The emergence of UX Writing

A decade ago, I would have been probably writing an essay on the boon and bane of technology. But today, I am choosing to write about a newly emerging career field that technology has gifted us with. Talk about change and how far we have come. Allow me to introduce you to User Experience Writing or UX Writing in short.

What is UX Writing?

UX Writing is the art of crafting words to help users engage with digital products and services such as mobile apps, websites, etc., efficiently and cohesively.

Elaborating:

It’s the words that appear on the user interface of digital products or any other digital experience one can think of.

UX writing acts as a guide that helps the user complete his/her intended task on a platform.

It may sound simple but providing clear decision making at every touchpoint of a product with concise and meaningful words is the key to driving user behaviour.

How is it evolving?

Earlier, designers and developers were responsible for putting the product together with all its features and content. The integration of technology in our daily lives has led to the demand for more valuable user experiences and the rise of UX writing as a specialized discipline.

But I’ve never heard of UX Writing before?

Yes, UX writing is a relatively new field, still in its infancy. But, the massive impact it projects on the success of the digital product is undeniable.

When you have more than 5000 apps being launched every day, how do you cut the noise and stand out as a product? That’s exactly where UX writing emerges as a warrior. The primary aim of UX Writing is to engage the user with words. More than that, it shines the brand’s personality while striking the right balance between the user’s understanding and the brand’s promise. UX writers say enough to ensure that the user can navigate and complete his/her task while being completely aware of the brand’s presence.

UX Writing Is not content writing…

Now, one may mistake UX writing be content writing. But, there is a big difference between both. It’s true that similar to content writers, UX writers also write copy.

But, because of the nature and size of the copy, it’s referred to as Microcopy.

Microcopy can be short in buttons, labels, menu, empty states, or longer in the form of error messages, onboarding instructions, success messages, etc.

UX writers have to wear UX researcher’s hat and dive deep into the user’s persona. They must understand user’s emotions and their pain points. UX writers often have to wear a UX researcher’s hat and dive deep into the user’s persona. They must understand the user’s emotions and their pain points. They also have to understand cultural nuances without spiking unwanted emotions.

It’s not just about writing names and labels for screens; it goes deep into the users’ psychology. UX writers help the users feel secure, attended to, and intuitively guide them to provide a great experience while interacting with the product.

Where content writers mainly show up for marketing collaterals, UX writers play an integral part in building the product and its iterations as a whole.

Final Thoughts

One can say that the skill-set of UX writing is a fruitful contribution to the product design team. Because when the user forgets that he/she is interacting with a system and establishes a relationship with the app you have built.

That’s what you call a win.

In one or two lines, tell me one app that you can’t live without? The one that you feel really connected to and why?