The importance of UX writing when designing digital products.

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The world of content is ever changing, with focus today shifting towards digital copy such as landing pages, web pages, apps, and beyond. It seems as though new and innovative areas of UX writing are revealing themselves more and more, particularly as technology advances – but what is it and why is it so important? 

We’ve partnered up with UX copy crafting connoisseurs, writefully, to explore. 

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What is UX writing?

User experience (UX) writing – also described as ‘writing to help’ is a specialised form of writing that focuses on the user experience of a digital product or service. It’s all about creating user-friendly content that’s clear, concise, and engaging – allowing easy navigation of the product while providing a pleasurable experience. 

Good UX writing aims to make complex tasks easier by transforming instructions into something, well, a little more exciting! It can even be as simple as writing ‘oops’ instead of ‘error’ on a 404 page. The writefully team have shared a few examples of this type of microcopy:

• menus 
• buttons
• labels
• error messages
• chatbots 
• onboarding instructions
• in-app content.

UX is transforming the way we use products in this ever-growing digital world. 

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How is UX writing different from content writing? 

The main objective of UX writing is to allow the user to interact with a product or service more efficiently. In other words, the content must be easy to digest. UX writers will conduct research into their target audience to gain a better understanding of the consumer and their expectations of the product – in order to craft content that will appeal to them. How the content is presented is also an important factor in UX. All of the usability elements that a user comes into contact with when visiting a website or digital product play a part in the navigation process: from design elements such as branding and fonts, to colour contrasts and sentence structure. Bold headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points are popular formats in this instance. 

Other means of content writing will focus less on the user themselves and more on the message conveyed – having the freedom to use more complex and descriptive language. The aim here will not always be to sell your target audience on a brand or product, but to inform and educate the consumer in an entertaining manner through long-form articles, blogs, social media, press releases, or PR.

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Brands that are crushing their UX strategy

This is a fast-paced market and the competition is hot. Brands are quickly turning their focus towards solving user problems with UX designs that leisurely guide customers from A to B – without a furrowed brow in sight. After working closely with a number of brands to improve their UX, writefully found the following sweetspots when it comes to creating the best UX designs:

• centre around helping users navigate the product effectively and efficiently
• eliminate barriers or confusion
• respond to customer behaviour and incorporate feedback
• flow smoothly without friction
• have an enticing and easily accessible user interface.

A few examples of brands who do this brilliantly, include: ASOS, Airbnb, Starbucks, and Apple – the latter we’re sure comes as no surprise. As a company that’s centred around design and technology, Apple conquers UX by creating an immersive experience for users via parallax scrolling, animation, 3D touch, and smart editorial that not only sells the products, but the ways in which the user will benefit from purchasing them. Its clean, modern layout and simple navigation is one of the things the worldwide brand is best known for – providing a user experience that doesn’t overwhelm the consumer.

Let’s use Airbnb as another example. Championing simplicity and flexibility, the site and app’s two target audiences (hosts and guests) have dedicated content that’s easy to follow and differentiate – with high quality visuals that tell a story and help build a connection with the consumer. It features an easy-to-use search box with drop down filters to help with navigation. Airbnb has a responsive design, allowing the user to determine how they view their properties: by price, amenities, or via map – making it easier to find a property that meets user requirements. Overall, Airbnb’s bold CTAs, inspiring photography, and easy to use tool makes it a UX hit.

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So, why is UX writing so important in product design?

User experience is essential for any business that relies on digital products or services, which in today’s age, is pretty much all of them. The aim is to constantly improve the relationship between man and machine through interaction, and so investing in UX writing could be the difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful one. 

Writefully have highlighted a few reasons as to why UX is so beneficial for your business – beyond the simple satisfaction of easily using a sophisticated digital  service or product.

• It can either turn away or attract customers. You could have the swishest site or app, but badly written UX can be confusing and often turn customers away from your product. Well written UX will provide a user experience that customers will feel confident about – often leading to conversion or sale. 
• It greatly impacts the design process. UX writers work hand-in-hand with UX designers and researchers to ensure their content aligns with the product or services core values. This is a great way of ensuring both aspects are user-friendly. 
• It can encourage conversions. As mentioned above, great UX can significantly help businesses to improve their conversations and ROI by making actions, such as  transactions, easier for users to complete.

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Summary

The importance of UX writing when designing products is huge. Businesses can draw on a wealth of knowledge and resources to further enhance digital experiences for users: from introducing simplistic yet aesthetically pleasing designs to increasing above the fold CTAs, easy to use filters, and clear and concise instructions. In doing so, businesses offering digital products or services will see an influx in customer engagement and retention.