How to make software human and relatable

Transcript

1. @LauraParkerUX
   Hello
   How to make software human and relatable
   

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2. @LauraParkerUX
   Housekeeping
   • Laura Parker 

   — Content Designer at HMRC

   — UX Writer
   
   • Questions

   — Use the BlueJean chat box moderated by Rachel 

   — Post your questions after the talk in the Write The Docs slack channel #north-england

   — Tweet me @LauraParkerUX
   
   • Please mute your microphone
   
   • All research is linked so you can explore in your own time
   
   • Slides will be posted on speaker deck afterwards

   

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3. @LauraParkerUX
   Problem: how do you make software
   human and relatable?
   

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4. @LauraParkerUX
   https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ui-copy/
   

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5. @LauraParkerUX
   Keep a beginner’s mind
   Don’t assume the user knows anything
   

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6. @LauraParkerUX
   What’s a beginner’s mind?
   • We create new things all the time 

   — but we forget what it's like to be a new user
   
   • A new user might be anxious about using your product 

   — give them everything they need and nothing more
   
   • We know too much (curse of knowledge) 

   — the more you know, the further you are from the beginner’s perspective
   
   • Users have existing expectations and behaviours

   — don’t assume users will find your product intuitive if they do the same thing differently
   on other apps/websites

   

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7. @LauraParkerUX
   How we read
   • Our cognitive load (mental effort) increases 11% for every 100 words
   
   • Some people bounce around when they read online and anticipate words and fill them in
   
   • Your brain can drop up to 30% of the text and still understand
   
   • People with some learning disabilities read letter for letter, they do not bounce around like
   other users
   • People with moderate learning disabilities can understand sentences of 5 to 8 words without
   difficulty so keep sentences short
   
   • GOV.UK recommends you write for a 9 year old reading age

   — Jakob Nielsen, How Do Users Read
   — Sarah Richards, Content Design
   

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8. @LauraParkerUX
   Our eyes don’t see every letter in a word or every word in a sentence. Our eyes skip
   along the text in small jumps called saccades.
   
   After each saccade, our brain takes a snapshot and arranges the letters into words.
   Those pauses are called fixations.
   — Jost Hochuli, Detail in Typography
   

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9. @LauraParkerUX
   Empathy v humour
   Writing with flavour
   

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10. @LauraParkerUX
    Why you should get to the point
    • Make it easier for everyone to read your content
    • People with poor internet connection
    
    • Busy people
    
    • Physical injuries
    
    • People with children
    
    • Roughly 11.9 million people are living with a disability (1 in 5 people or
    20%)
    
    “Getting to the point quickly has less to do with intelligence and more
    to do with time and respect.”
    — Sarah Richards, Content Design
    

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11. @LauraParkerUX
    Not all disability is visible
    

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12. @LauraParkerUX
    github.com/UKHomeOffice/posters
    

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13. @LauraParkerUX
    microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility
    

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14. @LauraParkerUX
    http://actiondeafness.org.uk/product/deaf-awareness-posters/
    

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15. @LauraParkerUX
    Balancing empathy and humour
    • Have a moment with the reader 

    — use empathy to find when a user is having a moment, and be a part of it
    
    • Keep a beginner’s mind

    — skip the what and go directly to the why
    
    • Use simple, everyday language 

    — it helps everyone, especially those with a visual impairment, dyslexia or anxiety
    
    • People don’t find the same things funny

    — humour is risky
    

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16. @LauraParkerUX
    What is information anxiety?
    • There are lots of moments of doubt and anxiety to deal with,
    especially when using a product or service you’re not familiar with
    
    • “Do I remember my password? Did that web app really save my
    changes? Was my shared document sent? Where did that
    notification disappear to? How do I get it back?”
    • It's our responsibility to make this process easy to understand and
    delight users, as long as it doesn't get in the way of clarity 

    https://medium.com/movingui/building-brand-loyalty-and-reducing-anxiety-with-ui-animation-1cf6d6307033
    

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17. @LauraParkerUX
    What is information anxiety?
    • Some examples 

    — time limits and countdown timers (Netflix and BBC
    iPlayer provide options to disable the next episode
    countdown timer)

