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Transforming content design with AI: a comprehensive guide

Boris Slesar — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 14:54:33 +0000

Introduction

As content designers, we’re living in a time of change. Much like in the 1990s, when our profession transitioned from physical paper to pixels and code, this decade marks the shift from manual writing to AI-powered text generation. The change is inevitable and we want to be ready.

So how can we use various AI tools to our benefit? And in what ways is AI impacting the content design practice? This article will provide the answers.

AI has been compared to many things already, but the metaphor that I like the most is that of a creative co-pilot. Just like a co-pilot assists the pilot in navigating and making crucial decisions during a flight, AI is a valuable partner to content designers, providing intelligent insights, streamlining processes, and smoothing out the overall design journey.

No, it shouldn’t entirely take over your writing, but it should enhance your skills, enabling you to complete more work quickly and at a higher quality.

Let’s dive in.

How AI changes the content design landscape

AI technology is revolutionizing the landscape of content design and UX writing in a similar way the internet did 30 years ago. But how exactly? Here are a few areas where its transformative power is already plainly seen.

1. Generated content. With the help of generative AI, we can now automate tedious tasks and streamline our workflows. For example, AI can generate the first draft of an in-product copy and save us both time and effort. For the first time in history we don’t need to work with dummy text, but rather we can use AI-generated text and then iterate on that. As Yael Ben-David puts it in her article on Medium, “Generative AI is a great tool for drafting that first version which may have little in common with the real thing, but is a necessary first step.” So AI can significantly cut down the time of producing the first draft of your copy. AI may not be able to reduce the total time it takes to produce a final copy, but it can certainly make that first step easier.
2. Accessibility coach. AI models can flag possible accessibility or inclusivity issues, acting as feedback guides. True, AI may not catch every single issue, but it can catch most of the issues faster. This allows us to focus on solving problems rather than searching for them.
3. Creativity booster. AI technology can enhance our creativity by helping us see challenges from new perspectives. For example, imagine you are a content designer working for a travel agency. With the help of AI, you can use generative models to create personalized travel itineraries for different types of travellers. AI can help generate diverse and interesting content, such as destination recommendations, hotel suggestions, and activity ideas based on the traveller’s preferences, budget, and travel dates. This saves you the time you’d spend manually researching and curating each itinerary. It also allows you to provide tailored and engaging content to each customer, and thus deliver a better experience.

Research and testing. AI tools can revolutionize UX content research and testing by making complex processes such as persona development and competitor analysis significantly easier. For instance, machine learning algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data to identify common user behavior patterns, which can then be used to refine user personas. Also, AI can automate competitor analysis by tracking and comparing relevant metrics across different platforms. The use of AI not only streamlines research methodologies but also enhances the accuracy and effectiveness of UX content strategies.

How AI empowers content designers

The human element is crucial to making the most out of generative AI. The process is quite straightforward. After we generate content using a model, we need to evaluate and edit it carefully. Different outputs from alternative prompts can be combined into a single one. Rather than blindly accepting what the AI churns out, we connect the dots ourselves.

Generative AI models are incredibly diverse. They can process different types of content, such as images, longer text formats, emails, social media content, voice recordings, program code, and structured data. They can generate new content, translations, answers to questions, sentiment analysis, summaries, and even videos. The potential application in business is endless.

AI in content design is already significantly upending the workflow of businesses and professionals who create content daily. Here are some:

Increased efficiency. Whether we’re working on new designs for the onboarding flow, writing a social media post or polishing a deep-dive for our company blog, we can use large language and image AI models to speed up the first part of the process — drafting. Doing so will save us a ton of time, especially if we need to produce a lot of content quickly.
Enhanced creativity. Do you ever feel stuck staring at a blank page? It happens to all of us. AI can help us connect the dots and see the challenge we’re working on in a new light. AI can learn from a large amount of data and thus can identify unobvious patterns. By using AI, we can create more diverse and interesting content that appeals to a wider customer base.
Better user experience. Because of its ability to learn from large datasets, AI models can create personalized content based on the preferences of individual users. Such customization creates content that is more appealing to a niche audience. Specialized content then becomes popular in the target group and stands a better chance of being shared and reposted.

Incorporating AI into our workflows

Content design workflows increasingly rely on generative AI. AI finds its way primarily by automating mundane tasks, expediting content creation, and offering valuable insights through data analysis. It can amplify productivity and enhance the overall efficiency of workflows.

Here’s one example. Imagine you’re a content designer whose job is to create a large volume of content on social media platforms within tight deadlines. Generative AI tools can assist you by automatically generating ideas for social media posts, captions, and hashtags based on specific parameters and brand guidelines. This saves your time and sparks creativity by providing new perspectives and ideas.

Additionally, generative AI can optimize content for different platforms, adjusting the length, structure, and visual elements to ensure a much more consistent user experience. By incorporating generative AI, content design teams can increase efficiency, improve creativity, and deliver engaging and tailored content to their target audience.

As we enter 2024, let’s aim to refine our skills in crafting improved prompts, repurposing them for clarity, and ensuring they’re accessible to non-writers. Let’s plan to focus on enhancing our team’s confidence in AI, whether we collaborate with writers, designers, or translators. We can also keep an eye on ways to leverage AI for more sophisticated content by regularly updating our dynamic content design guidelines.

AI Tools for Content Designers and UX Writers

UX writing is all about creating copy that assists the user in navigating an interface and accomplishing their tasks effortlessly. The copy should captivate the user and reflect the brand’s voice. What AI tools are there to help? Let’s now look at the top 6 AI tools for content design in 2023 and explore how they can benefit our content design practice.

ChatGPT
1. Used for: Generating human-like text responses in conversations
2. About: ChatGPT is an AI-powered tool that uses natural language processing to facilitate lifelike interactions with a chatbot. It can assist you with a range of tasks, like writing emails, essays, and code, and is ideal for roles such as customer support bots and personal assistants. Basic version GPT3.5 is free with a more advanced version 4.0 being available to paying customers.
Phrasee.

Used for: Generating, optimising, and testing customer-facing copy at scale.
About: Phrasee is a powerful content design tool that uses generative AI to produce brand-aligned content. It contains a built-in approval process that ensures that all copy is stakeholder-approved before it goes live. Phrasee optimizes copy through automated experimentation and testing to ensure the best messaging for every user touchpoint.

Lokalise.
1. Used for: Translating and localising website and app copy.
2. About: Localisation is the process of adapting your content to a foreign audience so that it’s culturally on-point. That’s where Lokalise steps in. It is an excellent tool for ensuring that translation and localisation are built into the design process right from the start. It offers integrations with popular design tools like Sketch, Figma or Adobe XD, allowing you to preview translated content directly in your prototypes.
Acrolinx.
1. Used for: Content governance, maintaining consistency and quality of content across all touchpoints.
2. About: Acrolinx is a comprehensive content management platform that ensures consistency in all your content. With it, you can improve your content and optimize it based on specific goals and metrics. You can evaluate your existing content, create content guidelines using data-driven insights, establish goals for different content types, maintain consistency and accuracy across all channels, and use detailed analytics to continuously measure and optimize your UX/UI content.
Frontitude.
1. Used for: Writing and improving product copy directly in Figma.
2. About: Frontitude’s UX Writing Assistant is an AI-powered Figma plugin that provides product copy suggestions directly within your designs. The main benefit is that the tool also uses the immediate design context to come up with suitable suggestions, factoring in the size and space available within each design element to determine the copy length. It’s a great tool for speeding up the copy-creation process.
Uizard’s text assistant.
1. Used for: Generating copy and/or placeholder text for your UI mockups.
2. About: Uizard is a widely-used design tool that allows you to quickly create wireframes and prototypes. What you may not know is that it also offers an AI-powered writing assistant. This assistant can help you add appropriate placeholder copy to your designs. You can directly incorporate the suggested text into your mockups or use it as a starting point to create your own.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap!

Remember that AI in content design is not your enemy. Rather, it is a powerful tool that can help you navigate the field more confidently and become even more successful and efficient at your job.

So explore various AI tools and look for ways you can incorporate them into your everyday workflow.

As you gain skills, you’ll be amazed at how much AI can enhance your creativity, streamline your workflows, and deliver exceptional results.

Don’t know where to start? Join our 8-week certification program AI Design Academy and master basic generative AI tools.

💡 This 8-week program will give you:

A solid foundation in prompt engineering
An extensive library of AI use cases for product design
Experience in no-code design
An original AI product piece for your portfolio
A certificate in AI design

Did you like the article? Share this knowledge about AI in content design and its impact on the industry with your network.

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What Is UX Writing? A Complete Guide For Beginners in 2024

Anja Wedberg — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:16:48 +0000

Heard about UX writing and wonder if it’s for you? This article explains what UX writing is, what UX writers do, and what to do if you’re interested in this new-ish and exciting field.

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🧙‍♂️ Wanna give UX writing and content design a go? Try our free course A Taste of UX Writing

The definition of UX writing

In one sentence, UX writing is the craft of researching, creating and testing content for digital products and services.

What do UX writers do?

Digital products are found in most industries, and job descriptions vary from company to company. If you work in a small company or startup, you may be wearing many hats and UX writing may be one of several content-related tasks in your job description. In a large corporation, your work will most likely be more streamlined, focusing on UX writing for one or a few specific products.

Still, there are a few things all UX writers have in common:

Creating copy based on UX research and testing results, instead of relying on their own judgment alone
Working closely with designers and developers to get an understanding of the whole user journey in a given flow or section
Using words to solve user problems and meet business goals

You can read more about what UX writers get up to here.

Skills UX writers need

Writing skills

The first thing that springs to mind is, doh, writing skills. But it’s vital to be aware that one thing that makes UX writing different from traditional writing gigs is all that other stuff. Things like:

Content strategy

UX writing is a kind of strategic writing. What does that mean? Well, instead of working with words on the surface — writing or revising a whole product from start to finish — UX writers are often tasked to identify and solve specific user challenges.

You will often tackle one user flow at a time. Using insights from UX research, analytics, and a style guide, you will figure out how words can help the users move forward and complete tasks.

UX research and testing

UX writing done right is research-based, data-driven and open to testing and user feedback. New insights will give you new tasks to complete and user challenges to solve.

Many large companies have separate UX research departments. In that case, you probably won’t carry out the research or create the statistics yourself. But you need to be familiar with common research methods so that you know what to do with the material. Plus if you are aware of UX research, you can suggest research needed to the relevant department.

It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with research methods that are unique for UX writing, such as conversation mining and cloze tests. Read more about these and other testing methods in the article UX research for beginners. Another great resource if you’re new to the game is this podcast with UX researcher Natalya Sarana.

UX research is a lot of fun and will transform how you view writing forever, so it’s definitely worth the effort.

Design thinking

UX writers and content designers belong in the design department. This means that you will take part in daily or weekly standups, workshops, brainstorms and you name it. If you’re used to polishing your copy to perfection in a quiet corner, sending it off to your client, and moving on to the next writing task, it’s best to brace yourself for something quite different.

Design thinking is an iterative process where early and regular feedback is as common as pierogi in Poland. Get used to getting opinions of your work long before you’ve had a chance to finalize it–and be thankful for the input. Remember that your best critics are not necessarily other writers but people who are going to read your copy.

Design tools

You’re going to need at least basic competence with common design tools like Figma. Definitely learn how to navigate in Figma. It might not be the most intuitive tool to start with if you’re new to design. The good news is that it’s enough to start with the absolute basics. You’ll be working *with* designers, not replacing them. There may be a few brain balls out there who are just as good with copy as they are with design, but in the vast majority of cases, this is not required.

Learn more about UX design tools for UX writers.

AI-driven language tools

Recent developments within AI have both amazed and horrified our industry (I’m updating this article in March 2023). OpenAI’s ChatGTP has taken generative AI to new impressive levels. ChatGPT pumps out natural-sounding language at a speed no human can compete with. What’s a UX writer to do?

One thing’s for sure: How UX writers work is going to change. Our best chance to stay relevant is to stay on top of it all. Understand the potential and limitations of these tools so that you can use them to power up your own writing.

The new tools may be fast, but speed is far from everything a writer needs. One thing AI tools lack is context. You can ask them to write almost anything, but they are blissfully unaware of your company, your product, your goals, your users, your users’ pain points and needs, and your style guide. They haven’t been part of any discussions and they haven’t seen your user research or testing results. This is why they can be helpful to generate ideas or provide a first, rough draft of copy – but the output has to be checked, edited and approved.

So instead of panicking about technological advancement, explore the new tools that make you a faster and better UX writer. Two examples are Writer and Wordtune. One smart way to use Writer is to feed it the company style guide. This way, both writers and non-writers in a company can be prompted for style guide recommendations directly on the screen. In other words, it eliminates the need for locating and searching the style guide. Grammarly Business has a similar function. And things are moving fast — as of the time of writing, Grammarly is working on a Figma plugin.

Wordtune works quite differently. Rather than generating content for you, it helps you rephrase sentences you’ve written yourself. So it’s a handy companion if you’re the kind of writer who easily comes up with a first draft but find editing a drag.

Check out the article Top 6 AI writing tools for more tips. You’ll also get an intro to AI for UX writers in our free course A Taste of UX Writing.

How much do UX writers make?

UX writers, content designers, and other writers in the tech industry tend to earn above-average incomes. In some places in the world, UX writers even enjoy six-figure salaries.

According to our 2022 salary survey, the global average salary for writers in tech 2022 was 67K USD. But as you can imagine, this figure can vary enormously across countries, age groups, and years of experience, to name a few things.

Head over to our salary survey for more exciting numbers and stats related to what UX writers make.

Is UX writing the same as content design?

The term content design was coined by Sarah Winters (was Richards), who led the mammoth task of transforming the UK government website. Sarah then went on to found Content Design London and write the brilliant book Content Design.

So the roots of content design can be traced back to the strategy, content creation and publishing needed to make text-heavy websites like GOV.UK more user-friendly. This is quite different from the job of many UX writers, at least those who work with user flows in mobile apps and other digital interfaces.

For some time, local preferences for UX writing and content design was clearly geographical:

A search in Google Trends shows that over the last 5 years, “content designer” has been the preferred search term in the UK and India. In many other parts of the world, “UX writer” has been the most common option.

In the last year or two, something interesting has happened. Several large companies (for example Facebook, Shopify, and Dropbox) have changed the job title of their UX writers to content designers. Why? The reason I’ve heard most often is to make it clear that UX writers should be part of the product design team. Content design also signals that the job is about so much more than writing. Valid points!

Still, the terms UX writing and content design are often used interchangeably, as Aaron Raizen discovered when doing some research and a podcast on the subject.

The titles UX writer and content designer are far from the only ones floating around for the same or similar jobs. It’s quite a mess. If you’re looking for a UX writing job, be sure to keep an eye open for content strategist, UX copywriter, product writer, UX content designer, and content editor jobs too (to mention a few).

The difference between UX writing and copywriting

Traditional copywriting is strongly associated with the work of advertising agencies. Ad copywriters produce adverts, brochures and sales letters using persuasive language to entice users to start using a product or buy a service.

The term copywriting is also often used for other types of text production, including web content, marketing copy and blog writing.

The main difference between UX writing and copywriting is that the bulk of UX writing is done after a user has completed a purchase or signed up for a service or app. As a result, there is no need to try to sell something. Instead, the goal of the writer is to make sure it is easy and pleasant to use the product or service.

Long-form copy vs. microcopy

Another fundamental difference is that copywriters often work with long-form copy. UX writing on the other hand has a huge connection to microcopy. And what’s microcopy? We have a whole separate article on the subject. Here’s just a quick explanation and one example:

Microcopy is the small snippets of text found all over digital interfaces. These texts serve many functions: They are there to help people move forward in the flow, remove friction, explain what’s gone wrong, and sometimes even give the user a smile on their face.

See this example from Spotify: In a few short phrases, the microcopy assures us not just that we don’t have to pay, but that they will not ask for our credit card details:

The overlap between UX writing, copywriting and marketing

Anyway, back to copywriting and UX writing. There is plenty of overlap between the two. There is a lot of typical UX writing to be done before a purchase has been made (sign-up forms, for example). Another cross-over example is the copy needed to persuade people to upgrade from a free to a paid version.

Personally I think copywriters and UX writers have a lot to learn from each other. And marketing teams can benefit massively from introducing UX methods and design thinking into their content production. But that’s a topic for another article!

The relation between UX writing and content strategy

Content strategy can be described as a plan for content creation. It describes what type of content you should create, why you should create it, who should create it, how it will be created, and where it should be published and distributed.

A good content strategy is based on clear business and user goals.

UX writing is closely related to content strategy because UX writers aim for the sweet spot where they help users reach their goals while keeping business goals on track. You could say that UX writing is a strategic kind of writing. Check out Torrey Podmajersky’s book Strategic writing for UX for lots of examples of UX writing in practice.

UX writing vs. technical writing

What about the connection between technical writing and UX writing or content design? They definitely share some common ground.

Like UX writers, technical writers aim to make complex information clear and easy to understand. Both need to be fully briefed on the project and the context, including style preferences, the target audience, and goals.

A difference between technical writing and UX writing is that tech writers tend to work with text-heavy documentation (online help files, instruction manuals etc.) rather than user journeys in digital interfaces. As such, the two roles require very different mindsets.

In today’s digital products, there are only traces of typical technical writing texts–for example tooltips and flows that guide the user. The goal for many digital products is to make the UI so friction-free and easy to use that support documentation is no longer needed. And this is precisely one reason many technical writers are transitioning to UX writing and content design.

Read our full article about technical writing and its relation to UX writing.

Who should do UX writing?

Who is best suited to become a UX writer? Writers who supplement their skillset with strategy and design tools, or designers who advance their writing skills?

I’d say that both are in an excellent position to transfer to UX writing. And not just writers and designers – there are numerous examples of people from other disciplines who have entered the world of UX writing. Journalism, customer service, and even baking, to name a few.

The important thing is to appreciate that there is a lot to learn, even if you have experience from a related field.

A typical day as a UX writer

OK maybe there’s no such thing as a typical day for UX writers. As mentioned above, job descriptions and tasks vary from company to company and project to project. So let’s pick an example day when the UX writer didn’t write a single word:

You kick off the day with a team meeting to go through what everyone’s up to. The lead UX writer has received a report showing that 21% of all users drop out of the checkout process at the address screen in the checkout flow. She asks you to look into the flow and the copy and come up with an action plan for improving the numbers.

The first thing you do is to familiarize yourself with the flow and see if you spot any glaring issues. So you run through the process, deliberately entering the wrong information in all fields to generate error messages and taking notes as you go along.

You’ve spotted a few possible obstacles for users, but need to dig deeper. So you scan through the full report for information about the users who drop out but feel unsure about the numbers. Hmmm, best to have a chat with the analyst who generated the report. You set up a call with him later in the afternoon.

Time for lunch 🥙

The call with the analyst reveals that the biggest group of checkout flow dropouts lives in other countries. You suspect the issue is due to lack of information on how to complete the fields if the address contains diacritics or non-latin letters. One of the error messages you spotted earlier was the Yoda-like “Error with this field occurred”, without any other explanation. More detail for the user at this stage might help.

You slack customer services to see if they are aware of any problems. You also slack the developers to ask for all the relevant error strings.

While you’re waiting for a response, you start preparing your action plan. Your hypothesis is that explanatory copy will reduce the dropout rate. Running a usability test with a couple of people in the affected countries might be an option. This would give you their feedback both on the functionality and how the copy resonates with them.

Customer services get back to you to say that two Polish customers have written to them in the last two weeks, because they couldn’t complete a purchase. Seems that you’re definitely on to something here. Tomorrow you’ll find out how many other countries are affected. If the lead UX writer agrees with your action plan, you’ll then start drafting copy for the error messages and go ahead with the usability test.

FAQs: How to become a UX writer

First of all, is it really worth transitioning to UX writing – aren’t UX writers going to be replaced by new technology à la ChatGPT?

The recent development within AI is impressive, to say the least. Naturally, many professional writers are concerned that their jobs will be replaced by technology.

As I hope to have shown in this article, UX writers and content designers do a lot more than write copy. We’re involved in the whole content creation process, from ideation and research through design to testing and data analysis. Our best assets, besides being able to write, are our communication and problem-solving skills.

If the new tools can help us produce copy more efficiently, great! Get to know those tools so that you can use them wisely. Hint: They’re not perfect and need to be handled with care.

Will we live to see AI replace humans in meetings, discussions, planning and ideation sessions, user interviews and so on? Who knows? Well if it comes to that, the rest of society has probably also changed fundamentally. And if so, we’ll all be living completely different lives. But it would be a gradual process, not something that happens overnight.

