Can we talk about this UX writing thing?
By: Christina Bruce
Tags: Careers, Design, Ux Writing, User Experience, UX

Can we talk about this UX writing thing?

Not all design teams are talking about it. Maybe we should be.

If you work in design, you have probably noticed the tide of ‘UX writing’ jobs in the last couple of years. Google, Dropbox, Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and the list goes on.

Every tech giant on the planet is hiring, and it’s been that way for a while. There’s been lots written about this over the last year or two that effectively answers the question “So what is it?”

That’s not what this is about.

This is about the rest of us. The people, and teams, on the other side. Those that work for companies like banks, telcos, consumer products, retailers, the government.

Places where the skillset is crucial, but nobody is really talking about it. It’s not technically a job.

What should designers think?

How can we make it work?

But we have a writer!

Marketing vs. Product — why it’s different

Content can mean anything. In the business world is most often used to describe marketing materials: copy for campaign pages, content marketing blogs, videos, white papers, social media, editorial content, and so on. If you have worked as a copywriter long enough, at some point or another you’ve probably done it all.

UX-driven product writing is NOT marketing copy. I’m talking about interface content. Interaction flows, native apps, product tours, self-serve dashboards, error states, notifications, menus, navigational elements, labels, buttons, links, chatbots….you know, all the little parts of digital product design that have words. And they matter. The shift in the industry is proof of that.

The thought process for these kinds of things is different. If the person providing copy for these interactions doesn’t have a very solid understanding of UX, or doesn’t take the time to think about how and why a system behaves in the way it does, the end result will fall flat.

Trust me, there is nothing more humbling than going through user testing and watching the words you thought were infinitely clear go right over somebody’s head.

Or not get seen at all.

Or not even address the right use case.

Writers are communicators. We like to think that’s our forte. Not always that simple.

There is not a business on the planet without some sort of interactive experience or transaction. All of it requires language to communicate with users. This is, de facto, ‘UX writing’, and it’s nothing new.

It makes sense that large tech companies can specifically build teams dedicated to this intersection of technology and communication and design.

OK…so what about the rest of us?

I’m Canadian. There aren’t a lot of ‘UX writing’ teams around yet. But there are experiences, and products, and they all need content. So companies hire writers. I was this person for a long time.

There are a few major problems I see pretty consistently…

1. Writers aren’t taught the right things

One of the first things you learn as a copywriter is that insights and ideas are your currency. It’s still a paramount principle for product.

There’s also a lot more to it.

In retrospect, I was ill-equipped when I first started working with product. I would attend daily scrums and nod politely, then head back to my desk and quietly Google whatever had just been discussed. I armed myself with knowledge, devouring books and blogs about usability, interaction design, and e-commerce. I started working on UX teams. Every design review, every critique, every round of user testing, every iteration: all of it was beneficial.

Most writers aren’t taught this stuff. That’s a huge miss.

2. Content means everything

Being the token “word person” often means there is a mountain of writing-related work that lands on your plate. I spend a lot of time doing things that have nothing at all to do with copywriting or experiences or products. It’s inevitable. I don’t mind to a point.

But too much noise dulls creativity.

I see it happen all the time. Nobody pushes for better. Standards get low.

3. Language comes last

I’m very used to receiving a design or product that’s done with a request to “do the copy” or “make it sound better.” This is normal.

Of course you can take control of your own work, front-ending yourself in the right projects, building relationships, proving your value. As one person, it only takes you so far.

It’s infinitely easier if you work as part of a design team, or when writers and designers have the same creative lead. Sounds obvious, but it’s not always the way things are done.

For reasons that are political, or process-driven, or personality clashes, or simply due to a lack of resources, content is an afterthought.