When it works, we hardly notice it—and yet it plays a crucial role in the success of a digital product: language. At its best, it provides us with all the information we need to successfully interact with a website or application—in other words, it ensures a positive user experience. In this context, it is part of the user experience, and its effective implementation is currently known as UX writing.
In the world of advertising, many companies have already recognized that key factors in a product’s success—such as trust in a brand—are conveyed primarily through language. A good product can win people over with good language. In UX writing, however, the primary goal is not to sell something, but to ensure a product functions perfectly. Ambiguous text on websites or in applications clearly misses its mark: successful use by its users.
That is precisely why our UX and UID experts are shining a spotlight today on this discipline—one that should not be overlooked—within user experience design.
Microcopy
However, before we delve into the methods and tools for successful UX writing, we’d like to first define our working material more precisely—the text. In UX writing, we don’t encounter text in the form of large blocks of prose, but rather on buttons, as labels, in short help texts, in direct addresses, or as button labels.
These are often individual words rather than complete sentences. In UX writing, we call this type of text “microcopy.” It refers to the many small text elements necessary for a successful interaction between a digital product and its users. Good microcopy helps users stay on track and guides them through the product—leading them to their destination as smoothly and directly as possible.
However, before effective microcopy can be created, a great deal of knowledge is required—both about the product and about the users. This is where methods already familiar from user experience design, such as Design Thinking, come into play. It is therefore not only helpful but also advisable to involve UX writers in the product development process from the very beginning, working alongside UX/UI designers, product owners, and developers.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is a creative innovation process that places people and their needs at the center of product development. This method involves adopting the users’ perspective to generate ideas that best solve their problems. This perspective is especially essential in UX writing. Successful UX engages in a dialogue with users that ultimately leads them to their desired outcome at the end of their interaction. Simply by adopting the user’s perspective, we can derive important principles for successful UX writing. If users are to navigate a digital product and reach their goal as quickly as possible and without frustration during their interaction, it’s best to follow this guiding principle when creating good microcopy: Good microcopy should be clear, concise, useful, consistent, and friendly.
Depending on the nature of the interaction between the digital product and its users, these five guiding principles should be weighed differently. For example, the shortest possible version of microcopy will not always be the most useful one. Creating good microcopy is therefore always an iterative process. It goes through several stages until it reaches its most effective form.
In applying and prioritizing these five guiding principles within our processes, the following basic assumptions have proven particularly helpful through the use of design thinking. No matter what kind of microcopy we’re dealing with, the wording should always be unambiguous—that is, clear and unambiguous. When it comes to providing information, its length can vary depending on the purpose of the microcopy. As a general rule, however, we should provide only as much information as is necessary at that moment of interaction. Sometimes, for example, it may be more helpful to use one more word, while in other cases it may not. Perhaps the most important point, however, is that no matter which interactions are accompanied by microcopy, these labels must be used consistently. If different terms are used for the same interaction within a digital product, the microcopy is neither clear nor concise—and, above all, it is not useful. Only microcopy that is tailored to the user’s perspective and the product’s purpose fulfills its goal: ensuring a positive user experience.
Closely tied to these four principles is a fifth one. People expect machines to exhibit a certain basic level of human-like behavior. Simply by developing our digital products through a user-centered design process, we ensure that this aspect is taken into account in our work. Effective microcopy should therefore be tailored as much as possible to basic human needs and expectations regarding communication, and it should follow human logic. This prevents users from encountering confusion within the digital product—confusion whose purpose is unclear to them due to a lack of user-friendliness—and which leaves them disoriented and frustrated.
However, the language that serves as the foundation for good microcopy—and thus good UX writing—is not something that needs to be defined from scratch. For example, many companies already have a language or tone of voice—originating from marketing—that defines their products and corporate culture. UX writers draw on this and adapt it for their work. The goal is always to create a positive user experience.
Methods & Tools
The following methods and tools are particularly well-suited for creating effective microcopy: voice charts, terminology tables, and copy templates.
The Voice Chart translates product principles into linguistic guidelines. It is a kind of reference table that specifies how the text in a digital product should be worded. It contains information about the desired tone, language level, word choice, and grammatical rules that must be taken into account when writing microcopy. Voice charts focus on the core functions and corporate values of a digital product. They serve as the ultimate basis for decision-making when evaluating competing microcopy drafts.
Whether used as the basis for a voice chart or as a standalone tool, a terminology table is a valuable resource for ensuring consistent language use. It compiles all specialized and technical terms, providing concrete usage examples and possible synonyms. Terminology tables not only support a consistent corporate image but also play a valuable role in helping users navigate the digital product.
Finally, there is also the option of integrating copy templates into UX writing. These can be developed based on a voice chart and a terminology table and provide complete text templates, including use cases. Whether it’s error messages, help texts, notifications, or status messages—ideally, there will be appropriate microcopy for everything here.
Copy templates make UX writing much easier. They promote consistent language use while also increasing efficiency throughout the entire design process. For example, UX designers can draw on them as early as the initial drafting stage. A synergy between UX writing and UX design—one that benefits the entire digital product—emerges and often evolves into a broader concept that benefits everyone involved in the development process.
How We Work
Using one of our electric car-sharing projects as an example, we’d like to highlight some examples of effective microcopy in a mobile app. Thanks to automated identity verification processes, users can quickly register and use the electric vehicles. The app is used to lock and unlock the electric vehicles, and parking fees are billed automatically. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, a good user experience (UX) is essential—both in design and language.
Our first example focuses on consistency. Throughout the entire application, for example, we use a button labeled „Agree“ to confirm an action that requires the user’s consent. Using other labels, such as „Confirm,“ could cause confusion or, in the worst case, lead users to abandon the interaction.
Similarly, for the documents required during the registration process—such as a driver’s license—we always use the term „driving license.“ Inconsistent terminology that alternates between „driving license“ and „driving permit“ would not only cause potential confusion but also undermine the credibility of the app as a trustworthy service.
We’ve also included short help texts in many parts of our app to inform users about processes and possible solutions. These are not only useful but also create a friendly atmosphere, making it a pleasure for users to navigate through the app. Furthermore, they fulfill a basic expectation people have when it comes to communication: we expect a certain degree of helpfulness from those we interact with.
Often, a single word is enough to clearly interpret an interaction or a process. For example, we’ve added the microcopy „Slide to unlock“ to our button for unlocking electric vehicles. When a vehicle is charging, the microcopy „Charging“ appears in addition to the charging icon. Images and icons can be interpreted in different ways.
Good microcopy minimizes ambiguity and provides users with clear information about specific interactions and their consequences, while remaining concise, useful, consistent, and friendly.
