…but you aren’t a UX writer. Maybe the usual writers got cut from the budget and you’re a visual designer now tasked with words. Or maybe you’re a product manager and the feature is shipping before a designer can get to it. If you’re anyone who identifies as not a content person and now you have to fill some gaps, here’s a starting place. Advice from a UX writer.
Before you start to write
Most of the work is figuring out what needs to go where and what doesn’t. This should be reassuring for those of you that aren’t writers. In apps, users are just trying to get something done. The more intuitive the design is, the easier it is to accomplish their task. The same goes for words. If words appear in precisely the location they’re needed, it’ll be helpful. If not, it’ll add noise or create confusion, both will slow down the task.
Anytime you see text on a page — whether placeholder text, jibberish error codes, or a tooltip — question it. Have a reason for why it’s worthy of screen space. If you can’t find a good reason, get rid of it. Screen space is too valuable.
Once you’re clear on what needs to go where and why, you’ve done 90% of my job before you’ve started to write. Nice.
Putting in words
Once you decide that a string of text in a specific spot will be helpful to the user, you have to write it. You got this.
1. Without worrying about how it sounds, just write down what needs to be said. For a description of a photo book app, I might draft… “For an easy way to create the photo book, pick a template, import files, and it’ll automatically be put together.”
It doesn’t matter how good it is, just make sure you’ve got the ingredients. In this case, it includes:
- Value (Why would someone use this feature?)– It’s easier.
- The end goal– A photo book automatically put together
- How to start– Pick a template and import…
2. Now, clean it up. Say it out loud. See if you can write it so it reads more naturally. Delete any words you don’t need. If it sounds “off,” give it another go or ask someone for advice.
Here’s how I might improve the first draft above: “ Layout templates make creating your photo book even easier. Choose a template, import your files, and we’ll put it together.”
3. If you have one, check the style guide. Style guides tend to be formatting rules that apply to all outward communications for a company. This can help align text so it all sounds like it’s coming from the same brand. Imagine if your food delivery app used “Supper” on some pages and “Dinner” on others to refer to the same meal. Is it even the same app? Staying consistent is another way to be a great UX writer and it doesn’t take any natural talent.
4. Don’t ruin it with a typo. It’s amazing how often I stare at something, certain it’s perfect, only to have Grammarly call out something I missed. It doesn’t require you to be a good writer, just utilize your spell-checker.
It doesn’t have to be perfect
If it did, they’d hire a writer. But you should be able to ship something decent that’s helpful for the user, consistent with the words already in the app, and free of typos.
Hopefully, that gives you a starting place. Now that you’re a writer, here’s a cheat sheet for the one-liners that are headed your way.
I just need a quick name for this, can you help?
The reason they’re asking for help is probably because there isn’t a “quick” answer. What other people assume is quick, you now know can be a complex process. Budget more time than you think you need, and if you can avoid naming things it’s almost always clearer. (Like “Add a Connector” could be “Connect to your data”.)
Let’s just do what they're doing in[a similar product].
Maybe there’s a content team on Similar Product that did usability testing on all their terms. Or maybe it came out of thin air the day before the thing shipped. It might work for them but not for you. Plus, a team on a Third Similar Product may think “wow, two teams have written it the same way, maybe we should too?” This is not a valid way to justify your content. The same as you would any other text, have a reason for whatever you pick. Know why it’s located where it is and why that specific word. And if it’s the same in the end? Great, you don’t have to write new words after all and you can rest easy knowing what’s there is the best possible option.
We’ll finish the design first then get you to add copy
If visual designers go through wireframes, lowfi, hifi, multiple drafts, why should content designers be expected to go from placeholder to final overnight? The more you can iterate on different versions of the text, the better. Plus, if it’s the wrong idea, you get immediate feedback and can switch gears earlier. If possible, skip “placeholder text” and start adding rough draft content instead.
You got this
UX writing is a hard job because it takes time and requires asking a bunch of questions and finding creative solutions, not because it demands inherent talent for words. Anytime you’re even a little unsure, ask questions, see how others are doing it, and come up with a few options. Godspeed young writers.
