and how it can take product designs from simply good to great.
"No one notices the words." "People don't read." "Users just push buttons." "We don't need copy here." "It doesn't matter."
UX content designers have likely heard many versions of those statements in their careers. All those statements mean the same thing - content design isn't important.
Yet, writing for the user experience is a vital part of UX design. When it comes to designing an outstanding user experience, it's no longer enough to treat copy as a necessary (or unnecessary) evil. Clear, concise, compelling, and consistent text makes interfaces far more useful and useable, and helps build a sense of trust with users.
Content designers, also known as UX writers, are responsible for all the text users encounter when navigating their way around a product. Whether it's a website, a mobile app, a video game menu, or a streaming service, UX copy's crucial in guiding the user and helping them carry out their desired actions. Content designers may also plan and create how-to videos, in-app and push notifications and emails, and maintain style guides. Anywhere you see text, a content designer's behind it.
Just like we don't always notice good technical documentation, we seldom register good copy. We carried out our task with minimal fuss and now we can relax, but what we do notice is poor copy that confuses us or complicates the process.
Once an afterthought, UX writing's just as important as the design itself.
Why does content design matter?
Think of your preferred streaming service.
You know you want to watch something, but you don't know what. Now imagine there's only images without text. You can't see the name of the film or show; in fact, you don't even know if what you're looking at is a film or a show. You have no information on the director, the plot, the genre, or the cast. So, what do you do?
Most likely, you close the app and open another streaming service that does help you find what you're looking for and guides you on your journey.
Every piece of copy, from the smallest tooltip to the most obtrusive warning message impacts the user experience. While on the surface, content design is simply good word choices, it's so much more than that. It's a way to turn user experiences into immersive interactions so users can get what they need out of the product or service. With time, this leads to improved experiences, conversions, and brand awareness.
Content designers craft copy that's not only succinct yet captivating, but also user-friendly, brand-specific, and catered to the personas who'll engage with the product. UX copy directly affects how users interact with digital content, their perceptions of the brand, and how they achieve their goals.
Let's take a fitness monitoring device as an example. How many of us would be interested if not for the congratulatory message that pops up when we reach our goals? That little dopamine hit is thanks to a content designer. How about when we enter the wrong password to access our email account? We might not like the error message and what it means, but without it, we're stuck mashing the Sign in button with no indication that something's wrong. That error message is the work of a content designer.
We've all heard of Duolingo and their sassy, passive-aggressive owl, Duo. Duo's a central part of the experience, greeting users when they open the app, cheering them on when they achieve milestones, and reminding users to do their daily lessons via push notifications. The Duolingo copy's a clever mix of persistent, helpful, motivational, and supportive, and with 500 million users worldwide, the Duolingo copy's contributed massively to the company's success. Is that little owl annoying (and maybe a little frightening)? Does it encourage users to continue their lessons and guide them through their journey? Absolutely.
Without content designers, Duolingo would just be another product we all forgot about long ago.
The role of a content designer
Content designers make sure that the user experience goes as seamlessly as possible. Writing for the user experience is all about smooth, facilitative passage through a product, so content designers are involved every step of the way.
That doesn't mean content designers are limited simply to writing. To craft compelling copy that engages users and elevates their experience, it's crucial to first understand the full product design and development process - and how good copy contributes to that.
Content designers may conduct or be involved in copy-focused user research sessions to build a strong sense of empathy for their target audience. Who are you writing for? What tone of voice is most likely to resonate with your users? Content designers can then use these insights to devise an overarching UX editorial strategy, ensuring their copy's consistent across all products and interfaces.
In addition to writing new copy, content designers will carry out regular analysis and health-checks on existing product copy. This may include analyzing product metrics such as daily sessions, time-on-page, and goal completion rates. It may also include combing through the product in search of inconsistencies, unclear text, and poor word choices. Content designers:
Look at how the copy makes the user feel. Does it frustrate, confuse, alienate, or empower?
Determine accessibility. Many products cater to a broad range of users, so it's important that the product accounts for digital literacy, average reading skills, and those with vision issues or hearing loss.
Plan how to improve the copy to elevate the product. Does it need some minor tweaks or is a complete overhaul needed?
Carry out analyses of competitors to understand industry trends and best practices and determine how to implement these into the product.
It's easy to think of content designers working in a silo. That's not the case.
Content designers work with UX designers, researchers, information architects, project managers, technical writers, and engineers, to name a few. They'll work to ensure that the product layout and copy work together in harmony, the copy can easily be documented, and there's appropriate functionality for the updates. They'll establish a distinct brand voice and every touch point the user goes through in their journey,
Ultimately, copy and make or break the user experience. A beautiful interface is certainly nice to look at, but when it's littered with confusing, misleading, or grammatically incorrect copy, the user suffers.
The role of a content designer is to ensure that copy forms an integral part of the design process from start to finish. Content designers act as dedicated wordsmiths, championing the importance of language and semantics, and establishing a consistent brand voice across all touch points.
Without carefully crafted copy, users will simply close the app or web page and open another service that does help them find what they're looking for and guides them on their journey.
