UX Writers And What They Actually Do
UX writing may be seen as a new trending word that has been made up to call copywriters who write texts for interfaces. Definitely not. This is not a trend but a new profession. As a result, there is some confusion about what UX writing means and what experts in this field do.
For years, UX Designers have always been responsible for writing the copy for product user interfaces. Today, UX writing has transformed into its own discipline. Whether you call yourself a Digital Copywriter, Content Specialist, or UX Writer, there’s a growing set of expectations around the role and what you should contribute to a design team.
UX Writing In A Nutshell
Marketers use attractive words to get us to buy a product. The messages they create are often very appealing and make people interested in what they get. After the app has been installed, speaking with users of the same advertising language is impossible and even useless.
When we first visit any website or use an app, it’s like a journey for us — with every click, we may experience different emotions and stumble upon something previously unknown. We are walking a new path, and we undoubtedly need a guide on this path.
UX writing refers to any text that users encounter while interacting with software. Whether it’s button names, menu items, or product categories, you’re dealing with UX copy, also known as microcopy. A good UX copy should guide users through the interface and help them complete their desired actions. It should take care of the user at their every step.
What UX Writers Do
The job description of a UX Writer varies from company to company. If you work in a small company or startup, you may be wearing many hats, and UX writing will be one of several content-related tasks in your job description. Your work in a large company will most likely be more streamlined, focusing on UX writing for one or a few specific products.
So, what do these specialists are supposed to do? Do you recollect the error message that notified you when you entered the wrong pin for your mobile banking app? That’s been written by a UX Writer. What about the celebratory message that pops up every time on your fitness band when you reach 10,000 steps? Also, the work of a UX Writer.
UX Writers’ job involves researching, creating, and testing content for digital products and services. Said differently, the UX Writer is responsible for all the text the user encounters when navigating around a product.
Everything from the smallest CTA button to the most apparent error message impacts user experience. It’s the UX Writer’s job to create a copy that is compelling, concise, user-friendly, contextually appropriate, and on-brand.
Difference Between A UX Writer And A Copywriter
It’s a common misconception that a Copywriter can do a UX Writer’s job. These are two roles that are frequently confused but are quite distinct. In addition, many companies tend to hire Copywriters to write for their websites and apps. So let’s break down the differences between these two.
Copywriting is any copy that drives sales, whether directly (an ad) or indirectly (business blogging).
Examples of copywriting include landing pages, email newsletters, product descriptions, blog posts, social media posts, ads, radio jingles, slogans, white papers, and more.
Different types of copywriting call for special considerations and needs. The Copywriter’s job is to get people’s attention, inform them, leave a lasting brand impression, and get them to take a particular action or feel a certain way.
On the other hand, UX Writers create positive experiences for users from the moment they visit a website or open an app. UX Writers are most often responsible for the copy users interact with while using a product, including buttons, error messages, controls, notifications, instructions, onboarding sequences, form fields, loading screen messages, chatbots, etc.
Sometimes, a UX Writer is called a Content Designer or Content Strategist. Content design is an obsolete term, while the content strategy has taken on new meanings and is no longer accurate for the UX Writer’s role description.
Because of these distinctions, the roles work with different types of data. A Copywriter who writes a blog might be concerned with impressions, time spent, and bounces. A UX Writer who works on a mobile app may be more concerned with daily active usage, ease of use, goal completions, and user satisfaction. The line blurs when it comes to writing for websites, as they will both care about clicks and goal completions.
As a newer field, many UX Writers began as copywriters. However, being a UX Writer requires knowledge of design and the technologies you write for. The job doesn’t demand being an expert in programs like Figma or Sketch. Still, you need to know how to use visual design toolkits, be familiar with user experience, understand the principles of user behavior, UX research, and user testing.
How UI/UX Designers And UX Writers Collaborate
As a UX Writer, you daily work with UX Designers, UX Researchers, Product Managers, Developers, and even Stakeholders. Building solid relationships with all these specialists is an essential aspect of the job.
Most of the time, UX Writer works together with Product Designers to create the user experience. Here are some samples of writer-designer collaborative styles.
- Product Designer layouts out screens, UX Writer writes in copy.
Gains: It may be suitable for experiences that require a lot of interaction (inputs, UI elements).
- UX Writer creates content strategy, directs Product Designer to create screens.
Gains: It may be good for an experience that’s heavily content-driven and hard to explain.
- Both UX Writer and Product Designer collaborate on strategy and flow before screen design.
Gains: This is ideal for mature design teams. Both Writer and UXer equally contribute to the strategy.
What The UX Writing Process Involves
A lot of UX Writers’ worktime is spent thinking and refining the wording of products like whether this copy is confusing, or it is potentially confusing, or if it’s big enough effort. Sometimes, their work may cross over into user research or some usability test on how people react to the design and content and how something works. It all helps understand people’s mental model and behavior around a certain thing and if a UX Writer really gets the sense of seeing something different that they didn’t anticipate before.
Let’s highlight the other types of responsibilities that UX Writers tend to shine in.
- Content hierarchy. What’s the first thing that should be shown on the product screen? Second? Third? And so on.
- Information architecture. Do the labels make sense? How does the user navigate from one area to another?
- Product and feature names. UX Writers are competent editors with an excellent eye for detail. They know traditional grammar rules but aren’t attached to them; instead, they are flexible and context-driven.
- Entry points (links) that lead to a particular experience.
- User-centered thinking. Like a good UX Designer, a good UX Writer, is committed to empathizing with their users. They have a broad understanding of UX design processes and design thinking, and they know how to apply it to the words they’re writing.
If these responsibilities seem like they belong to UX Designers, you’re right. UX is also the UX Writer’s job. We spend 80% of the time solving problems from the content lens.
Should Every Product Have A UX Writer?
You might be wondering if a team can choose not to work with a UX Writer and just have the Product Designer write copy? Sure, but it won’t be ideal. It’ll be similar to Engineers doing the design or the startup CEO doing all the management.
If there is no UX Writer on the project, it’s a Product Designer’s job to create the copy. Designing a first-class user experience is no longer enough to treat copy as an afterthought. The demand for the UX Writer’s job highlights how more and more companies are looking to sharpen the user experience and rely on dedicated specialists.
Ultimately, the copy has the power to make or break the user experience. No matter how beautiful your user interface is, if it’s created with confusing, misleading, or grammatically incorrect copy, the user will be left distinctly unimpressed.
Why hire a UX Writer? They’ll ensure that copy forms an integral part of the design process from the beginning. They will advocate for the importance of language and provide your brand with a consistent voice across all user touchpoints. In a nutshell, they’ll ensure that a lousy copy doesn’t let your product down.
UX Writing Basics And Useful Resources
If you want to learn more about UX writing, there are plenty of fantastic free resources available.
What To Read About UX Writing
Material’s Communication Principles: Intro to UX Writing
Microcopy: The Complete Guide by Kinneret Yifrah
Writing Is Designing. Words and the User Experience by Michael J. Metts, Andy Welfle
The Style of Elements. Resources for UX writers
What To Watch About UX Writing
Video Workshop: Material’s communication principles: Intro to UX Writing
A Day in the Life of UX Writer | Google UX Design Certificate
How Words Can Make Your Product Stand Out (Google I/O ‘17)
Useful Websites
Any Other Recommendations?
Join online communities like a Facebook group Microcopy and UX writing, the most prominent social media group for new, experienced, and future UX Writers.
