If careful design prevents problems before they happen, then careful content does too. But we don’t all have a UX Writer on our team to come up with the words in the interface. Rachael will share some tips for non-writers to help make their interfaces clear, concise and helpful.

1. Bring out
your inner
UX Writer
Rachael Mullins
@rachaelamullins

2. The words in the
interface

3. Buttons
Labels
Navigation
Titles
Help text
Links
Notifications
Calls to action
Placeholders
Errors
Emails
… and more

4. “Design in the
absence of content
is not design, it's
decoration.”
Jeffrey Zeldman

5. Product
How it works
Interaction design
How it looks
Visual design
What it says
Content design

6. Skyscanner

7. Hire a pro
A dedicated UX Writer will:
● Be your resident language expert
● Know how to tell your story
● Define the voice of the product
● Make sure voice is consistent across touchpoints
● Set language standards
● Be a natural user advocate

8. Use the resources you’ve got
Is one of these writerly types already right under your nose?
● Technical writers excel at clear, concise and helpful content
● Support writers have a direct line to users and speak their language
● Marketing copywriters know how to write to persuade

9. Make every word earn its place
● Edit ruthlessly
● Go for short words over long ones
● Pack in the info
● Include only what’s relevant right now

11. Make every word earn its place
● Edit ruthlessly
● Go for short words over long ones
● Pack in the info
● Include only what’s relevant right now

12. We apologise
for any
inconvenience
caused
We’re sorry

13. Make every word earn its place
● Edit ruthlessly
● Go for short words over long ones
● Pack in the info
● Include only what’s relevant right now

15. Make every word earn its place
● Edit ruthlessly
● Go for short words over long ones
● Pack in the info
● Include only what’s relevant right now

16. Make it scannable
● Put the most important words first
● Use headings, lists, bold text, content chunks
● Be consistent

17. Nielsen Norman Group

18. We just applied
your theme
Theme applied

19. Make it scannable
● Put the most important words first
● Use headings, lists, bold text, content chunks
● Be consistent

20. Slack

21. Make it scannable
● Put the most important words first
● Use headings, lists, bold text, content chunks
● Be consistent

22. Be specific
● Avoid ambiguity
● Use meaningful verbs
● Explain why, not just what
● Tell users what’s coming

23. Twitter

24. Be specific
● Avoid ambiguity
● Use meaningful verbs
● Explain why, not just what
● Tell users what’s coming

25. StartSomeGood

26. Be specific
● Avoid ambiguity
● Use meaningful verbs
● Explain why, not just what
● Tell users what’s coming

27. ASOS

28. “You’ll never spend
more time writing
fewer words”
Cheryl Lowry

29. Give it the time it deserves
● Consider content early
● Use real content in prototypes
● Revise, revise, revise
● Test!
○ Readability tests
○ A/B tests
○ Card sorts
○ Tree tests

30. Give it the time it deserves
● Consider content early
● Use real content in prototypes
● Revise, revise, revise
● Test!
○ Readability tests
○ A/B tests
○ Card sorts
○ Tree tests

31. Give it the time it deserves
● Consider content early
● Use real content in prototypes
● Revise, revise, revise
● Test!
○ Readability tests
○ A/B tests
○ Card sorts
○ Tree tests

32. Give it the time it deserves
● Consider content early
● Use real content in prototypes
● Revise, revise, revise
● Test!
○ Readability tests
○ A/B tests
○ Card sorts
○ Tree tests

33. Be human
● Use plain language (no jargon!)
● Speak like your users do
● Use active over passive
● Verb your nouns
● Consider emotional state and context
● Personality is OK!

35. Be human
● Use plain language (no jargon!)
● Speak like your users do
● Use active over passive
● Verb your nouns
● Consider emotional state and context
● Personality is OK!

36. Be human
● Use plain language (no jargon!)
● Speak like your users do
● Use active over passive
● Verb your nouns
● Consider emotional state and context
● Personality is OK!

37. The problem is
being
investigated
We’re
investigating
the problem

38. Be human
● Use plain language (no jargon!)
● Speak like your users do
● Use active over passive
● Verb your nouns
● Consider emotional state and context
● Personality is OK!

39. We’ve started
an investigation
of the problem
We’re
investigating
the problem

40. Be human
● Use plain language (no jargon!)
● Speak like your users do
● Use active over passive
● Verb your nouns
● Consider emotional state and context
● Personality is OK!

41. Android, @daleotoole

42. Be human
● Use plain language (no jargon!)
● Speak like your users do
● Use active over passive
● Verb your nouns
● Consider emotional state and context
● Personality is OK!

43. We’re just humans
talking to other
humans

44. More on UX Writing
● Content + UX Slack group mjmetts.com/content-ux-slack
● Talking microcopy: Writing UX Facebook group facebook.com/groups/microcopy
● Writing for user interfaces blog uiwriting.tumblr.com
● Microcopy patterns Twitter account @tinywordsmatter
● UI content resources list meganwhalin.com/ui-content-resources
● Writing for the web articles, Nielsen Norman Group nngroup.com/topic/writing-web
● Interface writing guide, Material Design material.io/guidelines/style/writing.html
● Hemingway app readability checker hemingwayapp.com

45. Thanks!
Rachael Mullins
@rachaelamullins