UX writing – what is it and why is it important?
Are you building a digital service, like an app or a website? Then you need a UX writer who pays attention to the small details—such as onboarding flows, error messages, buttons, links, and menus. A UX writer’s job is to guide the user forward in an intuitive and seamless way through words. Really good UX writing is rarely noticed, but it’s crucial for a great user experience. On the other hand, poor UX writing can have the opposite effect.
5 tips for successful UX writing
Having a UX writer on the team can make a big difference in the success of your digital service. But how can you collaborate effectively? What should the team keep in mind? Here are a few key points:
1. Involve the UX writer early
A UX writer helps users achieve their goals. What do they want to accomplish with the service? Perhaps they want to find specific information, buy something, or complete a task. A UX writer needs to deeply understand these needs, as well as the goals of the company behind the service. If a UX writer comes in when the design is finished, or—heaven forbid—when development is complete, they will likely start asking relevant questions and possibly make demands that could impact the design and development. Therefore, it’s crucial to bring the UX writer on board early, ideally when you’re getting to know the user in the initial stages.
2. Set the tone from the start
UX writing often involves short messages, but even short messages can be expressed in many ways. How they are phrased affects how they are received by the user and influences their perception of your brand. Do you have a clear idea of your brand’s personality? Great. Do your colleagues have the same understanding? Maybe not. That’s why it’s a great idea to discuss early on how the new digital product should sound. A tone-of-voice workshop can help clarify this.
3. Document style, tone, and language
Once you’ve agreed on the tone of voice, it’s time to put it into practice. There will undoubtedly be countless decisions that need to be weighed against the desired tone. Is it okay to be humorous—and if so, what type of humour? Do you use exclamation marks? How do your call-to-action buttons sound? Gather these decisions in a style guide that relevant team members can access. This is especially important if multiple people are working on the content, to ensure a consistent tone. Feel free to draw inspiration from resources like Mailchimp’s style guide, but start simple and let the scope and format evolve.
4. Give UX writing the time it needs
It’s not uncommon for a UX writer to be asked to quickly write a few words for an error message, button, or form. Since UX writing often involves short messages, it’s easy to assume it can be done in a flash. But a UX writer needs to understand the situation, the user’s mindset, what they’re trying to achieve, and how the words can best help. They also need to adhere to the agreed tone of voice. Therefore, UX writing needs both space and time in your project.
5. Test—and test again
By now, you know that UX writing is no simple task. And even if the content follows all the best practices, you won’t know if it works until you put it in the hands of real users. Testing your digital service with real content is the best thing you can do. The earlier, the better. Do users get stuck somewhere? Is it clear what they are expected to do? Are there any words that are difficult to understand? Testing provides valuable insights that can help you improve your product—ultimately helping users achieve their goals and making your service more effective at converting.
Practical help or tips and inspiration? We can provide both
Do you want to take your team’s UX writing to the next level? Check out our UX writing course, which offers both inspiration and practical exercises. Don’t have a UX writer on your team yet? Let us help with the content! Get in touch, and we’ll get started.
