What is UX Writing?

UX Writing – a good user experience through clear written content

UX Writing is the creation of written content that improves the user experience of digital products such as websites, mobile apps and software. The role of a UX writer has become increasingly important over the past year as more emphasis is placed on user experience (UX) and user-centred design, and products need to be intuitive and easy to use.

The tasks involved in writing UX copy can vary depending on the product and project, but common tasks include:

• Writing user interface text, including buttons, error messages and form fields.

Developing user personas and user journey maps to make decisions about content.

• Conducting user analytics to understand user needs, preferences and issues.
• Working with designers, developers and product managers to ensure consistency and coherence across the product.
• Creating and maintaining style guides to ensure consistency of language, tone and style.

Challenges and tips in UX writing

One of the biggest challenges in UX writing is balancing clear and concise language with the need for personality and brand language. UX writers must also be able to convey complex information in a way that is easy for users to understand and comprehend.

Some tips for effective UX writing are:

• Keep it short and sweet – use simple language and avoid jargon or technical terms.
• Write for the user – focus on the user’s needs and goals rather than the business goals.
• Use clear and consistent language – create a consistent tone and style throughout the product.
• Continually test and optimise user interface texts based on user feedback.
• Work with closely with designers, developers and product managers to ensure a coherent user experience.

Overall, UX copywriting is an important component of user-centred design. To meet the challenges of this role, a combination of strong writing skills, user research and collaboration with other teams is highly recommended.

Separating UX design from UX writing

More and more companies are finding that it can be worthwhile to work with both UX design and UX writing professionals, especially as their roles complement each other in creating a good user experience.

UX designers are responsible for creating the overall structure and visual design of a product, and conduct user research and testing to ensure that a product is intuitive and easy to use. They work with information architectures, user flows, wireframes and prototypes, among other things.

UX writers, on the other hand, specialise in creating written content that guides users through a product and improves their user experience. They work closely with UX designers to ensure that the language and messaging in the product is consistent with the overall design and user requirements.

When companies have both roles on one team, it can contribute to a more holistic and effective approach to user-centred design. Ideally, this results in a product that is both visually appealing and user-friendly, with clear and concise language helping to inspire users to take specific actions.

Measuring quality in UX writing

Measuring quality in UX writing can be challenging, as it often depends on subjective factors such as the user’s experience and perception. However, there are a number of indicators that can be used to assess the effectiveness of a UX writer’s work. These include:

• Task completion rate measures the percentage of users who successfully complete a task or action within the product. A high task completion rate may indicate that the UX writer’s content is effectively guiding users through the interface.
• The measured time per task it takes a user to complete a task or action. Shorter times may indicate that the language used is clear and concise, while longer times may indicate confusion or lack of understanding.
• Measuring user satisfaction via surveys or user feedback. Positive feedback may indicate that the UX author’s content is helpful and engaging.
• Measuring user engagement, for example, through the number of clicks, views or shares. Higher engagement can indicate that the content is compelling and encourages users to interact with the product.
• A/B testing is used to test two different versions of the content and compare their effectiveness in achieving specific goals or outcomes.

In summary, UX copywriting is an important component of user-centred design. To meet the challenges of this role, a combination of strong writing skills, user research and collaboration with other teams is highly recommended.

Remark:

There are also a number of tools that can be used to track UX measures. Here is a small selection:

• Hotjar – A tool for understanding user behaviour on a website through heatmaps, recordings and surveys.
• FullStory – A tool that records user sessions to understand how users interact with your website or app.
• Mixpanel – A platform that tracks user engagement and behaviour, allowing you to analyse user actions and make data-driven decisions.
• Crazy Egg – A tool that uses heatmaps and click tracking to analyse user behaviour and identify areas for improvement.
• UXCam – A tool that captures user sessions and provides insights into user behaviour so you can optimise your app’s user experience.

Tools like this can be used to gather quantitative data and insights into how users interact with digital products, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and optimise the user experience.

Impulse to discuss:

How useful is it to concern yourself with quality in UX writing when companies fundamentally struggle with putting users at the centre of their activities?

Notes:

Here you can find A Beginner’s Guide to UX Writing as a video.

Here you can find a German article about UX Writing as an underrated success factor.

And here you will find additional information from the t2informatik Blog: