How UX writers can harness the power of pair writing
Do you know the saying two brains are better than one? When it comes to creating content, this turn of phrase can be a powerful tool for writers
If you’re a new UX writer or if you’ve transitioned from another writing role then you may be walking into unfamiliar territory, like I was.
The world of UX is scary for the uninitiated. There’s new terminology to learn, tools to grapple with, methodologies to wrap your head around and, as with any industry, jargon to kill.
But if there’s one thing that’s helped me understand my role better in the last 6 months and how to do it better, it’s called pair writing.
What is pair writing?
I first heard of pair writing when I read the book Content Design by Sarah Richards. The idea is quite revolutionary.
As UX writers, we know how to craft clear and concise sentences. However, often we need the material to create those sentences; the meat and bones of the message. This is usually locked away in the head of subject matter experts.
Now, you could email or interview the specialists to get their knowledge. Stakeholder interviews are another good research method. Sometimes, though, this method isn’t able to capture all the information you might need.
Pair writing is when you, the writer, sit down with a subject matter expert and write together. They have the specialist knowledge your users benefit from so it makes sense to write with them in tandem.
Warning: Pair writing will take you out of your comfort zone
At first, pair writing might make you uncomfortable.
If you come from a content marketing role or a copywriting role, you might be used to working in isolation. That was the case for me in my previous jobs. It used to be me, my ideas and a keyboard. This suited my introverted personality well.
But UX writing is unlike other types of writing.
It necessitates collaboration with product owners, developers, designers, and researchers and users. I’d go one step further and say UX writing requires co-creation.
Pair writing changed my perspective on what it means to be a writer in user experience design. It showed me that you can empower people to no longer fear writing and bring them into the process and make them feel a part of the product’s journey.
This is great because:
- It makes your job easier to do
- People are more likely to take content seriously if they feel heard
Whoa! Wait a minute, what are collaboration and co-creation?
In the introduction of Mastering Collaboration: Make Working Together Less Painful and More Productive, Gretchen Andersen writes about how Kate Rutter outlines the differences between cooperation, collaboration, and co-creation.
Cooperation is when people do things in a synchronized way, often sequenced and to a set of standards.
Collaboration is less structured than cooperation and involves a group of people working on an outcome but not everyone is working to build the solution itself.
Co-creation is when two or more people are creating something together, applying their skills to create something tangible.
Pair writing, like its cousins pair design and pair programming, is co-creation.
What pair writing helps us do, to paraphrase Laura Klein in Build Better Products, is transform us from “loosely related conglomerations of “resources” who have been temporarily assigned to implement something together” into true teammates working together in real time.
10 immediate benefits of pair writing
I used to be frightened of showing my writing process (especially something unfinished) but I soon realised that this was ego-driven perfectionism.
I didn’t want people to see my work in progress because they might judge the quality of the work. What if people thought I wasn’t a good writer?!
UX writing is an entirely different approach. It’s not about you. It’s about the right content for the user. And, honestly, stepping out of your comfort zone helps raise your self-esteem. I know — I’m talking from experience.
When pair writing, it doesn’t matter if what you’ve written doesn’t sound great yet. As you continue to write with your co-creator, you’ll start getting closer to the right message.
Once I got over my ego, I discovered at least 10 benefits of pair writing but I’m sure there are more:
- Quicker turnaround
- Higher engagement
- Reduced complexity
- Immediate feedback
- Demolish silos (YAY)
- Teams value UX writing
- Fewer email chains of hell
- Better alignment on projects
- Know your teammates better
- Greater understanding of cultural nuances
In my job, pair writing has allowed me to co-create with marketers, system designers, UXers, product owners, researchers, game designers, strategists, and other writers.
How to start a pair writing session
Not every subject matter expert will be as enthused as you to start putting the proverbial ink to paper.
This is a reality you have to face as a writer. Luckily, there are other methods you can use to get the information you need.
Here are a handful of useful tips you can use to start your own pair writing sessions.
Find your allies
First and foremost, if you want to have a successful pair writing session, you need to find your allies.
Allies are people who are hungry for collaboration and want to find other like-minded individuals in the organization who want to create change and build awesome products. Seek them out.
A UX writer’s natural allies are going to be researchers and designers. Spark conversations with them. Ask them about their work. This can help you identify areas to collaborate. Throw the pair writing idea around. You might be surprised to find that the researcher or designer has been creating content on the fly. They need you!
Designers might be used to pair design already but researchers will really benefit from having real, almost finished content in their sessions to test.
Use the power of persuasion
As I’ve said, you might get a cold reception when you talk to others about pair writing.
People are resistant to the idea because, in their mind at least, they’re not writers. This is where the power of persuasion comes in. Sell pair writing to them. There are 10 benefits right up there. Use those.
If you can explain how pair writing will save time, boost efficiency and create a seamless collaborative experience then you’re onto a winner.
As a content person, you have to work on your powers of persuasion because a content design is political, after all. And in politics, you need to build those all-important bridges.
Start small
The aggregation of marginal gains is important when it comes to slowly change minds.
Start small. Don’t begin with a 10-page document. Jonathan Khan over at GatherContent says that it’s best to choose a piece of content that’s small enough to draft in a single session. I agree. This will ensure your pair writer isn’t overwhelmed.
UX writers are lucky because we’re usually writing microcopy (psst, this isn’t the only thing we do!) which doesn’t lend itself to excessive length.
Get the right tools
If you can pair write in the same room together, great! Do that. It’s the best way to do it.
It really helps to take turns typing, too so, by all means, share the labor.
It’s even better if you can both riff off each other in a real time like musicians do in a jam session.
If you can’t then you’ll need to get your toolkit set up properly. You don’t need much, though.
Either way, you do it, you’ll most likely need:
- A collaborative word processor like Google Docs, spreadsheet or design tool like Figma
- A way to communicate with each other in real time (Slack, Skype, phone call)
Crit the work, not the people
Remember what I said about ego? When sharing your work, you may feel vulnerable and exposed and this may make hearing criticism difficult.
It’s not uncommon for people to have anxiety around this issue. But content crits can help push us forward, freshen up our ideas and help us achieve clarity in our communication.
When you start your pair writing session, it’s a good idea to outline that the session is solely about the ideas and work on the page and nothing more.
By explicitly stating that it isn’t personal and talking only about the words and ideas, you’ll both reach the same understanding and avoid conflict.
Communication is vital in pair writing, especially as you discuss the value and merits of the ideas. Whether you’re talking aloud or expressing disagreement, you need to make sure your criticisms are non-violent.
What does that mean?
Non-violent communication, or compassionate communication, is communicating with empathy. It moves us beyond “right” and “wrong” answers.
If your partner has written something, it’s likely they don’t want to be judged for it. A good tip is to sit in a semicircle, facing a computer. It makes the pair writing session less confrontational.
To illustrate, uncompassionate communication might sound like this:
I don’t like what you’ve written here, it sounds bad and not right for our audience.
Compassionate communicate turns that on its head:
This is a good start but how about we push the idea forward. Shall we consider it from this angle instead?
Pair writing — In closing
Pair writing opened my eyes to a new way of working with others.
It helped me gain insight and knowledge not only about my job but the people I work with.
I’m attuned to their way of thinking and this makes work easier and much more fun. Try it and let me know how it goes!
