The right questions lead to better UX writing
The difference between decent UX writing and great UX writing lies in the questions that you ask when you are working with designers and product managers before you begin to write. Depending on the company you work for and the process that you have in place, UX writing might come at different parts of the creative journey.
I know that even within the team I work with, UX writing comes in at different phases. In an ideal scenario, the content strategist or writer is brought in at the beginning of a project. That way the content can be discussed at the same time as the feature is being explained and the flow is being decided. However, due to different workflows, opinions, and needs, this might not always be the case. Sometimes a UX writer starts working on a project once the wireframes have already been created or towards the end of the project. Still, no matter when a UX writer is added to the table, the words that you write will unquestionably impact a user’s experience, so it’s important to ask great questions so you can write great copy.
In order to write effective copy, I believe there are a handful of questions that you can ask in discussions to write empathetic, clear and concise words in your products. The list below helps me every time I sit down with a new project:
- Who is the audience?
Perhaps you have a great UX research team that has worked up personas for your product. If that’s the case, you might understand which user you’re speaking to at any given point when you are working in your product. If not, it’s good to sit down and understand what kind of user is interacting with your interface. While I don’t encourage to use jargon in your product, perhaps it will help determine the tone you take in a given situation.
2. What is the objective?
What do you and the designer hope to accomplish with the words that you are writing and the flow that the user is in. What is the screen supposed to achieve? Do they want to buy something? Sell something? Complete an action?
3. How does the user feel?
By the time the user interacts with the words you are writing for this project -are they frustrated because they’ve hit a dead-end? Are they excited because they just signed up and are getting to know your product? Can you identify what the user might be feeling and what emotions they might have when they land on the screen you’re working on?
4. What does the user need to know in order to move forward?
It’s likely that the screen you are working on is not the end of the flow. In order to move forward, what does your user need to know? If they want to check out, how many steps is it going to take? If they are trying to send a message, what is the quickest and easiest way for them to complete their task?
5. What is the desired outcome?
If everything went quickly, smoothly, and according to the users wants, what would the outcome look like for your user? It’s important to keep their objective in mind and get them there in the best way possible.
Depending on your project, you may find a handful of other questions that will help you decide which questions to ask your designers and product managers. Speak up and ask because asking questions and understanding the situation your users are in will help you write effective and clear copy.
