Member-only story
The 5 C’s of UX Writing
So you’ve been chosen to write the product copy for your app? BUT, you’re a designer not a writer! No fear, if your copy follows the 5 C’s of UX Writing, you’ll be a writer in no time.
Clear
Clarity banishes confusion
Great writing, like great design, is invisible. What makes things invisible? If it is clear. If it intuitive. If it is effortless. Effective writers write for clarity. If your content is not clear, then you are losing customers. Clarity in copy reassures users that they are on the right track and builds trust. This is doubly true for UX Writers given user behavior and context.
UX Writing is extremely contextual. Error states, call to actions, tool tips. The purpose of UX Writing is to inform and guide users within a user interface.
Imagine that you are drafting the copy for a button to lead users to view available roles at a company. Within the context of a mobile app, you have limited time (seconds, probably) and a tiny amount of space to guide and inform your user.
Effective copy in this scenario (small real estate and limited time to hold user’s attention) needs to be crystal clear.
Which button clearly informs and guides the user to view open careers?
They both go to the same place, but the explicit “See Careers” call to action (CTA) requires less effort on the users end. Copy can be cute and endearing, but if it impedes the user from completing a task, it can cause confusion and frustration.
Testing for Clarity
So how do you know when your content is clear? Test it. Ask your audience (people who will be using your site/app, not your sister or your mom) if the message is clear. Do they understand the purpose and intent of the copy? If not, ask them what would make it clearer. If they complete the task effortlessly with no questions asked, your content is good to go.
Concise
Scanning is the new reading
