (penyandang disabilitas)” instead of “Disabled person (penyandang cacat).”
- Deaf (Tuli) is a more acceptable term than Hearing-impaired (tuna rungu) because the latter emphasizes the “damaged” concept, which is definitely not true!
- Use “Confidence Check” or “Quick Check” to replace “Sanity Check.”
Do all these rules sound exaggerated? Do you doubt that your current writing style will hurt anyone? Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If we go back to the “mbak — kak” debate, we can understand that people can have different perceptions of the same thing.
Last, don’t forget to test, rework, and retest
As I mentioned earlier, the more we hang out with people who are different from us, the more we learn to be respectful. The same goes for writing copy that everyone can relate to. We should do some testing to see which words work best. Try organizing focus group discussions or do some surveys to understand users’ perspectives.
Although all the tips given here are also based on research and feedback, it is still essential to test your copy on diverse groups of people, because the results may vary in different parts of the world. For instance, most research is focused on Europe and America, so there could be differences for us in Indonesia.
Happy writing!
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