How to make software human and relatable

Transcript

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

3. @LauraParkerUX Problem: how do you make software human and relatable?
4. @LauraParkerUX https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ui-copy/
5. @LauraParkerUX Keep a beginner’s mind Don’t assume the user knows anything
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

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
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
9. @LauraParkerUX Empathy v humour Writing with flavour
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
11. @LauraParkerUX Not all disability is visible
12. @LauraParkerUX github.com/UKHomeOffice/posters
13. @LauraParkerUX microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility
14. @LauraParkerUX http://actiondeafness.org.uk/product/deaf-awareness-posters/
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
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
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
18. @LauraParkerUX Know your audience
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
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
21. @LauraParkerUX Working with designers Your most important working relationship
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

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

25. @LauraParkerUX Problem: how do you make software human and relatable?
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
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
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
29. @LauraParkerUX Thanks!
30. @LauraParkerUX Web
 lauramarieparker.com
 
 Email
 laura@lauramarieparker.com
 
 Twitter
 @LauraParkerUX