More Than Words: Growing from a UX Writer to a Product Designer
Forget typing, you can grow from a UX Writer to a Product Designer if you’re willing to wear many hats when designing experience for users.
Disclaimer: The posting on this site is my own and may not represent the Company’s strategies, opinions, or decisions.
Ever fallen victim to the allure of a good personality quiz? Don’t sweat it, even the legendary (or shall we say, infamous) Buzzfeed quizzes hold a special place in our hearts. Remember those golden years of the internet, circa 2010–2017? Yeah, I wasn’t exactly immune to their charm. I once believed I was a waffle kind-of-gal over pancakes. I also thought I’m more of Rory Gilmore and not Lorelai Gilmore (while in fact, I’m the opposite of the test result!).
Don’t believe in the allure of being neatly packaged into a single quiz result. In reality, we’re all like those fancy Swiss Army knives — multiple tools in one! In life, we juggle multiple hats — think chef at home, comedian with friends, and laser-focused professional at work. We’re not flat characters in a one-act play, but rather a complex creature with diverse skills, sometimes contradictory views, and a whole lot of fascinating quirks.
For almost a decade, my answer to “What do you do?” has been a proud (and slightly terrified) “UX writer at Traveloka.” But here’s the thing: unless you’re a fellow UX writer or someone lurking in tech forums, that probably doesn’t tell you much. Let’s elaborate further, I’m the wordsmith behind the buttons, the voice guiding your travel adventures, and the secret keeper of all those tiny messages you send to Traveloka asking for a refund.
While crafting micro copy for a digital product might be the tip of the iceberg, it only encompasses roughly 10% of my daily grind as a UX writer at Traveloka. To truly illustrate the whirlwind that is my workday, the following meme perfectly captures it.
Thankfully, UX writers at Traveloka are not chained to their keyboards. At Traveloka, we’re encouraged to juggle multiple hats — not just the writer’s one. From day one, I’ve dove into the design process, wearing different identities depending on the challenge. Sometimes I’m a UX Writer, advocating users’ needs. Sometimes, I’m a project manager, making sure nobody fights in the meeting room when deciding which CTA should be more prominent. Sometimes, I’m an Interaction Designer curious about human behavior and why some people prefer to tap ‘Cancel’ and not ‘Buy now’.
But hold on, the hat juggling doesn’t stop there! This new product brewing in Traveloka (coming soon, summer 2024!) has pushed me beyond UX writing and into the exciting identity as a Product Designer. Here are some key takeaways for fellow UX writers who want to embrace the multi-hat life and grow beyond the role of UX writer:
Effective communication and compelling content are fundamental to a successful product — wearing a product manager hat.
Imagine stripping down a product. What remains? An idea, communicated effectively. Like when you sell a fizzy probiotic canned drink at the drugstore, you’re actually selling the idea that probiotic drink is good for gut health. Shaping a story, or in a business jargon–a narrative, matters.
The opportunity area for a UX writer who wants to grow outside of the writing and designing role is to help the product owner (most of the time, Product Manager) create a product narrative. With copywriters power skill in writing, a clear and compelling narrative helps other stakeholders see the product mission, vision, and even the tangible output on the same page.
What I’m currently doing to help my Product Manager creates a better narrative starts from collecting as many “feedback” from users — be it from social media, written reviews on App Store or Play Store, or even verbally from our circle of friends and families. The next step is to map and categorize those feedback. Prioritization comes next, we obviously cannot pursue all problems. Finally, applying the classic “three-act structure” of storytelling to present the narratives to other stakeholders.
Recently, I found another powerful storytelling technique called ‘Sparklines’ created by Nancy Duarte, a communication specialist. According to this article, a prime example of a narrative using Sparklines method is Elon Musk’s keynote on ‘The Tesla Powerwall’. I think I’ll try this method with the next product narratives!
Book recommendation
For writers who want to understand more about products and how to sell it: Inspired
Research is not for the elites. Everyone can do it! — wearing my curious detective hat.
The word “research” often conjures up images of dusty journals and academic isolation. Many might think it’s an exclusive club requiring an “expert hat” and access to fancy resources. Well, not wrong, but not quite right. Even a millennial deciphering the internet’s latest slang (like, “rizz,” anyone?) counts as an act of researching. Therefore, it’s important to unlearn the outdated perception and embrace the reality: research is simply the quest for knowledge, and everyone holds the power to embark on this exciting journey.
Other forms of research and probably the one that most UX writers have done the most is benchmarking. This method allows companies to compare their products, performance, and services against leading competitors. In simpler terms, it’s a form of competitive analysis. Another form of research is copy testing, which I’m sure UX writers do frequently.
Mastered benchmarking and copy testing? You can “level up” your research game with even more powerful methods like usability testing, field studies, and concept testing. Card sorting, generative research, and evaluative research are just a few in the extensive toolbox available.
For the new product that we’ll launch later, I had the opportunity to do both generative and evaluative research. With ‘Working Backwards’ method (developed by Amazon), I conducted user interviews to find out travelers’ motivations, needs, and pain points. As a UX writer, I use my skills to form a better research and interview questions so we can get high-quality answers from our users.
Explore and find the approach that best suits your needs and experiment extensively until you feel confident tackling new research challenges. Just make sure that you’re wearing the ‘curious detective’ hat when doing research.
Book recommendation
For those who want to start implementing research in their work process: Just Enough Research
Everyone knows a thing or two about visual design — wearing a UI designer hat.
In my early career days, “visuals” meant picking a pretty font and a color scheme. Little did I know, there’s a whole world beyond aesthetics! Later I discovered the magic of a well-placed “tray” compared to sending users on a wild goose chase by redirecting them to a whole new landing page.
The design knowledge exists because of a simple act of confidence: exercising my right as a team player to ask questions and provide feedback to the visual designer. Your title shouldn’t be your design limiter. Avoid saying things like, “I’m just a writer, what do I know about visual design?”.
While some folks are blessed with an innate eye for aesthetics (“design wizards,” as I like to call them), the truth is, most design skills are honed over time. After all, nobody (at least in my circle) emerged from the womb a full-fledged design guru.
Book recommendation
A good book that can spark some courage to ask questions: A More Beautiful Question
Wearing multiple hats in the professional world comes with a double-edged sword. While juggling various roles can unlock exciting opportunities and broaden your skill set, it’s not for everyone. Embrace the multi-hat life when you’re ready to dive in, but don’t feel pressured to abandon your single-hat comfort zone if that’s where your current satisfaction lies. Think of it like choosing your outfit for the day: select the approach that best suits your current needs and aspirations.
If you find this topic interesting and would like to be part of Traveloka Design team to learn and build more exciting initiatives for Southeast Asia’s Leading Travel Platform, join us at Traveloka Careers.