In any case, the best way to stay relevant in this profession is to keep up to date and adapt along with the technology.

Where can I get the skills needed to land a UX writing gig?

If you like to learn by taking courses, there are plenty to choose from. The first question is, should you do a UX design course or a UX writing course? Many people do both, but it really depends on the skills you want to achieve.

If you are a UX designer already, you probably won’t need another design course but should rather go for a course with lots of UX writing assignments. What about writers? Again, it depends – just be aware that UX writing is very different from other types of writing.

Our own courses combine UX writing and design practices and we have students from all sorts of backgrounds.

But do I have to take a course?

No, not necessarily–it depends on how you prefer to learn. You can develop your UX writing skills through self-study or by creating a portfolio that you can use to apply for jobs. If you have good self-discipline, motivation and networking skills, you’ll find all the information and resources you need online.

OK but can’t I just learn on the job?

Well, sure, there may be companies that are happy for you to learn as you go along. Look out for internships and junior positions! Oh and seek out UX writing opportunities in your current company and then have a word with your manager.

If you have some extra time on your hands, you can also look out for volunteering opportunities.

And how do I create a portfolio without experience?

We all use digital products every single day. Next time you bang your head on the keyboard because an app frustrates you, take screenshots! Build a case study around the problem and explain your proposed solution. Create alternative screens in a design tool like Figma and publish your case study online for future employers. Need portfolio inspiration? Start with our blog post 9 Beginner UX Writing Portfolios Examples.

Any other tips?

Yes! Join online communities (the very lively Facebook group Microcopy and UX writing is the biggest social media group for new, experienced, and future UX writers), go to online events and conferences, take part in local meetups, look into getting a mentor or UX writing buddy, read books. Connect with UX writers and content designers on LinkedIn.

The more you learn, the more fun you’ll have 🙂

Phew, OK! So where do I start?

A great way to find out if UX writing is for you is to take our free course A Taste of UX Writing. Enjoy!

The post What Is UX Writing? A Complete Guide For Beginners in 2024 appeared first on UX WRITING HUB.

Microcopy in a nutshell: Past, present and future

Anja Wedberg — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 05:55:15 +0000

Without microcopy, users would get lost in any digital interface. Often described as small words with a lot of power, it can have a huge effect on both user experience and conversions. In this blog post, we’ll explain what microcopy is and where the term came from. You’ll also get plenty of great (and a few not so great) examples and tips on how to improve your microcopy writing skills.

What is microcopy?

Microcopy is the small text snippets that guide us through websites, apps, and other digital experiences. It comes in many shapes and forms, but it has a common goal: To help people navigate through a digital product or service as smoothly as possible. We can think of microcopy as a way of using words to solve problems.

Creating microcopy is one of the main tasks (but not the only) of UX writers and content designers. If you’re new to the game, you may well think “do we really need to hire someone to write Click Here on buttons?” The answer is “you bet!” for several reasons.

First of all, “click here” is not a good choice for a CTA, because it is not specific. This makes it unclear for everyone, including people with screen readers who often use the screen reader to read out link CTAs on a page. “Click here” means that they have no idea where the link leads.
Secondly, choosing the most useful and therefore best-performing microcopy takes a lot of background research. To hit the nail on the head, we need to be fully aware of who the users are, where they are in the user journey, what they are trying to accomplish, and how we can adapt the brand voice for a consistent product experience.
Finally, there’s a lot more to microcopy than CTA buttons. If you start digging through an interface, you’ll find pieces of microcopy lurking around all over the place.

Here’s a list of the main types of microcopy in digital interfaces:

Onboarding copy – the text that guides users when they sign up for a new product or service
Error messages, including the copy on 404 pages – short texts that inform the user of a problem, for example when an incorrect password has been entered. Here’s a whole article devoted to error messages.
Success messages – the “yay, you’ve got this!” type of copy often shown when the user has completed a task.
Tooltips – labels with text are shown when a user hovers over or touches an element on the page or screen. Tooltips give the user more info about functionality and features.
Text fields in online forms – super important to make sure people don’t give up before completing a form.
Empty states – sometimes, there is nothing to show on the screen because the user hasn’t started using a particular tool or service yet. This is a good opportunity to add some explanatory copy and/or image, or at least explain why the page is empty.
Loading messages – copy shown while the user is waiting for a program to process an action, like “hold on tight! we’re getting your results – shouldn’t take more than a minute.”
Captions – short texts below a picture that describe its content.
Image alt texts – short texts that are read out by screen readers and also shown if the picture doesn’t load properly. Alt texts can be crucial for accessibility (with the exception of purely decorative pictures).
Notifications – short messages with important information beyond the scope of regular user task flows. Notifications are often time-specific, for example when an upgrade is available.
Offboarding copy – the text that is shown when a user decides it’s time to say adios to a product or service

One thing almost all types of microcopy have in common is that they drive user action. Onboarding copy guides you through unfamiliar tasks in an easy-to-follow way. A microcopy error message would prompt users to take action by fixing the problem.

Is microcopy the same as UI copy, UX copy, and microcontent?

It depends on who you ask. For sure there is a great deal of overlap between these terms. I think you can make the same distinction between UI copy and UX copy as you can between UI design and UX design. In other words, UI refers more to the visual aspects (the form) of an interface, and UX more to the practical aspects (function). (Of course you can argue that the form and function go together and need each other.)

Microcontent is, as far as I can see, a term used already in 1998 by Jakob Nielsen from NNGroup to describe elements like headings, subheadings, introductions/preview texts/meta texts, and email subject titles. Again, some overlap, but not quite the same.

Microcopy is not marketing copy

Before we move on, just a quick note about what microcopy is not. It’s tempting to include any short copy in the definition, especially if that copy is found in a digital product.

But in product design, we usually draw a line between marketing copy and microcopy. One reason is that they have fundamentally different goals. Marketing copy is primarily used before a product has been sold and tries to persuade people to cough up the cash. Most microcopy is used after a product has been sold and tries to make it as smooth and easy as possible to use.

Again, there is some overlap. Users may meet plenty of microcopy moments before or while making a purchase (requesting demos or other information through online forms, for example). And marketing doesn’t always stop after a purchase has been made (for example when the users can upgrade to another version).

Because of this overlap, it’s a great idea for marketers and UX writers to take an interest in, get inspired by, and learn from each other. OK personally I’m hoping that marketing will learn more from UX than the other way around, but that will be another blog article.

The early days of microcopy

Why have people been making such a fuss about microcopy in the last few years? Because for a long time, it was a neglected part of UX design. Cryptic error messages like this one used to be common:

Unless you’re a developer, this information has zero value. The user has no idea what has gone wrong, or why, or how to fix it. If anything, it makes end-users confused, annoyed or worried.

The person often credited with coming up with the term microcopy for text in digital interfaces is Joshua Parker. He saw the power of these small phrases while working at User Interface Engineering. He noticed that many people got stuck on a check-out page because they entered the wrong address. So he added the explanatory microcopy “Be sure to enter the billing address associated with your credit card” and boom! Problem solved, revenue increased.

Joshua described his experience and introduced the term microcopy in a blog article already in 2009 (check it out!). This is around the time app development was about to explode. The AppStore had launched in July 2008. Google Play followed four years later. Microcopy is a crucial part of app experiences. When apps became mega-popular, the need for better microcopy grew and companies started to see the potential it had.

Why you should care about microcopy

A great way to illustrate the importance of microcopy is to simply remove it from a screen. Without any guiding text, the product is a confusing mess. The user wouldn’t have a clue what to do:

Image by 200 Degrees from Pixabay

You could say that microcopy is crucial for two main reasons:

1) It makes it easier for people to use a product or service. Clear microcopy helps users find and complete the tasks they have in mind. It can be used to reassure users and build trust, for example by explaining why you’re collecting their data. Muddy microcopy on the other hand creates friction or worse—unclear error messages can cause anything from irritation to fear and panic.

2) As it’s strongly related to the actions a user takes, it’s been shown over and over again to have a great effect on conversion rates. Choosing the right words, and showing them at the right moment in the user journey, can make the whole difference to whether somebody completes a purchase flow or signs up for that newsletter.

In short, microcopy is a great chance to influence the overall experience of a product. At the same time, it’s hardly some kind of miracle medicine. Microcopy is one part of product design and it needs to be aligned with the visuals, business and user goals, and the voice and tone.

Examples of good microcopy

Let’s look at a few examples of microcopy in action.

Anticipate user concerns

A great way to use microcopy is to anticipate user concerns, so that they don’t get stuck in a flow. Known as mental relaxers, here’s an example from the dating app Bumble. By confirming that the main photo can be changed later, new users don’t have to fret about finding the perfect picture before signing up:

There are numerous other examples of similar scenarios in today’s apps. You’re probably familiar with statements like “You can review your order before paying”, “You can always change this later,” “We only send relevant updates”, “We never share your data with third parties”, and “We hate spam as much as you do.” It’s a simple and effective way to give users the confidence to move to the next step (as long as the statement is true, of course).

Even better is when an app anticipates questions I didn’t know I had. When I had network issues on a train, Medium informed me that I could still access all my saved articles. I wouldn’t even have thought about it unless they told me:

Be clear about the number of steps

Include a progress tracker to give users an indication of how long a form or other flow is. Here’s an example from Slack:

Indicate the time commitment

If you can, you can also be clear about how much time a particular flow will take. I happily joined Zest’s 8-second tour, for example:

Again, this kind of confirmation only has a positive effect if it’s true. If the tour had turned out to take 20 seconds, my trust for Zest would have gone down the drain.

Here’s an example that kills three birds with one microcopy stone: It tells me that it’s free, that it will only take two minutes, and that I won’t need to leave my credit card details. That’s all I need to know:

Using microcopy to strengthen your brand

Tapping into your brand voice can be an excellent way to create trust and connect to your users. To do this with microcopy, it helps to have a well-defined voice and tone that specifies how to adapt your copy depending on where the user is in their journey.

This piece of microcopy wouldn’t work anywhere except in the game Cards Against Humanity, for example, where it fits perfectly. (For those who don’t know, it’s a game where the most horrible person in the room wins):

Not-so-good examples of microcopy

What about some examples that miss out because they don’t follow best practice? Thoughtless microcopy runs the risk of confusing, annoying and even excluding people.