    Monzo spending alert
    Hermes chatbot
    

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18. @LauraParkerUX
    Know your audience
    

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19. @LauraParkerUX
    Who are you talking to?
    • To understand your audience you should know: 

    — how they behave, what they’re interested in or worried about - so your writing will
    catch their attention and answer their questions 

    — their vocabulary - so that you can use the same terms and phrases they’ll use to
    search for content
    
    • Check Google Trends and forums to see how people are talking about your
    product or service 

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk
    

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20. @LauraParkerUX
    Writing for specialists
    • Use plain English 

    — according to GOV.UK research, people understand complex specialist language, but
    do not want to read it if there’s an alternative
    
    • Technical terms

    — technical terms are not considered jargon but you should explain what they mean
    
    • People with the greatest expertise tend to have the most to read 

    — make sure your content is helpful and easy to scan 

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk
    

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21. @LauraParkerUX
    Working with designers
    Your most important working relationship
    

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22. @LauraParkerUX
    Because…
    • You share the same problems 

    — “I need answers to this, this and this before I can start.”
    
    • You ask (roughly) the same questions

    — “Who am I writing/designing for? What’s the purpose? Brand guidelines?”
    
    • And, you make things together

    

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23. @LauraParkerUX
    Most designers have never worked with a
    writer. It’s down to us to get the ball rolling.
    

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24. @LauraParkerUX
    How to work with designers
    • Give designers your copy in advance 

    — think about the design deadline too
    
    • Try using a different word processor 

    — most designers don’t use MS Word every day, look for alternatives
    
    • Ask for feedback (content crits and design labs)

    — feedback can only improve your work
    
    • Celebrate their moments of greatness 

    — some designers can write well 

    

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25. @LauraParkerUX
    Problem: how do you make software
    human and relatable?
    

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26. @LauraParkerUX
    • Keep a beginner’s mind

    — what’s obvious to you won’t be the same for your audience

    — make your audience feel less anxious by using high frequency words
    
    • Be empathetic and cautious with humour

    — be inclusive and write with plain English 

    — humour is risky, especially if it gets in the way of clarity
    
    • Know your audience

    — understand who is reading your content 

    — use words they use, not words you think they use
    • Work better with designers 

    — it’s not them and us, we’re in it together

    — pair up, host design clinics and content crits
    The answer
    

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27. @LauraParkerUX
    GOV.UK standards
    • Use specific verbs 

    — ‘Connect’ or ‘save’ are more meaningful than ‘set up’ or ‘manage’
    
    • Check your language

    — use Google Trends and forums to check for terms people search for
    • Use ‘today,’ ‘yesterday’ or ‘tomorrow’ instead of a date

    — people don’t use the date when they refer to the day before the present day
    
    • Avoid long blocks of text

    — look at your work on a mobile to check spacing
    
    • Use inclusive language 

    — words to use and avoid when writing about disability 

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk
    

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28. @LauraParkerUX
    People to follow

    Andrew Schmidt (senior product writer at Slack): https://www.andrewschmidt.net 

    Jared Spool (UX genius): https://www.uie.com @jmspool

    Craig Wright (tech writer): https://straygoat.co.uk

    Erika Hall (designer): https://muledesign.com @mulegirl

    Caio Braga ([product designer) https://caioab.com @caioab

    Paul Boag (UX expert): https://boagworld.com @boagworld
    
    Links to click 

    Readability Guidelines: https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org

    Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: https://www.w3.org

    Rules of Effective UX Writing: https://uxplanet.org/16-rules-of-effective-ux-writing-2a20cf85fdbf

    The Unusable podcast: https://podcast.theunusable.com

    Content Design London: http://contentdesign.london

    Microsoft accessibility kit: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/style-guide/welcome/

    UK Home Office accessibility posters: https://github.com/UKHomeOffice/posters/blob/master/accessibility/

    UX Collective: https://uxdesign.cc

    UK disability facts and figures: http://www.craigabbott.co.uk/accessibility-is-not-an-edge-case

    GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk
    

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29. @LauraParkerUX
    Thanks!
    

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30. @LauraParkerUX
    Web

    lauramarieparker.com

    

    Email

    laura@lauramarieparker.com

    

    Twitter

    @LauraParkerUX
    
    

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