What I do and why … UX Copywriting by Mark Hooson
Ever wondered what a UX copywriter at Waitrose gets up to? Mark Hooson gives you the inside track
So what does a day at work involve?
I usually juggle a few different things, which keeps each day interesting. I could have a lot of relatively quick requests in a day. These tend to include alerts and error messages, but could also include customer service information and FAQ updates. Then there’s ongoing project work, such as our recent Chatbot trial or tweaks to care park collection messaging. And then there is editing medium articles and internal presentations. Plus writing medium articles and updates to my UX writing pack/presentation. The challenge of working over so many different teams is keeping track of all the different developments and simply understanding the aims of that particular project. Being aware of the consistency of phrasing throughout a customer journey is key so everything ‘feels’ like Waitrose. Getting to grips quickly with a project (often one in which those briefing you have worked on it for weeks, if not longer) is key. And it’s then crucial to question, question, question. I think my journalism background and training certainly helped in this regard, as well as seeing things from a reader/customer’s point of view. It’s not an easy thing to do, but you can often find yourself questioning the whole point of a brief and suggesting something completely different — that may not even include UX writing at all!
“Curiosity definitely underpins the team.”
What are the people like?
There’s a wide spectrum within digital — young, old, new, and experienced! There are those with real in-depth technical knowledge and those who pull the strings and make sure everyone works together seamlessly. Within the UX and UI team, there are some great people with a real interest in people, how they react and what they respond to. Curiosity definitely underpins the team.
What gets your goat?
Well, currently I’m a one-man band within Waitrose, so it’s hard to get involved in everything that’s going on from the start. That means I can be brought in on a project to add in the words at the end, but the reality may be that the piece of work does not hold together message-wise. Oh and everyone’s a critic — but that comes with any writing!
Favourite Waitrose Product?
№1 Côte De Boeuf — a giant hunk of dry aged beef on the bone. The ‘caveman’ cut is even better than it sounds.
And the best bits are?
The variety of work and the impact UX writing can have when done well, which can lead to real eye-opening moments for stakeholders. Also, there’s a passionate team of fundamentally good people doing what they love.
