The Rise of the UX Writer

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UX Planet

If you’ve been paying attention to the biggest UX design trends predicted for 2019, you’ll no doubt have heard about the rise of UX writing. For some time now, writing has been hailed as “design’s unicorn skill”; however, it is no longer seen as a complementary nice-to-have. UX writing has evolved into a specialist job title in its own right, and the UX writer is increasingly recognized as an integral part of the design team.

The likes of Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Amazon already have UX writers embedded in their design teams. With more and more companies set to follow suit, it’s important to understand exactly what the role of the UX writer entails — and how it adds value to the overall design process.

In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the role of the UX writer, exploring everything from typical tasks and responsibilities to earning potential. We’ll also consider the value of hiring a UX writer, as well as what it takes to become one. So without further ado, let’s dive into UX’s hottest new job title.

What does a UX writer do?

The UX writer is responsible for all the text the user encounters when navigating their way around a product. Be it a website, a mobile app or a piece of software, copy is crucial in guiding the user and helping them complete their desired actions.

The celebratory message that pops up when you reach 10,000 steps on your Fitbit? That’s been written by a UX writer. The error message that greets you when you enter the wrong pin for your mobile banking app? Also the work of a UX writer.

Everything from the smallest CTA button to the most glaring error message has an impact on user experience. It’s the UX writer’s job to craft copy that is not only compelling and concise, but also user-friendly, appropriate within the given context, and on-brand.

UX writers are not marketers

It’s important to distinguish between dedicated UX writers and writers who operate within a marketing context. While marketing copywriters are concerned with attracting new users, keeping them engaged and ultimately converting them, UX copywriters are all about making sure that the user experience is as smooth as possible. Whereas a marketing copywriter may be given a brief or a certain amount of space to fill once the product has been designed, UX writers are involved in the design process from the very beginning.

In short: Marketing copywriters write for conversion, which might include more abrupt, invasive messaging such as “Get 10% off now!”. Writing for UX, on the other hand, is all about smooth, facilitative passage through a product. Marketers also create content to promote the product across different channels, while UX writers take care of the copy featured on the product itself.

Tasks and responsibilities of the UX writer

In one of their recent job adverts, Google describes the UX writer role as follows:

“As a User Experience writer, you are an advocate for Google design, working to shape product experiences by creating useful, meaningful text that helps users complete the task at hand. You help set the vision for content and drive cohesive product narratives across multiple platforms and touch points. As a stellar writer, you have a portfolio of work that demonstrates content that simplifies and beautifies the overall user experience.”

Retail giant Nordstrom, meanwhile, offers the following description:

“As a Senior UX Writer at Nordstrom, you write concise, well-crafted messaging that supports and helps define large-scale content strategy. In this role, you’ll collaborate with designers, researchers, writers and other key business stakeholders to write and test user-focused solutions for mobile, desktop, online, and in-store — while maintaining Nordstrom’s tone and voice. You’ll help shape how that voice evolves and grows as you help create innovative features and interactions…”

As you can see, the role of the UX writer isn’t limited to writing. In order to craft compelling microcopy, it’s crucial to first have an understanding of the entire product design and development process — and how good copy contributes to that.

As a UX writer, you might conduct user research in order to build a strong sense of empathy for your target audience. Who are you writing for? What tone of voice is most likely to resonate with your users? You’ll then use these insights to devise an overarching UX editorial strategy, ensuring that copy is consistent across all products and interfaces.

In addition to writing new copy, you may also be required to carry out regular analysis and health-checks on existing copy. This includes analyzing product metrics such as daily sessions, time-on-page, and goal completion rate. Is the current product copy guiding the user or frustrating them? Does it need some minor tweaking, or is a complete overhaul in order?

You’ll work with UX designers, UI designers, researchers and information architects to ensure that the product layout and copy work harmoniously together. You’ll establish a distinctive brand voice and convey this at each and every touch point the user goes through.

What does it take to become a UX writer?

The national average salary for a user experience copywriter comes in at around $70,000 in the United States, and there are over 3,000 UX writer positions being advertised on Indeed at the time of writing. As businesses increasingly prioritize copy within the UX process, there has never been a more exciting time to put your writing skills to good use and specialize in this up-and-coming field.

So what does it take to become a UX writer?

Given that this is, relatively speaking, a fairly new job title, it’s safe to say that there is no one set path to becoming a UX writer. Above all, a role in UX writing requires excellent copywriting skills combined with a solid understanding of user experience design. Whether you’ve been working in UX already or are coming from a writing background, you’ll need a strong portfolio demonstrating your experience with crafting great copy.

Given the highly collaborative nature of UX writing, employers will also be looking for excellent communication and teamwork. Other desirable skills include research and analysis, problem-solving, a keen eye for detail, and an understanding of branding and general business objectives.

Why hire a UX writer? Because copy can make or break the user experience!

When it comes to designing a first-class user experience, it’s no longer enough to treat copy as an afterthought. The rise of the UX writer highlights how more and more brands are seeking to fine-tune the user experience, and relying on dedicated specialists to do so.

Ultimately, copy can make or break the user experience. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your user interface is; if it’s littered with confusing, misleading, or grammatically incorrect copy, the user will be left distinctly unimpressed.

Why hire a UX writer? They’ll ensure that copy forms an integral part of the design process from the very start. They’ll act as a dedicated wordsmith, championing the importance of language and giving your brand a consistent voice across all user touchpoints. In short, they’ll make sure that bad copy doesn’t let your product down.

You can learn more about how to hire a UX writer here. If you’re interested in becoming a UX writer yourself, subscribe to UX Writer Jobs for all the latest positions straight to your inbox. Want to learn more about specialist UX roles? Check out this guide to UX designer job descriptions.

About the author:

Emily Stevens. Originally from England, Emily moved to Berlin after studying French and German at university. When she’s not writing for CareerFoundry, she can be found travelling, hula-hooping or reading a good book.

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Responses (5)

What are your thoughts?

I would like to commend UXplanet (or whoever is responsible for placing the photo that illustrates the article) for choosing a photograph of a professional looking older woman. This is worth mentioning not only because it is rare to see a photo of…

As a Senior UX Designer (aka UI Designer) I’m usually seen as the design source — UX and UI including the Voice and Tone — and all copy runs past me. A UX Writer position/Title as a stand alone might be a growing resource in some large companies…

Hee Emily, thanks for introducing me to this new subject :D I believe this is an underrated subject. Because the language of people is changing fast. I see long read everywhere while the attention snap is dropping to 8 seconds at the moment. So how do you see the future of copy? In longer or shorter communications?