Plunging into UX Copywriting at TravelTriangle

(Transitioning back to corporate life from being a freelancer)

So, I’ve just completed a little more than a month at TravelTriangle. It’s been a busy few weeks of onboarding activities. I’ve also been part of several celebrations including company milestones, Diwali etc. Oh did I mention the once-in-a-year office party where there were food and beer aplenty? To have experienced all these within a month of joining is such an opportune moment indeed. I couldn’t have timed it better if I tried.

I left the corporate world 4 years ago to become a full-time freelance copywriter. I enjoyed it thoroughly; until I started craving for corporate life again.

I was comfortable with the freedom a freelance life gave me. Way too comfortable that I felt like I was stagnating. I needed new motivation. I needed a new challenge that’d really push me to new heights. Then lo and behold, an opportunity presented itself…

A UX Copywriter? And how!

So, this position I currently hold is something new to me (and for the company too) — a UX Copywriter, a Product writer, a Microcopy writer (A rose by any other name…) I don’t have a UX/Microcopy writing experience per se; what I do have is 8+ years of writing experience, English literature and Psychology background. And determination. So armed with these bits and pieces of the components needed for this profile, off I set. I prepare myself for this role by reading each and every article or book I can lay my hands on. Been early days, but it’s exciting. It is a challenge I love.

This is what I signed up for — to broaden my learning experience. And I sure am on my way to achieving that. Collaborating with others — from Product/Design to Tech to Analytics to other different fields — has already opened up my eyes to a whole new level.

A discussion held by coworkers from various fields

So what exactly is this Microcopy(writing)? And how important is it?
Microcopy is simply a term for those little pieces of text on the user interface that can help us navigate and do stuff on a website or app. So UX writing, at its simplest, is writing copy for user-facing touch points. The major aim of UX writing is to bridge the gap between users and a digital product. This can be done by way of guiding users through products (contact form explainers, error messages), and helping them complete tasks by removing doubts (e-commerce hints) etc. In its essence, UX writing is a marriage of two disciplines — user-centered design with traditional persuasive copywriting. And I believe caring equally about content, UX, and marketing is what differentiates microcopy writing from other types of writing.

Microcopy writing is a fairly new type of writing, especially in India. At least appreciation of its significance is. But it has now become an indispensable element of UX and user engagement strategy. Because — perhaps surprisingly — these tiny words have a huge impact on conversions.

Before microcopy became a “thing”, writing for apps was not specifically designated to a writer. A tech guy might just write something to fill the copy space. Therein lies the problem; and that’s where Microcopy comes in. Because a technical person might focus on what systems can and cannot do; whereas a Microcopy writer writes for users; and what systems can do for them and what value the system will bring them.

Microcopy is writing for users as opposed to writing to be read. You see, the ideal UX copy often isn’t exciting or entertaining — it’s incredibly brief and very informative and completely un-intrusive when viewed as part of the overall user experience. That means writing to a set of basic principles that focus on the user experience and not the reading experience. So, essentially, it’s not about writing clever or marketing jargons. If it’s doing its job well, we don’t even notice it. This also has something to do with the simplicity of the language used. If you can’t remember the text on a button, it’s good microcopy. Users shouldn’t focus on reading buttons on interfaces; instead, their actions should feel intuitive.

So, working together with interaction design and visual design, Microcopy can create an experience that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

To conquer with TravelTriangle…

Equipped with this knowledge — coupled with a really talented bunch of coworkers — and knowing what the company is trying to achieve in the very near future, I am excited to be part of this organisation.

Gearing myself up for a UX-friendly revolution. One microcopy at a time.