Confusing copy

An example of a typically unclear and annoying popup is YouTube’s ongoing attempt to make us sign up for the premium version:

If I’m not interested in the premium version, I have to click on “Skip trial”. It’s confusing because the trial is not mentioned anywhere else in the popup. It feels like it’s intentionally trying to confuse me. Something like “Maybe later” would make more sense. Now, all I think when I see this popup is “screw you, YouTube”. Yep, that’s the response it evokes in me 🤷‍♀️

Confirmshaming

Confirmshaming is when products make you feel bad, stupid or silly for opting out of an offer. One of the most extreme cases I’ve seen is this one, spotted on HootSuite:

Perhaps the creators behind this popup think that they know the target audience and believe that they will think it’s funny. Hmmm. It would be interesting to A/B test this copy and look at the statistics. In any case, confirmshaming is super risky and definitely not recommended practice.

Excluding people

Here’s a signup screen I came across recently in a friendship networking app:

It’s still quite common to ask people to choose between female and male only. This automatically excludes everyone who doesn’t identify with these two options. What can we do if we work on a form that asks for gender in this way? We can always question why we need to ask for it. If there’s a valid reason, we can suggest adding a piece of microcopy that explains why this information is needed, along with more inclusive options. Ideally something that doesn’t include the word “other,” which signals that everyone who doesn’t pick female or male is a weirdo.

Tips to create better microcopy

There are three golden rules you’d be wise to always pay attention to when you create microcopy:

Be clear. This is the most important thing, ever. If users don’t understand what’s going on, they will drop out. And how do we know what is clear? By doing background research and listening to feedback from users. Using our own judgment, or only listening to our clients and product team members, is not enough. Because when we work on a topic day in and day out, it becomes impossible to imagine what it looks like for somebody who sees it for the first time. Being clear includes avoiding jargon unless absolutely necessary (and only if you’re 100% sure your readers know what it means).
Be concise. When writing digital interfaces, there are often space restrictions. But that’s not the only reason to aim for as few words as possible (without losing clarity): The more words we use, the higher the cognitive load. In the book Strategic Writing for UX, Torrey Podmajersky recommends aiming for a maximum of 3 words per button. That may not always be possible, but a good rule of thumb to aim for.
Be helpful. Take an interest in your product’s users and try to predict their concerns.

To up your microcopy game further, be sure to stay true to company values and brand personality. Many companies specify how UX writers should incorporate the brand in a style guide. If you don’t have one, be sure to take an interest in the company brand and think about how to use it in your microcopy. Or consider creating a content style guide yourself.

Another tip is to use a conversational tone for more natural and human-like rather than robotic or corporate language. Thanks to the internet, the gap between writing and speaking has shrunk drastically. Nice, isn’t it! We can chill out, stop writing long and complicated sentences, and just communicate like we do face to face. OK it can be harder than it looks because spoken communication can be quite chaotic. Without cues like someone’s tone of voice and body language, a spoken convo may be just as cryptic as an academic philosophy paper. So again, our main priority is clarity.

The future of microcopy in design

Microcopy, UX writing and content design have been around for a while by now. As a discipline, there’s been a lot of progress. Think of the things we now take for granted when we navigate online: The little explanation of where to find the CVC code on your credit card, for example.

Still, there’s a lot of work to be done, and also microcopy is not something that we can do once and be over and done with. It needs to be reviewed and revised as we go along, and for every new product feature there is new microcopy to be researched, created and tested.

Creating quality microcopy consistently is no small feat. This is why it’s still pretty easy to find lousy examples. Even in large companies with lots of UX writers who usually do a great job. Here’s a recent example from Spotify:

This error message gives me no useful information. Why can’t it play right now? When will the service resume? And no, I don’t keep music files on my computer any longer (one reason I love Spotify is that I don’t have to fill up my hard drive with audio files). So… there’s nothing I can do? If we really don’t know what has gone wrong and when it will be solved, it’s better to say so!

Be careful with humor

Just a few years ago, I often found it refreshing when I came across jokes in microcopy. Maybe because it was such a relief not to have to deal with errors like “Could not resolve mscorlib for target framework ‘,NETFramework,Version=v4.0’.” Being funny in interfaces is hard though. And it can easily feel over the top and even inappropriate and insensitive at times.

One of the most interesting things about the Facebook group Microcopy & UX writing is that there’s never any agreement about what a good sense of humor is. Lots of people post examples of microcopy that made them chuckle, and every time there are others who find it rude, over the top, or just not funny.

It helps a lot if the voice and tone specifies how to handle humor in a given user journey. I like it how Mailchimp’s style guide states “if you’re unsure [about using humor], keep a straight face”. That’s good advice. And just because we don’t go overboard with humor doesn’t mean that we have to be boring and stiff. We can still aim for a conversational tone, it just doesn’t have to be ha-ha-funny all the time.

Try harder to be inclusive

Non-inclusive design can have a massive effect on user experience in terms of accessibility, diversity, and gender. Most of us have a lot to learn in this area. That’s OK as long as we make an effort and try to improve. A good start is to ask lots of questions.

As UX writers and content designers, we can use microcopy to contribute to a more inclusive world. For example, many text fields use placeholder copy with terrible contrast. That placeholder won’t be of any use to people with poor eyesight. In this case, we can consider how to make that information available in other ways. Maybe like this:

Example found in the article Alternatives to placeholder text by Andrew Coyle

Some people get annoyed when accessibility issues are mentioned. I get the impression that they see it as an attack on their creative freedom. Well, tough. We should take up the challenge to be creative and inclusive.

Keep localization in mind

Here’s another reason to aim for clarity: The copy we write may end up being translated into other languages. Short, simple sentences make your copy easy to read not just for the general public, but for translators and machine translation programs too. Cultural references, metaphors and puns are also notoriously tricky to render in other languages. If you feel the need to include them, be sure to include an explanation to the localization team.

Conclusion

Microcopy can be found everywhere in today’s digital products. These small words and phrases can make a huge difference to the overall user experience. It has also been shown to affect conversion rates. Creating consistently good microcopy takes a lot of effort, though. Especially as the tech industry is constantly changing. With new technologies coming out every year, UX writers need to be on their toes and keep up with the latest trends to stay competitive.

The best part about this ever-changing industry? We get to be part of shaping its future!

Resources for more information

Article: 35 examples of great UX writing to spark inspiration

Facebook group: Join Microcopy & UX writing for tons of inspiring microcopy examples and lively discussions.

Newsletter: UX Writing Hub’s newsletter includes great microcopy examples (and lots of other good things) every week.

Video: Conference talk by Joshua Parker about the importance of microcopy in 2013 – still worth a watch! His conclusion is that “microcopy is the fastest way to improve your interface.”

Podcast: Writing for UX and customer success with Torrey Podmajersky. Mega knowledgeable and friendly Torrey goes through the basics of microcopy.

Book: Microcopy – the complete guide by Kinneret Yifrah. Also known as “the microcopy bible”. Great reference resource 📘

Want to become a (better) UX writer?

We help people transition to or move forward in the field of UX writing and content design. Check out our UX writing courses.

The post Microcopy in a nutshell: Past, present and future appeared first on UX WRITING HUB.

Coping with a layoff as a UX writer

Andrew Astleford — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 11:44:47 +0000

Before entering UX writing and content design, I lived through two layoffs in my former career as a journalist.

Both were negative experiences, but it’s interesting to think back to how differently I approached them.

The first layoff, in 2015, was a hard lesson in how we don’t have as much control over our careers as we may think, regardless of our performance.

Afterward, I spent a year freelancing while trying to find a full-time job in the same industry. Throughout that time, I was frustrated, and I doubted myself.

The second layoff, in 2018, pushed me into a career change.

I wanted better pay, more stability, and a healthier work-life balance. I started as a UX content strategist a few months later.

After both layoffs, I needed time to heal.

Still, my experiences during those times taught me these valuable lessons: There’s always a “next,” you can move your life in rewarding directions, and it’s possible to add depth to your professional narrative if you capture and think strategically about the emotions involved.

Tell your story of growth and resilience.

As UX writers, we use words to empower people within the experiences we help create. If a layoff has impacted you, consider using words to empower yourself and share your recovery journey with peers and prospective employers.

Here’s advice I’d share about redefining your career after a layoff.

Document your recovery journey

As we heal from a layoff, it can be tempting to keep so many feelings inside us.

Hurt. Frustration. Embarrassment.

Our first instinct may be to bury those emotions and let them smolder.

Avoid that temptation. Release your story into the world.

Think about what you felt after the layoff and how that influenced your “next.”

Are you exploring paths inside or outside UX writing and content design that you would never have considered without your layoff? If so, how did you reach that point, and what did you learn about the working world?

If not, do you look at the industry and your professional life differently? Did your priorities change?

After a layoff, you may have time to engage with the community more. Write LinkedIn posts. Contribute to UX writing and content design blogs. Speak during workshops and webinars with content professionals. Upload the recordings to a personal YouTube channel.

Keep everything constructive. Don’t write or speak negatively about former coworkers and employers.

Instead, use your past to frame your comeback narrative. View your layoff as your new life’s foundation.

As you share, approach each piece of content you create as a currency that can be used for your benefit later.

Regain control

When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, personal stories are memorable. Don’t underestimate them—harness their power.

After taking time to heal, and after documenting your recovery journey, put your reinvention narrative to work.

Update your LinkedIn profile and fill it with relevant keywords related to UX writing and content design. Include any content you create about your recovery journey. Add links to your Featured, Experience, and Publications sections. (You can see how I’ve tried to optimize my LinkedIn profile.)

As you consider your next steps in UX writing and content design, pass links to recruiters and hiring managers before an initial conversation. I do this after we’ve agreed on a time to speak. This is a great way to introduce yourself, frame your experiences, and provide background for a discussion.

When addressing your layoff during interviews, consider your conflict and resolution.

What kind of person were you before your layoff? How did you react to an abrupt change in your life?

In what ways, if any, did your perspective about the world evolve? What are your goals now?

Don’t run from any shock or pain.

Capture those emotions. Explain how they’ll mold the new “you” as you evolve as a content designer and a human.

People are drawn to redemption stories. Think about yours, then share it.

Continue to tell your story

Eventually, you’ll develop a new life. There will be new jobs and experiences. With each year, your layoff and everything that came with it will become a distant memory.

Find chances to revisit your pivot.

After regaining control of your career, it’s important to recognize that lessons from a layoff never leave us. They shape the people we become. They affect how we view the world, our priorities, and our existence as employees.

View your recovery journey as a never-ending story. Continue to share links to your content with UX recruiters and hiring managers.

As time passes, spin your narrative forward. What lessons do you carry with you? What advice would you share?

