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UX Writing: How to do it like Google with this powerful checklist
Notes from Google I/O 2017 on choosing the right words
Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words. (Mark Twain)
These are my notes from a Google I/O 2017 talk by three UX Writers. It’s a great resource to start creating a UX Writing process within your organisation. Useful for anyone involved in putting words on interfaces.
Topics covered:
1. Introduction to Content Strategy
Maggie Stanphill, UX Director, Content Strategy, Google
2. Three UX Writing Best Practices
Allison Rung, UX Writer, Google
3. Building Brand voice for your new Product
Juliana Appenrodt, UX Write, Google
4. Your UX Writing Checklist
Maggie Stanphill, UX Director, Content Strategy, Google
1. Introduction to Content Strategy
Google follows the principle - focus on the user and all else will follow. Focusing on the user starts with the content.
Content strategy is the crafting and development of all product messaging. UX writing is a speciality within this discipline. It focuses on helping users achieve their goals with language.
Language helps the user get where they want to go. By focusing on what the user wants to achieve, content strategy builds loyalty and trust.
Writers work with designers to think about information hierarchy on the page. This then guides user actions. Writers work with researchers to test hypothesis about language and inform our insights.
When you have the foundation of UX writing and you add brand voice, something amazing can happen. UX writing can survive with the fundamentals, but it can thrive with brand voice.
