@lmpcopywriter UX writing and copywriting • Similar, but a different purpose — Copywriting is writing to sell — UX writing is writing to inform
• UX writing helps people interact with a product or service — UX copy includes buttons and menu labels, error messages, security notes, terms and conditions, instructions.
• UX writers are also similar to content designers and technical writers — We’re all working to solve the same problem…
@lmpcopywriter 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.
@lmpcopywriter A note about user anxiety • User anxiety is when you don’t understand how to use something
• Writers can help users feel less anxious by — being obvious (keep a beginner’s mind) — using plain language — avoiding jargon (but if it’s useful, leave it in) — writing consistently (do we say ‘click’ or ‘tap’) Monzo spending alert
@lmpcopywriter 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
@lmpcopywriter Brands play it safe with their humour, and not safe enough with their empathy. If your writing is genuinely funny, go for it. But do it with all users in mind.
@lmpcopywriter How to work with designers • Give them your copy in advance — Don’t leave it till the last minute to send your copy. Think about the design deadline too.
• Send copy in a text file, Pages, or anything else but MS Word — Ever watched a designer try to open a Word doc? Most designers don’t use MS Word.
• Ask for feedback — Hoo boy, time to let go of the ego. Feedback can only improve your work.
• Celebrate their moments of copy greatness — A designer wrote some of my favourite copy, don’t be jealous.
@lmpcopywriter Design or copy first? • Lead with copy first but don’t get ahead of yourself — It frees up creativity for you and the designer. It gives writers freedom to write without thinking of space and set the context for design.
• Work in sprints — Agree on sprint stages to avoid disruptive changes in the final draft.
• Sometimes, I’m wrong — Why shouldn’t a writer come up with a great visual idea, or a designer think of a brilliant headline? It’s okay to be wrong.
@lmpcopywriter • 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 — People with autism might not understand metaphors or idioms. — Don’t risk simplicity for the sake of a joke.
• Work better with designers — It’s not them and us, we’re in it together. — work in short stints and communicate.
@lmpcopywriter UX copy tips • Use specific verbs — ‘Connect’ or ‘save’ are more meaningful than ‘set up’ or ‘manage’.
• Avoid showing all details up front — Too much information can quickly overwhelm users, reveal detail as needed. • 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.
@lmpcopywriter 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
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