What Is UX Writing?
UX writing is the practice of writing strategic content for the interface of a website or app. UX writing is a subset of the UX design, primarily because it’s an aid for the interface and help the user navigate and interact with the product. Thus a UX writer works closely with the UX team.
Without the content writeup, it will be harder for the users to navigate and use elements in an interface leading to confusion. For example, a success message like “Transaction completed successfully” is very important so that user is aware of the backend operations happening. Thus it can be a key to understand that the transaction is completed.
UX writing involves strategic use of words and definitions that align with the brand voice, and enhance usability and user experience altogether. It includes planning and writing the content, words, keywords for various components of the interface. This may include
- Text and labels for buttons
- Text on prompts
- Error messages
- Success messages
- Chat bot responses
What Does a UX Writer Do?
UX writers are the writers involved in the UX writing. A UX writer is responsible for deciding the words, labels and messages for various elements of a design. UX writer also works close with the actual UX design team to work on the designs.
UX writer needs to be proficient in vocabulary and needs right understanding of the tone of the company/or the tone needed in a specific design. The content being used should be readable, define the correct usage and avoid confusion.
As seen in the example, the content written should also be visually pleasing, or balanced and arranged in a way that it looks good in the overall design. Thus it is important to have a knowledge of the design principals too.
Difference between UX Writing and Copywriting
UX writers and copywriters and two important part of a digital product team today. While their titles may sound similar, the responsibilities and objectives of these two roles are distinct, each focusing unique value on the user experience and brand narrative. In this article, we will look into the roles and responsibilities between UX writers and copywriters, exploring how their specialized skills help in the development of a digital product.