UX Writing: Let User Interface do the talking

There is a shift in how digital products are designed with a growing emphasis on user-oriented interfaces. While this essentially implies that UI/ UX design should be more and more human-oriented, we can’t really neglect the other aspects that make up the user interface.

UX Writing has taken the design community by storm. The term may be relatively new but the concept has existed for a long long time.

When users browse through a digital product, they embark on a journey. UX writing helps the user navigate from one point to another. With each tap, click, scroll and swipe, a user experiences a series of emotions. A good digital copy shows care and understanding for the user at every step of the user flow.

UX Writing is emerging as a new discipline. During the Google I/O 2017, Maggie Stanphill, Senior UX writer at Google, talked about the possible business value of having UX writers onboard. After changing Book a room to Check availability, they witnessed an increase in the engagement rate by 17%.

What is UX Writing?

UX Writing has become an essential part of the product development process.

The UX writing process entails drafting copy for user interfaces to guide and enable users to interact with a product. The primary aim of UX Writing is to resolve communication between a user and a digital product.

UX Writing is garnering a lot of attention in Design and rightly so.

The copy generated by UX writers is called microcopy. Microcopy is the small components of text which guide users in performing the desired action. It includes buttons, error messages, security warnings, terms and conditions, menu copy, as well as any kind of instructions on how to use a product.

Copy content adds a lot of value to a product. It significantly enhances the overall UI and UX of the product.

A badly written microcopy not only affects the product experience, it makes the information architecture and the navigation system incomprehensible.

The importance of UX writing is that it allows you to:

• Guides users to take action and accomplish their goals.
• Encourages desired browsing behavior and interactions.
• Improves task completion.

When people start using a product, a good UX copy makes the entire process of adaptation relatively fast and easy.

How does UX Writing work?

UX writing entails the process of carefully curating microcopy elements which enhance the overall experience of a digital product and seamlessly guides users in performing the desired action.

If you think that writing a UX copy is relatively easy and requires less time and effort, you are completely wrong. To offer a visually pleasant experience, a UX writer has to carefully create a microcopy that solves every possible purpose for the user when they navigate through the product.

Writing a microcopy entails a lot of thought, especially understanding what kind of a reponse a user expects when browsing through a website or an app. Writing a powerful phrase for the CTA button sometimes takes a lot more time and effort than writing a whole copy. That’s because behind every word there is a business goal and a why attached to it.

In UX writing, every single word counts. Creating a powerful micro copy based on user preferences and psychology results in efficient UX writing.

As a mobile app design company, one of the biggest writing tips for creating great user experiences is seamlessly guiding users in performing an action. If a copy intuitively guides the user without them noticing that they have been guided, it accomplishes the very purpose.

What does a UX writer actually do?

The role of a UX writer is to create a better copy that compliments the work of UX Designers and results in a pleasant user interface.

UX writers solve pain points in the user flow with the right choice of words. They work closely with designers to create digital products as we see them.

A UX writer must essentially be emphatic and have a deep understanding of the user behaviour. After all they embody the brand voice, humanise the business and strive to create a personal connection with the user.

UX writing best practices:

Microcopy should be plain, concise and easy to understand. Here are some UX writing best practices that can help you draft a copy that speaks for itself:

Think like a user

One of the key tips to improve UX writing is to step into the user’s shoes and understand where they would require guidance. By conducting User Research, you can understand the target audience needs and preferences and seamlessly drive users to take action.

Be clear, concise and useful

UX writing is based on the context and target audience and it should be clear and consistent. While drafting micro copies it is important to avoid complicated vocabulary, jargon and make the copy as easy to perceive.

Make it short

Although this goes beyond saying and as the name itself suggests, microcopy needs to be simple and short. It should be thoughtful and easily draw the user’s attention.

One of the UX writing best practices is to edit rigorously. Try to write shorter sentences and then cut it into half as you go.

Be creative

Writing microcopy essentially entails short messages that are informative but the key is to make them equally creative. Knowing when to include puns to induce some emotions in users and making micro copy elements more human-centric can take you a long way.

In case of error messages, a creative micro-copy not only breaks tension but encourages users to stick around.

Source: Asana

Test with target audience

Just like user research and testing is an integral part of the development process to ensure that the end product would be welcomed by users, similarly, testing the micro copy with real users ensures that the textual elements and CTAs bring value to the overall design.

Use Images

You can always supplement the text with images to render a visually appealing experience. Pictures and illustrations tend to strengthen the message of the copy, make it memorable and reinforce the brand in the user’s mind.

Reflect Brand Voice

Throughout the process of building a digital product, one thing remains that remains constant is the goal of the project and the vision of the product. It resonates with the brand and reflects a brand voice.

In a similar fashion, the instructions and messages that a product gives to its users should always resonate with the voice of the brand.

Conclusion

UX Writing has emerged as a tool to facilitate better user-product interaction and boost product satisfaction. Making the content scannable, having a conversational tone, and weaving the text iteratively can significantly impact the overall experience of the product.