UX writingbuilding experiences with words

Wojciech AleksanderMeet Content, January 2017

Content strategistProduct content manager at GetResponseUX writing & tech comm

Usability consultantInteraction designerTechnical writer & information architectDTPAuthor and editor

Dynatrace, Compuware, Speednet, Polish Academy of Sciences,Strefa Startup Gdynia, SWPS University

Hello, my name is Wojtek

UX writing?

Creating of an intuitive and a clear bridgebetween users and your page, app, brand, product, or idea.

The opposite of the marketing waffle. Getting to the point. Writing that is purpose driven, it’s helpful, and facilitates communication.

The making of a usable dialogue between the user and the system. When the user understands what the system is saying, then they’re getting along.

Using language to help our users understand the product, to enhance their experience with the product, and to communicate the brand voice.

It's a kind of writing when you help readers accomplish their goals while having in mind their emotions, vocabulary, and their way of thinking.

The magic formula doesn’t exist¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Writing is easy

Writing is easynot

1000 minutes – 2 work days – non-stop

A mix of art, words, and insight

100 messages

5-10 minutes each

A mix of art, words, and insight

15—35stringsor even 80 per single element

source: Design the Web

A mix of art, words, and insight

Ifyoudon’tknowwhatyouneedtocommunicate,howwillyouknowifyousucceed?Margot Bloomstein

Who we are, who we aren’tbrand voice

This, but not that

Dating app

• Simple but not shallow• Positive but not overdone• Empathetic but not overprotective• Welcoming but not pushy• Giving hope but not buttering up

Handy men inc.

• Approachable but not desperate• Experienced but not worn out• Honest but not naive• Confident but not patronizing

Who we are, who we aren’tbrand voice

Your friends at Slack

Your friends at Slack

Match your message to contexttone of voice

message

reaction

thinking

feelings

context

specific situation

source: voiceandtone.com

Match your message to contexttone of voice

Lead, instruct, correctmicrocopy

Don’t be afraid to use more than 3 words in the GUI. It’s about user task and goal. Ditch the artificial limitations

Lead, instruct, correctmicrocopy

Lead, instruct, correctmicrocopy

Rescue, explain, don’t blameerror messages

Rescue, explain, don’t blameerror messages

Rescue, explain, don’t blameerror messages

The best error message is the one… you don’t have to write

• Course of knowledge, the silent sense killer

• The road to hell is paved with jargon

• Lorem ipsum is pure evil. Amet

• Mind the gender

• Mind the plurals (0, 1, many)

• Just say no to passive voice

• Consider using plain language(forget everything they taught you at school)

• Say first, sketch second

• Practice brevity

• Don’t trust your first version(the fourth one might be the best)

• Always check yourself (read aloud)

UX writing axioms

Lorem ipsum to hell (bonus dolor)

Event title

Time and date

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecteturadipiscing elit. Sed at pharetra sem, utvehicula felis. Sed convallis, mi et tempus aliquet, tortor turpis volutpatturpis, et laoreet lorem tellus nec erat. Nullam tristique lacinia porttitor. Vivamus sit amet metus porta, pharetraelit sit amet, tincidunt elit. Sed cursusvestibulum augue, eu ultricies nunc interdum ultrices.

No content, filler text

Uchwała Krajobrazowa Gdańska -konsultacje społeczne

7 czerwca, 17.00 - warsztaty dla mieszkańców ; Europejskie Centrum Solidarności sala 5

8 czerwca, 17.00 - warsztaty dla przedsiębiorców; Europejskie Centrum Solidarności sala 5

9 czerwca, 17.00 - warsztaty dla rad dzielnic; Zarząd Dróg i Zieleni w Gdańsku, ul. Wyspiańskiego 9A

Serdecznie zapraszamy Państwa do aktywnego udziału w konsultacjach i pomocy przy tworzeniu Uchwały Krajobrazowej Gdańska.

Real text, case IIReal text, case I

Festiwal Gdańsk Dźwiga Muzę 2016

August 29, 2016, 09:00

Scena Muzyczna Gdańskiego Archipelagu Kultury w dniach 29 - 31 lipca 2016 roku organizuje ósmą edycję Festiwalu Gdańsk Dźwiga Muzę! W programie wydarzenia są trzy dni i trzy noce prawdziwego muzyczno -tanecznego święta! W dniach festiwalowych Plac Zebrań Ludowych (znajdujący się w samym "sercu" miasta Gdańska), przekształca się w miasteczko festiwalowe ze Strefami Tanecznymi, Muzyczną Sceną Główną, Graffiti, strefą chillout i wieloma innymi przestrzeniami różnych aktywności. Jest to jedyny festiwal o takiej formule w Polsce, a drugi w Europie.

Design for real life, 2016, Eric Meyer, Sara Wachter-Boettcher

The content strategy toolkit, 2015, Meghan Casey

Nicely said, 2015, Nicole Fenton, Kate Kiefer Lee

Read more…

UX writing, content first, microcopy,

product content strategy, UX narrative,

GUI text, content strategy, plain language

Learn more…

John Saito (Dropbox), Alaine Mackenzie (Shopify),

Kate Kiefer Lee (Mailchimp), Amy Thibodeau, Abby Covert,

Kristina Halvorson (Braintraffic), Tomasz Piekot (University of Wroclaw), Government Digital Service (GDS), uContentowani, Meet content

Jonathon Colman - The Epic List of Content Strategy Resourceshttp://www.jonathoncolman.org/2013/02/04/content-strategy-resources/

…and more

Ryan Bigge - The Super List of Content-First UX Resourceshttps://medium.com/@biggeidea/the-super-list-of-content-first-ux-resources

You should follow me

@inherentq

uContentowani

Than

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all background photos: unsplash.com