After your reinvention, celebrate what made you this new version of yourself.

Take pride in your story. Be proud of your progress.

UX Writing AMA Part 2: Managing Tools, Relationships, & Time

Andrew Astleford — Thu, 26 May 2022 08:50:12 +0000

I love giving back.

The world is better when we pay knowledge forward. As I’ve progressed in my UX writing journey, I’ve felt a deep responsibility to share what I’ve learned since I entered the field in 2018.

Often, l post thoughts on LinkedIn.

In fall 2021, I completed a 13-part Ask Me Anything series there. I’ve collected questions and answers from the project about managing tools, relationships, and time. In a previous post, I shared questions and answers about breaking into UX writing and content design.

Stay curious, and give back when you can. We can all do something to make the world a little smaller.

Part 1: Working with tools as UX writers

Question: I’m wondering what top three tools you think new content designers should focus on mastering. I’d also love to know what functionalities you think are the most important within each of them.

Andrew: If you were to ask this question to a group of content designers, you would receive so many different, interesting answers.

Here’s my take:

1.) Figma

As a writer, I’ve worked with InVision, Figma, and now Framer to edit copy within designs. Figma seems to be widely used, and it’s fairly intuitive. I’ve only touched the words within wireframes. But it wouldn’t hurt to get a basic understanding of how UX designers use the tool in their work.

2.) Grammarly & Hemingway Editor (I can’t separate them!)

I use both daily. Grammarly is great for grammar checks and inspecting a sentence’s clarity. Hemingway Editor is more limited, but it catches unnecessary adverbs, complex words, and passive voice examples. I’ve cleaned up so much copy with both tools. I also have Grammarly for Chrome, which is a nice check-as-you-go option when working outside the Grammarly app.

Go to the complete answer

Part 2: When UX writers work on copy

Question: Do UX writers just work on copy before the launch of a product or do they work even after the product has been launched?

Andrew: In a perfect world, both!

Most of my work has been on designs that iterate on an existing product. Things constantly evolve. There’s never a shortage of tasks for sure.

After something is shipped, you learn what works well and what doesn’t. Then you solve problems.

Other writers may have different experiences, but it’s rare a major product goes untouched after it is presented to the world.

Pace of life depends on the company and the structure of a UX team. But it’s not uncommon to see a minimum viable product released, and then design work continues on the next version. Then more design work follows that version. And so on.

Go to the complete answer

Part 3: UX writing hacks

Question: If you’ve discovered any hack or idea on your UX writing journey, do you mind sharing it with me?

Andrew: Oh, this is a fun question! I’ll approach it in a few ways.

From a growth perspective, follow industry hashtags on LinkedIn and connect with people who use them often. Then become an active contributor.

Journaling about my professional life has opened multiple doors.

I’ve received invites to participate in webinars and podcast appearances and contribute to blog posts. My pair writing project with the awesome Katrin Suetterlin began after we connected here.

With the job itself, I’ve learned patience and an ability to compromise are two of the most valuable traits you can show.

So many people have opinions about the words in a design. The content within a flow can be low-hanging fruit for many of our cross-functional colleagues.

As a UX writer, it’s important to be respectful, take feedback well, and know when to act on suggested changes.

Go to the complete answer

Part 4: Storytelling in UX writing

Question: Do you believe storytelling is a vital component of UX writing? If storytelling is vital, why do you think other writing disciplines (besides UX writing) minimize its importance?

Andrew: Yes, storytelling is a vital component of UX writing. In fact, when discussing topics related to this field, I’m not sure we place enough emphasis on it.

After all, we want anyone who uses our products to be the hero of their journey. We want to guide someone through the beginning, middle, and end of what they’re trying to accomplish within our experiences.

Storytelling takes many forms. In my old life, I wrote stories that were more than 2,000 words. Those included storytelling elements.

My current job is different. But I keep a narrative arc in mind when helping with designs for a flow.

“Does going from Point A to Point B here make sense?”

“Are the transitions between screens what someone would expect?”

“Is there a satisfying conclusion after all the time someone invested in an action?”

Regarding your second question, I can only share what I’ve seen in the digital media world. It comes down to financial considerations and modern reading habits.

Media organizations study what’s read. They optimize content and shape strategies that react to how their work is consumed.

These days, many people prefer bite-sized content that tends to include a strong opinion, regardless of whether they agree with the opinion shared.

Go to the complete answer

Part 5: Reaching out to companies to get UX writing experience

Question: How do you advise reaching out to a company or organization to do some UX writing for experience but not pay?

Andrew: I appreciate this question. It’s a tough situation, right? We need something to show prospective employers, but it can be hard to find places that will offer breakthrough opportunities.

I’ll preface my answer by saying I don’t have direct experience with this situation in the UX world. Likely, other people have better advice. But in my journalism life, I sought freelance assignments that resulted in payment.

No matter our experience, our work has value. This is only my opinion, but if I were you, I’d try to receive something for your time and effort.

When reaching out, try to be strategic. You can start with your immediate network and see if anyone has needs. If that doesn’t work, try to connect with UX or marketing professionals at companies that interest you.
Go to the complete answer

Everything You Need To Know About UX Content

Caroline Rothnie — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 10:18:40 +0000

If you’ve been hanging around the UX space for a while, you’ve probably noticed that many terms around UX writing (or whatever you call it!) are poorly defined and constantly changing. For example, the great UX writing vs content design debate. Today, multiple terms are used for the same thing, and the same term can be used to describe totally different roles. If you’re new to the field, you may be particularly confused, especially if you’re browsing job posts and trying to figure out which skills match which roles. Adding to the confusion, a new term has started popping up: UX content.

Like so many terms associated with UX writing, UX content is nebulously defined at best. But does UX content offer a potentially powerful way to unite and organize the other terms in the field? Will the term provide clarity or just be another item in the alphabet soup of UX writing terms?

Only time will tell, but I’ll do my best to explain it in this article.

What the heck is UX content?

UX content can best be understood as an umbrella term that encompasses all content professionals who work on creating better experiences for users. It reflects the broad range of activities that writers in the UX space may engage in–from button copy to reimagining flows. Writers working in this field are now called upon to have a sophisticated understanding of strategy, product development, and design, as well as top-notch writing skills. The UX content term is intended to cover all of these things and better reflect the actual work that UX writers are doing. The UX content umbrella includes the following:

UX writing

This is still the most common term to describe writing that is focused on making user experiences clearer, easier, and more delightful. UX writers work across a product, using language to facilitate the user’s journey. Rhiannon Payne puts it well: “Ultimately, the UX writer is dedicated to creating a cohesive content experience that encompasses every user touchpoint within the product. When done right, this content should make the user experience more engaging, conversational, and human.”

The term is useful, and it makes a lot of sense: UX writers write for user experience. Seems pretty clear cut. Except that it turns out that UX writing can’t easily be separated from the rest of the work on the product. The clearest button copy in the world won’t help a button that’s in the wrong place, whether within the flow or on a given screen. Folks who call themselves UX writers are typically considering strategy and design, even if they don’t know a thing about pixels.

Content design

UX writers nowadays frequently advocate for what is known as a content-first design approach, where the content comes first, and the design works in service of content, rather than the other way around. (Both are of course always in service of the user.) This means that UX writers are often thinking in terms of whole products or flows rather than just filling in words. In other words, they are thinking partly in design terms.

Perhaps in reflection of this, some prefer the term content design to UX writer. The terms are often used interchangeably, so job-seekers who call themselves UX writers should make sure to look for content design roles as well, especially in the U.K. However, content design is often used to refer to positions akin to graphic design, instructional design, narrative design, and others. In short, content design is the most convoluted of the terms.

Content strategist

UX writing is sometimes considered a type of content strategy, and many UX writers do content strategy as well. However, the roles are more distinct, even if someone might be skilled in both (or even do both at a smaller company). Content strategists are responsible for coordinating all the content associated with a company or brand in accordance with the business goals. This can cover a broad range of activities, including choosing the types of content a brand should focus on, scheduling blog posts and social media, developing a newsletter, and more.

UX copywriting

Copywriting and UX writing are in some ways very distinct–copywriting is focused on marketing, and UX writing is focused on helping users reach their own goals, not the goals of the brand/company. However, in reality, many of the things UX writers typically work on include aspects of copywriting. For instance, a pricing page for a subscription service should both A) be clear (UX writing) and B) show the product benefits in a way that makes the user more likely to buy (copywriting). So having copywriting skills in their toolkit is very helpful for UX writers.

What does UX content mean for your career?

We’ve talked about some of the terms under the UX content umbrella. But for people who work or want to work in the field, the terms themselves don’t matter as much as what actually happens in the workplace. So you may be wondering how the terms we’ve covered here actually impact your career. In a way, the answer might be, “not much at all.” Employers are generally looking for a skill set, not a title, so whether you call yourself a UX writer or a content designer, you’re probably looking at the same actual jobs. However, this breakdown of different terms and roles is useful for two things: helping you define what you want and helping you talk about yourself.

What do you want to do?

When you read the brief descriptions of the roles under the UX content umbrella, did any of them make you think, “that’s me,” or “that’s what I want to do”? Maybe you realized you wanted to learn more about content strategy or that your current job involves a lot of UX copywriting, even if you’ve never called it that before. Even if the terms end up shifting over time, seeing the field broken down into different roles can help you understand what you want from your career, even if the term for it changes in a year or two.

But what should I call myself?

Okay, so you’ve decided that “content designer” best describes you. One problem: a great future employer might be looking for a “UX writer.” And since “UX content creator” isn’t likely to become the dominant term any time soon, job seekers need to cast a wide net, looking for the roles they want, regardless of the title. So content designers should be looking at job posts for UX writers and vice versa. It’s also important to put any applicable term on your LinkedIn page, website, and other places potential employers might find you. When someone asks you what you do, however, use the term that feels best to you. You can also lead with that term in any brand building or other personal content strategy you do.

UX content is not yet a well-defined term. On one hand, it has the potential to become a useful umbrella for all the different ways people use words and design to facilitate user experience. On the other, it may just be more unnecessary jargon, cluttering an already cluttered landscape of terms.

And so, while terms may come and go, the underlying principles of UX writing, strategy, and content-first design aren’t going anywhere.

Show Your Stuff: 15 Content Design Portfolios That Inspire

Caroline Rothnie — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 20:49:50 +0000

As a content designer, your portfolio is often the first place you send clients/potential employers/relatives who don’t understand what you do. It’s your opportunity to make a first impression—but how do you make sure it’s a great one?

