Why good UX writing is essential
How to write copy that helps users do digital things
It’s hip. It’s happening. It’s buzzing louder than a swarm of bees. And many tech companies have a permanent opening for it. We’re talking about UX writing. But what is it exactly, and how do you get good at it? We’re spilling all the beans.
What’s UX writing?
The name says it all, really. UX writing is writing for a user experience. A digital user experience, that is. Basically, UX writing encompasses all words and phrases that make actions on websites and apps seem clear and easy. Think about everything from applying for an apartment to filling in tax forms. Users always have a different goal, different expectations and a different mindset.
As a UX writer, you take the user by the hand or gently nudge them in the right direction. It’s like shopping at a store and you’re approached by a friendly, helpful employee at just the right time. Someone who helps you and makes useful suggestions if you’re open to them. When you’re done, you step out of the store feeling pleasantly surprised about the service and happy with the purchase you just made.
Good UX writing ensures your interface looks crystal clear. It’s where copy meets design, so it’s done together with designers. The interface is the foundation everything else is built on. But to really make UX writing shine, you need to subtly incorporate the Brand Voice into what you’re writing — to the last letter. As a UX writer, you’re balancing function and emotion on a tightrope, and every character counts.
The impact of UX writing
A UX writer’s weapon of choice is microcopy: short sentences that make clear what you can (or should) do and answer any questions a user might have. And it should also support the story of your product and brand, because even the shortest words add to the brand experience. Choose the wrong words, and a pleasant onboarding experience quickly sours as your user is coaxed into the sales funnel and nitty-gritty details. We’ve all been there: a cool website which gets more and more and impersonal with every step of the order flow. It feels like your relationship has gone from honeymoon phase to ice cold within five clicks. A good UX writer would never allow this to happen.
Some brands do this very well. Take Mailchimp for example. They’re famous among copywriters for their Voice and Tone, and rightly so. They perfectly understand how to match different kinds of copy to the user’s emotional state of mind. We especially love the notification you get as you’re about to send out your newsletter:
Sending out newsletters is equally exciting as it is nerve-racking. Mailchimp knows how you feel and offers reassurance. This is your moment of glory — seize it.
Now that’s what we call linguistic empathy. No boring status notification here, but a message that complements your mood at this point: happy and relieved everything went well.
Here’s another example. For Albert Heijn, The Netherlands’ largest Dutch supermarket chain, we created Tap to go: an app that allows you to shop snacks at AH to go station stores and pay immediately using the app. No cash registry required. Now think of a Tap to go user’s state of mind: their train is pulling in to the station, they’re in a rush, every second counts. That requires no-nonsense copy. Because this user doesn’t want to think, only do what they came here for, and quickly.
As the user onboards in the app, we effortlessly guide them through the process. We ensure they know exactly what they need to do, what’ll happen next and why they sometimes need to wait (for just a second).
Things to look out for
Keep it short and to the point
Space for copy in an interface is as scarce as affordable real estate in Amsterdam. Okay, maybe not as scarce, but it comes pretty close. In any case, it’s key to express your message with as few characters as possible. So forget about big words and technical mumbo-jumbo. Be clear. Yes, we’re being Copywriting Captain Obvious right now, but that doesn’t mean we’re wrong. So keep it short.
You had us at the cat picture, Dropbox. But besides that, this short text makes the message instantly clear, even to those with a short attention span.
Provide context
Put yourself in your user’s shoes and provide context. Or, as they say at Google: provide solutions for people problems, not software problems. Be a human, not a machine. That’s what a UX writer does. Making a user’s visit pleasant is your one job. You don’t have to be a Hospitality Management graduate, but you do need good people skills and a healthy amount of curiosity about your user and their needs.
Take Medium’s pop-up, which appears when you’re reading an article. (You might even see it as you’re reading this!) This kind of thing can be very annoying. Which Medium knows, so they open the message with an apology. They acknowledge they’re bothering you, in a sympathetic way. It works.
And, to throw in a cliché, the customer is always right. Never make them feel like they’re doing something wrong, even if they forget to fill in a field.
Everything that slows your user down is annoying, which is why we kept our error messages for Tap to Go light. Just a little bit of mood management there.
Action-oriented, always
Write in active voice, but be careful not to get pushy. No one likes an in-your-face sales pitch, so make sure to keep the action feeling natural. Let your copy be a gentle nudge. Let verbs clearly communicate actions to the user. And be clear and consistent in your use of words. That means no synonyms.
It’s important to always keep your user’s goal in mind: what do they want to do or achieve? Don’t lead them towards dead ends. Make clear what the next step is and what they need to do. Giving hints or tips helps too.
Swiping right on each other is one thing, but starting a conversation is a whole different game. Here, Tinder helps you break the ice.
In short: UX writing is like a Netflix show. If it’s good, you’ll binge it in one go. If it’s bad, you give up after the first episode.
Translated by Jocelyn van Alphen
More of a Dutchie? Go ahead and read the Dutch version here.
