The comprehensible UX writing checklist

UX writing provides context — on a website, in an app or in a confirmation email. Writing crystal clear copy is key to help users navigate. I made a handy-dandy UX writing checklist for you, illustrated with my very own copy examples.

Always in a rush
Your target audience has a short attention span. Which makes sense, considering everyone’s always in a rush, and the last thing people who are in a rush want to do is read. As a UX writer, you’re like a sat nav: you navigate your user through the digital world, taking them by the hand and giving the right instructions at the right time. But what makes for a fool-proof message? To answer that question, I made a handy-dandy checklist. If your copy meets the following four standards, you’re golden. Let’s get started!

1. Crystal clear
A user’s goals and expectations change all the time. That’s why your copy should be crystal clear, in every phase of the user journey. If it isn’t, you’ll risk losing them. The user opens up your website or app for a reason. So help them reach their goal quickly and easily.

If you’re communicating several messages in one sentence… don’t. Make it easy for yourself by communicating one message per sentence. It also prevents your user from getting confused. Then, always use active tense and keep sentences short. Break large chunks of text up in short, snack-able pieces and, when in doubt, add subheadings. This ensures your interface is immediately clear and easy for your user to scan.

Now there’s a clear interface from Dutch mobile provider Simyo. Not just thanks to the copy, but also thanks to the design. Not being able to find the country selection dropdown would actually be quite an achievement. And that’s what you’re here for, isn’t it?

2. Concise
Make sure your story is as concise as possible. When it comes to words, less is more. ‘Concise’ is often confused with ‘short’. But that doesn’t mean just killing darlings left and right. Instead, get rid of just the superfluous words. Don’t use three when one will suffice. And avoid adjectives.

Take this body copy and try to shorten it. You probably can’t, because we already got rid of every superfluous word. Every sentence is concise and has a clear function.

3. Forceful and compelling
UX writing doesn’t have to be sexy. Clarity comes first. That’s why we made this checklist. Once your text has a solid foundation, you can go ahead and make it more compelling. You can get your user moving with clear call-to-actions, getting them to do what you want.

To trigger the user into clicking the call-to-action button, you’ll need to create a sense of urgency. One popular way of doing that is by outlining a problem, which you’ll use to draw attention. Of course, the solution is immediately within reach.

Take a look at the situation here. Because the user is burning through their pre-paid phone call minutes, there’s already a sense of urgency. Simyo acknowledges this and immediately provides a solution: buying more minutes. And because there’s nothing users hate more than waiting, Simyo makes it clear it’s quick and easy.

Best case scenario? Your user won’t even realize they’re reading something.

4. Human
Users are often sceptical. That’s why it’s important to resonate authority, to be credible and trustworthy. You do this by communicating in an authentic, familiar voice. It’s not just about what you say, but also how you say it.

Take mobile provider Simyo again, for example. They sound down-to-earth. Telling like it is, that’s what customers like. So that’s what Simyo does. The brand also communicates with confidence, while sounding like an approachable human being at the same time — one who’s friendly, genuine and personal. That means Simyo always writes in simple colloquial language. Whoever reads the copy should feel like there’s a person in front of them, like in the example below.

Read Simyo’s copy out loud. Feels like a real person standing right in front of you, doesn’t it? That’s exactly what the mobile provider wants to sound like: an approachable human being.

So always make sure to run your copy past the above checklist. Yes, even the teeny-tiniest microcopy. If you get it right, your reader won’t even realize they’re reading. They’ll cruise through their user journey on autopilot. As a UX writer, you’re the one who gets your user to their final destination.

If you need help with UX writing for your business, shoot me an email. Me and my colleagues always manage to find the right words to make interactions easier, more clear and more fun.

Translated by Jocelyn van Alphen