Creating a content design portfolio can be challenging. There’s so much to consider: communicating the complex work we do, describing complicated projects in a way that shows what you can do without being boring, figuring out how to showcase your samples, whether you have many or few. Working through these questions can cause anxiety and procrastination.

Fortunately, there are tons of examples of great content design portfolios that should give any content designer or UX writer some ideas. The content design portfolios in this article feature a wide range of designs, types of samples, and experience level. They’re sorted into categories, but many of them overlap … and all of them are excellent. So browse through, and come back to the list every time you need to jumpstart your imagination and remind yourself of the possibilities available.

Voice and tone in content design portfolios

Andrew Schmidt

Andrew Schmidt leads with this fantastic bio: “I’m a UX writer at Figma, where I put words to buttons and make our software sound just a bit more human.” Short, sweet, funny, and, yes, human. And that style carries through the portfolio. He breaks his work into three simple categories with three examples of each, and rounds out the page with three facets of his life outside of work. I’m tempted to quote everything on the page, but I’ll let you check it out for yourself. This portfolio is a great example of voice, as well as how much you can accomplish with short text and a simple design.

Cortex Copywriter

Much as I love to browse content design portfolios, most of them are fundamentally utilitarian. They’re designed to be absorbed as quickly as possible. The Cortex Copywriter site is a place you might want to hang out for a while. With a Lisa Frank color palette, engaging graphics, and a wide suite of services, Cortex Copywriter (aka Nathan Mudaliar) has a lot to offer. In addition to an extensive library of samples and case studies, he shows off his stuff in a truly unique way: you can experience the site in 5 different voice and tone styles. Select corporate, community, technology, luxury, or entertainment to toggle between different copy and design.

Sarah Ann

Open Sarah Ann’s site, and you’ll see a minimal design. A header, some site navigations, and the following phrase, in large italics: “A writer and design thinker—creating a velvety customer experience in words.” It’s a bold move, giving so much weight to a sentence, and it works, establishing her skill with voice and tone right off the bat. And the rest of the portfolio doesn’t disappoint: Sarah Ann has a large selection of her work, presented in appealing images and simple titles. Click through for case studies with just the right amount of information about what she did, her process, and impact.

Content design portfolios featuring non-traditional projects

Adina Cretu

Adina Cretu’s portfolio features a wide range of UX writing samples. Several of these are video scripts, which are increasingly part of the UX writer’s job. If you’ve been working with video scripts, and are wondering how to present them, check out this portfolio. Cretu showcases her process, and embeds the video to show the final product. While you’re there, check out the “UX Writer’s Desk” section, where Cretu has curated an extensive set of UX resources.

Clem Auyeung

Voice interfaces are a new frontier in technology—and in content design. But it can be difficult to know how to present something without an obvious visual component. Clem Auyeung’s portfolio includes an excellent write-up of this work creating a voice interface for Capital One. Stick around to check out his other work in UX writing, research, and design. (Also: corgi video.)

Rebekah Wolf

Probably the most unconventional content example on this list: the pizza box. Seattle-based writer, editor, and content strategist Rebekah Wolf was the content writer for Pagliacci Pizza for many years, and pizza box copy is indeed included in her portfolio. She also showcases a wide range of more traditional projects. Her “About” page features a narrative resume that takes you through her accomplishments in an engaging way. She presents her projects in an informative and readable way, balancing text and images and providing just the right amount of information.

Kasturi Roy

Wielding the customization powers of Webflow, this portfolio site makes quite an impression with stunning visuals—amazing what you can do without code these days! The use of color shows some of Kasturi’s heritage, while the projects are standard formats with clear structures.

One notable project was a first-prize win in a competition to create a licensing strategy proposal to consolidate the activities and brand outputs of Milano Innovation District.

Content design portfolios with fewer projects

Tizzy Asher

Simple, yet packed with easily digestible information, Facebook Reality Labs’ content designer Tizzy Asher’s portfolio does an excellent job of communicating her value and skills with minimal clicks. This portfolio does a lot on a single page, showcasing two projects and another offering: her storytelling workshops. She provides enough information to help you understand what she does without cluttering the page. But we’d recommend clicking through – her case studies are clear, detailed, and a pleasure to read.

Aveck

Aveck, Betsy Mickel’s content studio, features only a few projects, but they pack a punch. Each is displayed with a large, colorful icon, and clicking through takes you to beautifully designed case studies with a nice balance between image and text. She includes testimonials at the bottom of each, which is a nice touch, but even without them, the quality of the work speaks for itself. Displaying a small number of samples helps potential clients find her best work, without being overwhelmed by too many choices.

Nikki St. Cyr

UX content designer Nikki St.-Cyr’s portfolio features several full-length case studies that are well-organized and detailed. She includes the tools and skills she used in each, to help future clients/employers see what she brings to the table. She also elegantly solves the issue of how to present small projects that don’t merit a full case study. By including a “UX Writing Samples” card in her portfolio, she shows users her smaller samples on a single page, so they can see what she’s done without too many clicks.

Content design portfolios with standout case studies

Tyler Womack

With projects for Facebook, Chase, IBM, Emirates, and other prominent brands, Tyler Womack could probably rest on the strength of his client list alone. But the San Francisco-based content designer goes further, showing off exactly what he did for those high-profile clients. With tons of images accompanied by brief but effective text, Womack shows his work, thinking, and impact. His case studies are something we can all learn from, whether or not we’ve worked for Facebook.

Kasandra Staniscia

Facebook content strategist Kasandra Staniscia has an inviting website that gives you a sense of who she is as a person. The projects in her portfolio are titled by project type: content strategy for web, content usability analysis, metadata design, and readability presentation. These aren’t categories – each one only includes one project. But naming projects this way allows potential clients/employers to find the skills they are looking for, and it also allows her clients to stay anonymous if necessary. Also, be sure to check out her description of what a content strategist is.

Riri Nagao

Riri Nagao’s portfolio starts simple, then moves into great depth, without ever feeling boring or overwhelming. She opens with a straightforward yet engaging headline: “My work in design, research, words.” Be sure to click through her projects to see her Frontier Health case study. She begins with a simple summary, shares a glowing testimonial, then goes deep into every stage of her project. It’s not just a stellar portfolio example, it’s a useful model of how to approach a project.

Content design portfolios featuring multiple projects from one organization

Shakespeare Sim

Shakespeare Sim presents his project page in a simple display of large images with short, descriptive titles. This layout lets you browse without inducing cognitive overload. Click through to see extensive yet well-organized case studies. Many of these projects are for one organization, which is a good reminder that even if you’ve only had a small number of employers, you’ve likely done multiple things. Shakespeare Sim also includes articles he’s written alongside his other projects. While some people file work like this in a separate section of their website, this is a useful alternative to consider.

Tom Waterton

Tom Waterton was one of the first content designers at IBM. That means he has tons of experience, a lot of it at one company. In his portfolio, he showcases the diversity of work he’s done at IBM. He divides his work into three sections: product teams, content guidance, and leading a community of practice. Bonus points for his “what I actually do” breakdown of the content designers role. And new and experienced content designer’s alike can benefit from his many articles, linked on the site.

Any you think we should add to the list? Post them to our Facebook group!

Want more portfolio tips and tricks?

Check out our article The ultimate UX portfolio resource
Listen to the podcast episode From case study writing to writing robots
Also, remember that you need a cover letter! You’ll get some great advice in this podcast episode with Hayley Reynolds
Last but not least, what about when you land an interview? Check out our 8 tips to ace an interview

The post Show Your Stuff: 15 Content Design Portfolios That Inspire appeared first on UX WRITING HUB.

UX Writing vs. Content Design

Aaron Raizen — Wed, 22 Dec 2021 17:23:56 +0000

Listen to the podcast episode, or read the article.

🧙‍♂️ Wanna give UX writing and content design a go? Try our free course A Taste of UX Writing

What’s in a name? And would a rose by any other name really smell as sweet? Technically yes, but you’d never stop to smell it in the first place if it was called a shoehorn. Maybe names do matter.

In this article, we’ll explore what, if any, are the differences between UX writing and content design. Many philosophize about what these terms ought to mean, but I want to uncover what they mean in practice. How are they used among those who are recruiting or hiring UX writers and content designers? What tasks, duties, and responsibilities are expected? And what experience and education are required?

To answer these questions and shed some much-needed light on the matter, I analyzed UX writing and content design job postings.

But we’ll be doing more than just combing through humdrum LinkedIn posts. There’s gonna be a fun quiz, I talk to the Duo Lingo owl, there’s a random title generator for writers, a downloadable “A–Z of Writers in Tech Titles” poster, and oh, so much more. So clear your schedule, cancel your Zooms, and grab a snack—it’s gonna be a fun one.

UX writing vs. content design

Everything starts with research. I searched the terms “UX writer” and “Content designer” on LinkedIn, and took ten examples from each to examine a few key metrics: responsibilities/duties, qualifications/experience, and required education. I look for commonalities, both within each title, and then between the two.

I focused on hard rather than soft skills like “works well with others.” I also didn’t just take the first ten search results, which tend to be dominated by a few large companies with duplicate posts. Also, I looked at posts from a variety of countries to ensure that the results weren’t skewed by one country’s approach.

Below are tables and summaries of twenty job posts: ten for “UX writer” and ten for “Content designer.” I paraphrased things for brevity’s sake—you’re welcome to check the posts for the original phrasing.

UX Writing posts table (view on Notion.so)

UX writing positions: summary

Digging through these posts was downright delightful. Seeing how nearly every post made it clear that the UX writer would be an integral part of the product design team warmed my heart. Read through the “highlights” column, and you’ll see what I mean. The idea that the writer will just come in later to fix the copy is dead. The message is out. Writers: pull up a chair. You are part of the product design process, and everyone knows it.

But there’s more good news. Many posts referenced a style guide, design system, or brand voice. Some referenced user- or human-centered language, while others mentioned balancing user and business needs. This shows how brands now understand both the value of UX and the important role that writers play.

Another pleasant surprise was how often the posts mentioned some form of advocacy for UX writing best practices. So not only are UX writers part of the product design team, they’re expected to lead and share their knowledge.

Other noteworthy takeaways are that many companies expect the UX writer to have basic competency with design tools and that product design decisions should be based on user testing and research, in which UX writers are expected to participate.

