March 27, 2019
12 Competencies of UX Design No. 8: Writing for Meaningful Experiences
By Ward Andrews
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UX writing is the language that helps users move through a digital experience without frustration or confusion -- with comfort, delight, and meaning. It covers everything from button labels and error messages to form copy and navigation prompts. And without it, even the most beautifully designed interface will fall flat.
This is the eighth installment of our series on the 12 Competencies of UX Design.
What Is UX Writing?
"Making business tools that customers love hinges on crisp simplicity: Bigger ideas and fewer words. More heart, less head -- and a voice that's more conversational and human." -- Kylie Hansen, Microsoft
Think back to the last time you used Waze or Google Maps to drive somewhere unfamiliar. Once you clicked "start," what did you hear? How many times did you actually have to look down at the map?
Those clear, well-timed directions -- "turn left," "stay in the right lane" -- are UX writing in action. They're so good you barely noticed them. That's exactly the point.
How Is UX Writing Different from Copywriting?
One of the most common misconceptions about UX writing is that it's the same thing as copywriting. It isn't.
Here's how the main types of digital writing break down:
Copywriting: Persuasive brand and marketing writing designed to convince and convert. It highlights differentiators and builds brand value in the eyes of the consumer.
Instructional Writing: Concise, no-frills instructions for how to do something. Clear and direct -- none of the flair of traditional ad copy.
Educational Writing: Teaches someone about a concept or idea. Usually less goal-oriented than instructional writing and less persuasive than copywriting.
UX Writing: The language that helps a user move through an experience without frustration or confusion -- and with comfort, delight, and meaning. Sometimes called microcopy, it's attached to specific navigation and interaction points within a product.
Some copywriters are also skilled UX writers, but the purpose is entirely different. Assuming any capable marketing copywriter can handle product copy is a mistake many teams make -- and pay for later.
What Does UX Writing Actually Include?
UX writing shows up in places users interact with constantly, often without realising it:
- Button labels
- Menu labels
- Error and success messages
- Form copy
- Terms and conditions
- Disclaimers
Great UX writing is baked into the design -- it should feel like a natural part of the workflow, not something bolted on at the end.
What Questions Does a UX Writer Answer?
A UX writer's job is to think through the entire user journey and answer questions like:
- What does the user need to know right now? What are they thinking and feeling at this moment?
- What should each screen, prompt, and interaction point say?
- How will users move step by step through the interface so they can successfully complete their task?
- How will the brand's personality come through in the experience?
- How can meaning be expressed in as few words and characters as possible?
- How will the value of the product or service be reinforced at each step?
- How will this feature help a user complete a particular step in a workflow more easily?
How Is UX Writing Tested and Measured?
Unlike most types of copy, UX writing can be tested in roughly the same way UX design is tested -- and its quality is measurable. It's only as good as how well it reduces friction and conveys the right meaning at the right moment.
At Drawbackwards, UX writing is often analysed within moderated testing scenarios called "think aloud protocols." Users say what they're thinking and feeling out loud while a moderator records their responses. The quality of UX writing is assessed by asking:
- Based on what you read, what do you intend to do next? Why?
- What do you expect to happen when you click?
- What do you hope will happen?
Why Is Treating UX Writing as a "Finishing Touch" a Big Mistake?
Some designers and business leaders treat UX writing as decoration -- something to plug in once the wireframes have been signed off. This is a significant misstep, for two reasons.
First, great UX writing is often integral to how a workflow functions. It's virtually impossible to test an interaction without real UX copy in place.
Second, end users don't distinguish between UX writing and visual design. They "see" text and "read" images -- both are critical to conveying meaning. Regardless of how visually polished an experience is, if the copy doesn't help users move through the workflow successfully, beautiful design counts for nothing.
What Makes UX Writing Good?
The goal of UX writing is to inform and comfort users as they move through a workflow with as little friction as possible. As a general rule, great UX writing is:
- Clear
- Concise
- Easy to understand
- Short and sharp -- no frills
- Goal-oriented
- Consistent
UX writers also need to use language that's familiar to the customer. That requires a deep understanding of the user's context and an exceptional level of empathy.
We believe UX writers should be part of the design process from the very beginning -- not called in at the end to fill in the blanks. If a UX writer has a genuinely difficult time capturing an interaction's purpose in a workflow, that's usually a symptom of ineffective design, not a failure on the writer's part.
As Nick Babich puts it: "Text problems often reveal design problems."
Why UX Writing Is the Thread That Holds It All Together
No matter how well a digital experience or interaction is designed, it will ultimately fail without equally effective UX writing. Great UX writing is the red thread that weaves together a workflow's various interactions and helps users understand where they are and where they're going next.
For brands, truly great UX writing can be the difference between a comfortable experience and a genuinely meaningful one. Brands that execute UX writing well often manage to make the leap from 'brand jargon' to 'layman's terms' -- taking terminology that's intrinsically interwoven with a brand and injecting it into the cultural lexicon. It's why we don't say "search for it." We say "google it."
When UX writing deftly weaves business objectives and user goals together into a seamless experience, it has fulfilled its purpose within the design thinking process.
Next time you set out to craft a game-changing digital experience for your customers, don't forget to account for the importance of UX writing.
Frequently Asked Questions About UX Writing
What is the difference between UX writing and copywriting? Copywriting is persuasive marketing writing designed to convince and convert. UX writing is functional -- it guides users through a product or interface, reducing friction and helping them complete tasks. The goals are fundamentally different, even though both involve words.
What are some examples of UX writing? Button labels, error messages, success notifications, form instructions, menu labels, onboarding prompts, and tooltips are all common examples of UX writing. Anything that helps a user navigate a digital experience falls under the umbrella.
When should UX writing be brought into the design process? From the very beginning. UX writing isn't a finishing touch -- it's integral to how a workflow functions and should be developed alongside the design, not plugged in after the wireframes are approved.
How do you test whether UX writing is working? Think aloud protocols are one effective method. Users narrate what they're thinking as they move through an interface, and moderators assess whether the copy is creating clarity or confusion. Questions like "what do you expect to happen when you click this?" reveal a lot.
Why does good UX writing matter for brands? Beyond reducing friction, great UX writing shapes how users feel about a product -- and about a brand. It's how brands move from speaking their own internal language to speaking the user's language. Done well, it builds trust, reduces drop-off, and turns complex workflows into intuitive experiences.
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