Things UX writers hear a lot, but wish they didn’t…
By: Balasubramanyn Meenakshisundaram
Tags: Ux Writing, UX, Workplace, Design Process, Content Design

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

If you’re a content designer, you’re probably already making a mental list of all the things you’ve heard that made you feel this way. Hit me up; I’d love to hear them!

If you’re not a content designer, you’re probably wondering “What’d I do?” Well, read on to find out what you may have done.

Disclaimer: While this is all based on truth, no offense intended. If you still feel bad, then maybe you’ve got a few things to fix. Let’s all have a good laugh, and hopefully take a lesson or two from this into tomorrow and beyond.

Here we go, in no particular order of the intensity of eye-rolls they inspire.

We need you to add copy here

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this one. This is a classic example of a transactional, uncollaborative, siloed, and downright boring way of working with a UX writer.

This is also quite common. In fact, I’m sure every one of us has been guilty of this one. Now, I can sense you perking up and looking all hurt and offended.

But, come on. The truth is a bitter pill to swallow.

The good thing is that, while all of us start here, most of us get past this stage. We learn soon enough (or not) that this is not the way to work with a UX writer and that this will not yield the best results for anybody involved. So cheer up! You probably felt offended because you’ve learned this lesson and have moved forward. Good for you!

If you’re a writer stuck in this phase, I’m truly sorry for you. If you’re a stakeholder (hope it’s not a sharp one) who has this kind of a relationship with a writer, well, you know what to do.

The designs are already done

This is usually a follow-up to the earlier statement. It usually goes something like this: “Hey Bala, how’s it going?”

That’s how you’re usually hooked in. While you think of a response for this that’s somewhere between honest and obvious, you get a follow up:

“So, we need your help. After all, you’re the word master!”

Aah! Fresh air gently caressing the dying embers of your fragile writer ego. You perk up, giving them your undivided attention.

“We had a great brainstorm yesterday and everything moved lightning fast! So now we have the designs ready and all it needs is your copy magic.”

That’s when the freight train hits you, as you stand on the track, blindsided by the beauty of the deer at the treeline you just locked eyes with. You begin to have a moment, and then, you don't.

Your mind spins into overdrive, your flaming ego dies back down into an ember and you drown under the weight of a million questions: “Why wasn’t I in the brainstorm?” “Who will explain the logic behind these designs?” “What if the copy won’t fit in the element?” “What if I’m not convinced?” “What if there’s a better way?” “What if…”

We can explain this in a tooltip

This is another classic. And it’s one of those lines that make me cringe every time I hear it. Don’t get me wrong; I am not against tooltips. I believe they are a very vital and helpful tool for our users to navigate our products effectively.

However, what really bothers me about this line is the underlying fact that copy is being used as a crutch to support the design. You’d be shocked to know how often this happens, maybe you already do.

I don’t think there’s anything more to be said about this one. Please, don’t be that person. Your product, and your designs, should not be handicapped. Your users deserve better. If you find yourself in this situation, rush your designs to the OR, ask your UX writer to scrub in with you, do that surgery you’ve been postponing for a long time, and get the limp fixed.

Help your product and your users do the happy dance like this old-timer!

We need to explain all this in two words

While this isn’t technically an affront, this isn’t always possible, or necessary. Brevity is my morning brew as a content designer. However, I take my coffee with milk and sugar — chocolate sprinkles and fudge too if available. Definitely, some whipped cream to top it all off.

A good piece of copy is like this mocha that I just described. There are some that may argue it’s the devil’s drink, loaded with calories and too many ingredients. But if those were the only kind of people that existed, we would all be drinking our coffee black and bland.

Not to mention, “all that” may not fit into “two words” no matter how hard you tried to stuff it. Sometimes you just need some space to play around with. And nobody has earned it more, than your content designer.

So don’t be stingy. Be mindful of the length, sure. Work hard to not bore people to their deaths, absolutely! But don’t compromise clarity and humanity for brevity. If you do, your users may have two other words for you. Two really hurtful ones — “F*&@ this”. And they’ll be gone. Forever.

Can we have this by EoD today? Thanks!

This is another classic. You know as well as I do, there are a lot of people out there who think copy is magically conjured by geeky little elves with impeccable grammar — making all the magic happen, out of your sight. To them, you’re sort of like Dobby and his elven brethren cooking away in the kitchen, ready with the best delicacies at the snap of a finger.

You’re magical and hard-working, but then, because of these very reasons, what you do is of little consequence to them. Because you’re that amazing creature that can conjure words out of thin air and in no time.

Only, you’re not. And it takes a lot more time to write even a small piece of copy; a lot more than these people are willing to afford to or aware of anyway.

So people, when you want something done EOD, just do it yourself. Don’t make your UX writers walk around with the guilt of having written crappy copy to meet your poorly planned and hastily executed schemes. Besides, if something is that urgent, it’s probably already a lost cause. So might as well take your time with it and get it right.

I mean, whatever happened to “haste makes waste” and all that?

It’s only a few words anyway

This is the worst follow-up to can make to the previous statement. And people usually do. These two lines are as inseparable in everyday tech life as are cheese and wine.

It’s not enough to assume that you’re magical, they have to also think that your work is simple. This is the ultimate way to rub your UX writer off the wrong way.

Just because it’s a few words of copy (or you think it is) doesn’t mean it's easy or that it can be done quickly, or at the last minute. The fact that you may think the copy is an insignificant part of whatever it is you’re building, doesn’t mean that it actually is.

And if you’re a writer and you kind of agree with this, change your mindset, like immediately! Any good content designer knows that writing is but a small part of UX writing. There’s a lot more than just words that go into creating any piece of copy or interaction.

In short, if you don’t want to be that person,

be nice to your content designers

give them the time they need to work their “magic”

understand and respect their work

Don’t diminish the value they add

be reasonable

Any fun anecdotes or things you’ve heard that I’ve not mentioned here? Let me know in the comments or reach out to me and let’s have a rant fest. Cheers!