Finally, I found that most companies don’t require a Bachelor’s degree; only two of the ten asked for it. Curious, I decided to dig a bit deeper on this point. I checked another fifty or so posts, quickly scanning for the degree requirements.

Only about 20%–25% of the posts ask for a degree, with larger companies more likely to require one. And when a degree was mentioned, it was like a broken record: English, Journalism, and Communications—over and over—were the most common.

The degree types didn’t surprise me. As I poured through posts, I saw an emphasis on writing: writer, storyteller, grammar-nerd, wordsmith, language lover. Copywriter, product writing, and technical writer were frequently mentioned as relevant experience. So while companies now understand that UX writers are part of the product design team, they also recognize that this is a role for a writer.

UX writing job posts were remarkably consistent, showing how the role is now established and well defined. So what about content design? Let’s dig in.

Content design posts table (view on Notion.so)

Content design positions: summary

Here again, I took one or two posts from the first page of “content design” results and then skipped ahead to get more balanced results from different countries. The first difference between the two terms was immediately clear: “content design” was far more prevalent in the Anglosphere, particularly in the U.K.

And what else differentiates the two terms? Turns out, not much.

Based on the job postings, when we’re talking about the role that Apple so eloquently phrased as “the writing arm of the design team,” which 19 out of 20 of the positions above are talking about (more on that 20th post shortly), there is no significant difference between UX writing and content design—they are, in effect, the same.

They share with great frequency these primary responsibilities and qualifications:

Being part of the product design team and collaborating with team members to solve design challenges and create user-centric products and experiences
Writing clear and concise UX copy
Having a strong general writing background (bonus points for previous product writing experience)
Simplifying complex concepts and language
Creating and using design systems/style guides
Advocating for/educating team members about best practices
Conducting research and testing
Making data-informed decisions

Posts for both terms are equally likely to ask for a degree, with English and journalism being most prevalent for both. Both occasionally ask for proficiency with design tools. Content design posts were just as focused on writing as UX writing posts, and UX writing posts were just as focused on contributing to the product design process as those for content design.

This puts to rest the idea that UX writing is just writing interface copy while content design is part of the product creation process. Some may attempt to define the terms this way, but in practice, it simply isn’t true.

And this shouldn’t surprise anyone. We can see that these terms occupy the same conceptual space in people’s minds from how often they’re used together. It’s got to the point where you almost can’t mention one without the other, as is seen not just in social media posts, but also in the numerous job post titles that list them together, conjoined with a slash.

Some content design posts used less writing-specific language, instead favoring the term (you guessed it) “content design.” But other details make it clear that writing is the focus. For example, one post mentions delivering “high-quality, error-free, accessible content design work.” That’s a bit vague, but the post later mentions “interface language, education materials, product names, navigational nomenclature, terminology, taxonomies.” All of these are, of course, things that one writes.

When it comes to content design vs. UX writing, there are just as many differences between individual posts under the same title as between any two posts under different titles. The roles are indistinguishable.

Don’t believe me? Then see how well you do on the world’s first UX writing/content design game show. It’s time to play: Name That Job Title!

The UX writing vs. content design quiz

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Having parallel titles for one role isn’t great, but if that were the only problem, we could live with it.

But what was up with the content design = graphic design job post from question #9? That snippet came from our 20th job post, a post whose discovery helped me uncover a much more serious problem with content design.

This is where things get interesting, folks—let’s look at that 20th job post.

Content design: the multi-headed hound of Hades

(Bear with me—that subheader will make sense.)

My research led me to an unexpected discovery. And so, I must also steer this article in an unexpected direction since comparing the two terms is more complex than it appears.

In my research, I happened upon a content design job that was, in a word, different. It mentioned visual brand standards, solving visual communications problems, proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, working in HTML code, and (here’s the kicker) prior experience and a post-secondary education in Graphic Design. Say what? Indeed, this “Graphic Designer role combines creativity and technical skills to communicate ideas through visual concepts.”

Well, that doesn’t sound like content design at all. Or does it? Or should it!

This discovery led me to dig deeper and examine more posts. As I did, I found several content design jobs that were completely unrelated to product writing. In fact, close to 10% of content design jobs were for visual/graphic/multimedia design roles. For example:

I found all these in a few minutes. But it doesn’t end there. Other types of content design roles kept popping up. Sometimes it was for video games, sometimes akin to information architecture, sometimes for creating educational materials, and more.

If you’re confused, I’m not surprised. It turns out that the definition of content design is what’s technically referred to as “a hot effin’ mess.” Let’s recap our two major finding:

UX writing and content design are, in practice, the same
Except for when content design means:
1. Graphic design
2. Instructional design
3. Information architecture
4. Video game narrative design
5. God knows what else

So how did we get here? What’s the history of these terms?

Content design vs. UX writing: the history

UX writing as a term basically didn’t exist before 2017, when Google brought it to public awareness at Google I/O ’17. Since then, it’s been on a meteoric rise. Not so with content design; that term has been around since the Web 1.0 days. Back then, it had a different meaning.

This W3C press release from 1997 refers to content design as “To use CSS and features of HTML to achieve best practice for the content provider.” Skip ahead to 2002 where environmentalist and designer Gerry McGovern describes content design as the laying out and organizing of web content so that it can be easily read and navigated. Then in 2008, NN/g talks about content design for the Kindle. In these examples, content design equates to web typesetting, focusing on arranging elements and page layout, a usage that eventually morphs into meaning “product writer.”

Yet the term always had other usages. In 2001, Professor Dave Marshall of The Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics described content design as having 5 elements: scripting, graphics, animation, audio, and interactivity.

This multifaceted approach makes sense since the word “content” refers to all of these things, not just text. And this approach is in keeping with how Wikipedia defines content designers as being “skilled in language(s), graphic design, and the technical requirements of front-end development” and “experts across various media … skilled in drafting compelling text, images, and videos.”

The Wiki page continues with how content designers “are often involved in online digital marketing, and usually focus on animated graphics, texts, videos, and sound.” It talks about “content designers who specialize in programming” and many other facets of the roles that have nothing to do with product writing.

Now, if you’re shocked by this, perhaps you shouldn’t be. This definition is more logical when we look at those two words, “content” and “design,” and how they work together.

Content design: break it down!

Let’s do a little analysis of the term.

The word “content”

The Cambridge dictionary defines content as “everything that is contained within something.” Makes sense. They list another definition as “information, images, video, etc. that are included as part of something such as a website.” (I sense a theme.)

Yet the concept of “content design” as synonymous with “product writing” asks us to think of content solely as the words—just the written content. “Content” alone is often used as a shorthand for “written content,” but using this truncated version for a job title lacks clarity, something writers should be keenly aware of.

Even within the world of digital products, the term means all forms of content. When Netflix talks about its content, it’s talking about its shows and movies. “The golden age of content” isn’t referring to extraordinary UI copy. Yet Netflix recently held a presentation, Why Your Team Needs a Content Designer, where content refers to “the language that appears in your UI.” This inconsistency is unbecoming and the kind of thing that writers should be warning again rather than embracing.

Likewise, Instagram business insights show you “Content You Shared”—again, nothing to do with digital product copy.

Content is many things: photos, graphics, videos, podcasts, webinars, blog posts, newsletters, emails, text messages, a giant ad on the side of the Burj Khalifa. And though it’s often used inconsistently and inarticulately, should writers follow others down this path of ambiguity, or should they lead others in the use of precise language?

The word “design”

Back to Cambridge where “design” is defined as, “to make or draw plans for something, for example clothes or buildings.” Sounds about right, and explains the existence of roles like interior design, jewelry design, costume design, set design, logo design, fashion design, fabric design, furniture design, and modern roles like graphic design, UX design, product design, brand design, web design, front-end design, animation design, game design, etc.

Notice the connection. The word “design” has an inescapable visual connotation, something that should be glaringly obvious, especially to writers. We design things that are visible or tangible—at least metaphorically—and we write things that can be read.

The term “content design”

A compound noun is when two or more words (open, closed, or hyphenated) are joined to form one noun, as in “content design.” The final word is the head, and previous words are dependents or modifiers. In English, modifiers come before the word they modify. A “teacup” is a cup for tea. A “dog catcher” is one who catches dogs, and a “project manager” manages projects. Easy peasy.

This means, grammatically, a “content designer” should be one who designs content. And if you’re putting a banner ad together, and you refer to it as “content,” then this title makes sense. Visual roles make much more sense for “content designer” since “design” implies something visual.

Compare it to “content writer.” If a content writer is one who writes content, we can easily infer that the content in question is written content. Likewise, if a content designer is one who designs content, we should logically conclude that the content in question is visual content.

But when “content designer” is used synonymously with “product writer,” is it meant to mean “one who designs content” or “one who designs digital products via (written) content”?

Any way you slice it, it doesn’t work. If it’s the former and “content” is short for “written content/copy/words,” then we get, “one who designs written content.” But written content is not something that’s designed—it’s written! We don’t design words, sentences, paragraphs, essays, or articles—we write them!

Or, if it’s meant to mean “designing digital products via (written) content” or “designing with words,” then it makes no sense grammatically. Again, modifiers come first in English, so X designer means someone who designs X, or designs for X, not uses X to design something else.

And if this kind of grammatical analysis is above your head or bores you, I’ve got bad news—you’re probably better off as the type of content designer that works with Photoshop.

Content design: the wrong name for the right job

It’s no surprise that the term “content design” is now used inconsistently, with both words being so vague. But if “content design” means everything, then it ultimately means nothing.

Here’s the cold hard truth, plain and simple: “content design” is the wrong name for the role of the writer on a product team. There’s just no way to make it make sense. But the worst part is, we, as writers, are the ones who should be advocating for clarity, nuance, and precision in language. If we can’t use clear, articulate language to describe our own profession, how can we expect anyone to take us seriously?

We must lead by example. A job title that either fails to recognize the nuance in its own words or is itself a grammatical error is not a good look for a writer. That, together with the role having at least three other meanings, makes “content design” a massive failure.

The term is so convoluted that most content design job postings explicitly mention UX writing or product writing. If you have to use a different job title to explain the role, something is wrong.

One position I came across was so ridiculous, I just had to call the company and speak to a representative. Here’s a transcript of the call.

A conversation with Duo the owl

Ring ring …

“Hello, and thanks for calling Duolingo. For English, press 1. Para español, oprima 2. For High Valyrian … ” [beeeeep]

Duolingo: Duolingo, how can I help you?

Me: Oh, hi, yeah. Can I talk to your owl? His name’s Duo, right?

