UX Writers design the app or website you use, only with words. Of course, it’s a lot more complicated, but writers work on projects designing the flow of how you complete an online task, whether it’s booking a flight or scheduling a doctor’s appointment. The simpler, the better.
You’ll find us at the intersection of content strategy, research, and design.
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Many people may ask, like my mom did, “What exactly is a UX writer?” I told her, “We write the words that make you do the things.”
We establish a “voice” and keep it consistent across all features. We take something complicated, with a mix of —
IT/development constraints
federal and state regulatory requirements
legal concerns
content management system limitations
mobile versus web platform performance
ADA accessibility requirements
third-party integration software needs
regional differences in nationwide sites
business and product requirements
brand values
budget limitations
timeframe
stakeholder opinions
— and distill it into something simple for people to understand.
UX writers:
Work across disciplines to create seamless experiences and solve complex challenges.
Ferociously advocate for the user, thus the term “user experience.”
Combine humanity with technology.
“Well,” as someone told me, “I don’t see a lot of writing on these sites. Must be pretty easy to write ‘Select this’ or ‘Learn more’ or ‘Tell us what you need about this appointment.’ Can’t anyone just write a few lines of copy and call it a day?”
The short answer is no.
Good writing looks easy. It reads simple. You learn that people don’t read; they scan.
A UX writer is more than “just a writer.” We’re co-designers. We’re storytellers. We take you on a journey through a task. In fact, I like to apply the principles of storytelling to UX. Like any narrative, every screen has a beginning, middle and an end, with just enough information to get you to the next step. And at the end of your task, like any good story, you leave satisfied.
Learn more about my UX writing career.
Or check out my LinkedIn profile.
Or read my articles on Medium.