What is UX Writing?

In the 1990s, Don Norman coined the term "user experience" to describe the way users interact with a product. As the discipline matured, it branched out into specialties: UX design, UX research, and UX writing.

UX writing focuses on creating clear, concise, and helpful text that appears within the interface of websites, mobile apps, and other digital products. This includes button labels, error messages, onboarding instructions, tooltips, and other forms of microcopy designed to guide users seamlessly through their experience.^[1]

At its core, UX writing builds a bridge between users and the product. It balances user needs with business goals, fostering clarity, trust, and ease of use.

Microcopy is what UX writers work with the most. It refers to short pieces of text on menus, modals, button labels, error messages, and other UI elements that appear on websites and apps. Microcopy is also called UX microcopy or UX copy.

Users come to digital products for content, just like diners come to a restaurant for food. Microcopy influences how users consume content in the same way table service affects the dining experience.

Great microcopy can improve users' impression of the product. However, if the product doesn't offer real value to users, even the most amazing UX copy can't save it.

There's a lot of confusion surrounding the differences between UX writing and related disciplines such as copywriting, content design, and content strategy. Here’s what UX writing is not:

• Copywriting is the most different from UX writing than other disciplines. Unlike UX writing, copywriting focuses on creating engaging content, not guiding users through it. In short, copywriting is related to marketing, not user experience.
• Content design is more about the product's design process, while UX writing is about the words users read or hear when they're using a product — in theory. In practice, many job listings use these terms interchangeably.
• Content strategy looks at a long-term strategy that uses content to achieve a particular vision. It differs from UX writing which mostly focuses on the words in a product. In practice, a content strategist and a UX writer can be the same person within an organization due to the overlap of job functions.

UX writers collaborate closely with other UX professionals to create a cohesive, user-friendly experience. While a large part of their role involves crafting microcopy, their impact goes far beyond just writing. For example, rather than simply adding text, a UX writer might suggest revising the user flow or even eliminating unnecessary features to streamline the experience.

How can we tell when a UX writer has done their job well? It's when a website or app feels intuitive, and users can easily navigate it to accomplish their goals without confusion or friction.

As Coco Chanel famously said, "Dress shabbily, and they remember the dress; dress impeccably, and they remember the woman." The same principle applies to UX writing. If the copy is poor, users will focus on what confused them and remember the negative experience. But if the UX writing is spot-on, users won’t even think about it—they’ll simply enjoy the product and remember how well it worked for them.

Working with stakeholders (developers, designers, product managers, and marketing people) helps UX writers understand the project's origin story and business goals. Collaborating with the design team helps create designs that suit users' needs.

It's crucial that UX writers understand:

• The product and its business goals
• The audience and their needs
• How to create a user experience to satisfy both these factors

UX writers might need to conduct user research and testing in smaller companies. In bigger teams, there are separate positions for UX researchers, UX analysts, and related roles.^[2]

On the surface, UX writers are mainly concerned with creating clear and concise microcopy. But more importantly, UX writers are an integral part of the product design team. A UX writer's responsibility is to deliver inside-out product messaging.

This includes accurate product positioning, fostering conversion, and promoting transparency and user satisfaction. To achieve this, a UX writer needs to have an extensive understanding of the product, its business goals, the target audience, and the context of use.

Besides writing microcopy, UX writers' responsibilities usually include:

• Collaborating with the team to create user-centric products and experiences
• Simplifying complex concepts and language
• Creating and using design systems and style guides
• Advocating for users
• Educating team members about best practices
• Conducting research and testing, and more

While most companies don't require UX writers to have a bachelor's degree, larger companies might look for candidates with degrees in English, Journalism, or Communication.^[3]