Duolingo: Of course! One moment please …

[call transferred to Duo. Man, that was easy]

Duo the owl: Who?

Me: Hi, my name’s Aaron, I’m calling about a job post of yours I saw. I wanted to ask …

Duo: Who who whooo …

Me: I just told you, it’s Aa … oh I get it. No, we’re not doin’ the whole ”who’s on first” thing ‘cause you’re an owl. So shut your beak and listen up. You have a job post in which you ask candidates to have:

UX writing samples
Product writing experience
A gift for expressing complicated things in plain language
A background in technical writing
Experience giving constructive feedback to writers
Experience writing copy with localization in mind

You mention the words “writing,” “writer,” or “language” eleven times! And what do you call this role? Content designer. Duo, that makes NO SENSE! And you want to teach me French! You can’t even figure out when to call a writer a writer. I wouldn’t even trust you to teach me Klingon …

The conversation went downhill from there. He started crying and I told him not to send me any more guilt-trip notifications. **Here’s the post: see for yourselves.

Comments from the peanut gallery

So why are companies calling writers “designers”? And, more tragically, why are so many writers calling themselves designers? Look at the experience of most content designers, and you’ll see they have backgrounds as writers. (Except for folks like Saniya, Crystal, and Paula.) Simply because the work takes place in the context of creating/designing digital products is not enough to justify calling a writer a designer any more than a screenwriter should be called a film producer.

“But UX writing/content design/product writing is so much more than just writing!”

True. You know what else involves more than just writing? Literally every other type of writing. Fiction, non-fiction, journalism, history and science writing, speechwriting, screenwriting, grant writing, copywriting, ghostwriting—they all involve research and more.

There is no miraculous production of a final draft in any form of writing. You think novelists just wing it? No. Research is part of the process. Some academics spend their entire careers researching just to write one book. Research, planning, structuring a narrative, it’s all part of writing. That’s one of the reasons we need writers on the product team, to help construct a narrative in the product, to create an arc, a journey. That’s what writers do! That’s writing, not designing.

And arranging a few elements on a screen doesn’t make someone a designer any more than writing “Sign up” on a button makes someone a writer.

“But we need to be called designers so that people understand we’re part of the team and we can get the same respect and pay as the designers!”

I’m unimpressed. Companies now recognize that writers need a seat at the table. Every post I opened made that clear. And last time I checked, product managers were making the most money on the team. So should we be UI copy managers now?

There’s nothing about “designer” that signals more money than “writer.” Copywriters still have higher average salaries than graphic designers. Product writers will start earning as much as designers when they prove that the work they do is equally valuable. And a nonsensical name won’t earn us any respect.

“But ‘content designer’ sounds cooler!”

Ah, ‘tis true that tech employees do like to cloak themselves in flashy monikers. This satirical generator of pseudo-design titles pokes fun at the trend. That’s fun and all, but it demonstrates how “content design” is the style over substance title. Again, just the opposite of what writers should be doing.

Here’s the pitch

The painters have their brushes and oils, the sculptures their hammers and chisels. And what of the pencil, the compass, the ruler, the line and the shape? Those belong to the designer.

But we are writers. Ours is the word, the sentence, the cadence and the assonance, the idea and the thought. After all, what is writing if not the transfer of thoughts, from one mind to another via the written word? Writing is thinking.

The world needs writers. And if we don’t call them writers, people will start to think that anyone can do it, bringing us right back to where we started. So if you want to hire a writer, ask for a writer. And if you are a writer, be a writer.

If you work at a company that calls it “content design,” maybe have a little chat with your boss. But if you’re free to call yourself whatever you want, please add the word “writer” to your title. Wear it like a badge of honor. Hashtag it, shout it from the rooftops: #IAmAWriter.

The top “writers in tech” title is …

Perhaps you’re saying to yourself, “OK, he’s a talented rhetorician, but isn’t he just trying to smear content design and promote UX writing?”

To this I would reply, “Thank you—you didn’t have to say that.” And also, “no.” I believe every word I wrote here. “Content design” is a terrible name for what we do, but I’m not particularly attached to “UX writing” either. Indeed, there’s another name that I think is better: (digital) product writer.

Don’t get me wrong, ”UX writer” is infinitely better than “content designer,” but I prefer “digital product writer” to “UX writer” the same way I prefer “product design” to “UX design.” But alas, that’s a discussion for another day.

Finally, if you just can’t let go of the word “design,” allow me to suggest an alternative: product design writer. Hulu has used this, and it’s a solid contender for the top title.

The future of writers in tech

It would be great if the industry could rally around one name, but it may not. We may plod along with several names, and it’s not the end of the world if we do. And should “content design” become the dominant title in the end, I will, begrudgingly, accept it.

What’s important is that companies now, more than ever, understand that writers must be a part of the product design team and be involved in decision-making from the outset. And that’s the big win, no matter what we’re called.

But “content designer”? For a writer? C’mon …

Think about it, sleep on it. I believe you too will conclude that it’s just not the right name for a digital product writer. And if you think I’m wrong and you prefer “content designer,” well, I hope we can agree to disagree and still be friends. No hard feelings.

Or, perhaps, we should all go the fun, wacky route. I know a “Galactic Viceroy of Content Excellence,” and she’s great!

And if the designers have their name generator, then we writers need one too. So it’s with great pleasure that I present to you with:

The Writers in Tech Random Title Generator
The “A–Z of Writer in Tech Titles” poster

The Writers in Tech Random Title Generator

Can't decide what to call yourself?
Need to spruce up your profile?

Generate a new title!

Your new title awaits you!

Tweet that title!

Download the poster: The A–Z of Writers in Tech Titles

Thank you www.flaticons.com for the icons.

** Quick note: I made up with Duo the owl and we’re total bros now. In all seriousness, Duolingo is a great product with excellent UX—I’ve used it for years and want to say “thank you” to the fine folks who work on it. I just happened to see the job post and thought it would be fun to riff on it a bit.

How we can help

Want to become a UX writer, content designer, or Bard of Bandwidth? Whatever you prefer to call yourself, we can help you get going as a writer in tech. Start by checking out our courses here.

The post UX Writing vs. Content Design appeared first on UX WRITING HUB.

How Much Do Content Designers Actually Make (Salary Survey Results 2021)?

UX Writing Hub — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 14:12:01 +0000

Content designers and UX Writers are in high demand these days, with the average global salary for content designers reaching $70K.

But what does that mean if you work in a big tech company, or in different countries around the world?

This article will explore content design salaries around the world to help you figure out how much money you can make as a content designer and how much you should ask for in your next content design interview.

The numbers in this article are based on the UX Writing Hub’s 2021 UX Writing salary survey of over 750 people in the field.

Global average content design salary 2021

The global average salary for content designers in 2021 is 70K USD. However, that number alone doesn’t say much as it varies enormously across countries, age groups, and years of experience.

Let’s look into some important points that affect salaries for content designers and other writers in tech.

Content Design can easily be a six-figure salary job

Not surprisingly, countries with a high standard of living have the best salaries for content designers. But which country has the highest median salary? Switzerland!

The average Swiss content designer earns $117,500 per year; they are number one on our list with an astonishing six-figure yearly income. The USA, boosted by Silicon Valley tech companies, comes in second at $105,000 per year!

In the US, some top content designers earn upwards of an astonishing 300K per year! Many companies such as Netflix and Facebook are hiring dozens of content designers these days, with many earning six figures.

So who’s number 3? Australia! The land down under is home to some very successful companies like Atlassian, makers of software development tools including Jira, Bitbucket, and Confluence.

Country	Median annual salary for writers in tech	Average income (data from worlddata.info)
Switzerland	$117,500	$85,500
USA	$105,000	$65,850
Australia	$88,000	$55,100
Ireland	$86,500	$64,000
Germany	$72,600	$48,580
Norway	$71,400	$82,500
United Kingdom	$69,000	$42,220
Denmark	$66,600	$63,950
Israel	$66,340	$43,110
New Zealand	$66,000	$42,760

It’s important to consider the costs and benefits for each country. For example, even though Germany might have a higher tax rate than America, their cost of living is significantly lower. Likewise, Switzerland has a very high cost of living.

Content design in different companies by type and size

Salary can vary a lot depending on what kind of organization you work for. According to the salary survey, pay is highest at large companies that employ over 1,000 people and lowest with smaller startups or medium-sized enterprises.

However, when it comes down to company type, government employees are doing the best, i.e. they have, on average, higher salaries than employees at enterprise or medium and small companies.

What size company do you work for?	Median annual salary (USA)
Government	$127,999
Enterprise (more than 1000 people)	$116,999
Medium-sized company (30 to 200 people)	$79,989
Small startup (up to 30 people)	$81,001

It’s important to say that money is just one factor in determining job satisfaction; some people are happier at a smaller company. As small companies have less bureaucracy, employees will often take on more tasks and roles. This may be easier than the experience at a large corporation, where there might be many layers of management separating employees from the CEO or president.

Content design salary by year of experience

It is no surprise that work experience plays a huge role in salary.

Those who have 10 years of professional writing experience report earning around twice as much compared to those with 1 year or less.

Across job titles, this pattern continues, and it’s clear that the more you put into something the better your rewards are going to be!

Content design salary by gender

The content design salary survey finds that there are hardly any differences in content design salaries between men and women. The majority of the respondents identify as female, but their median incomes are no different from those who identified as male.

What’s your gender?	MEDIAN of Annual USD
Female	$105,000
Male	$105,000

Become a Content Designer

Have you been thinking about a transition into content design but don’t know where to start? Take our free online course on UX writing, content design, and product design. It’s a great first step to see if the field is right for you.

The post How Much Do Content Designers Actually Make (Salary Survey Results 2021)? appeared first on UX WRITING HUB.

Content design Archives - UX WRITING HUB

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How AI changes the content design landscape

How AI empowers content designers

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AI Tools for Content Designers and UX Writers

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What do UX writers do?

Skills UX writers need

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Design tools

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Is UX writing the same as content design?

The difference between UX writing and copywriting

Long-form copy vs. microcopy

The overlap between UX writing, copywriting and marketing

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Where can I get the skills needed to land a UX writing gig?

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OK but can’t I just learn on the job?

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Confusing copy

Confirmshaming

Excluding people

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The future of microcopy in design

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Try harder to be inclusive

Keep localization in mind

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Part 3: UX writing hacks

Part 4: Storytelling in UX writing

Part 5: Reaching out to companies to get UX writing experience

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