4 Important Traits UX Writers Bring to the Table
UX writers aren’t just people who happen to have good grammar skills and who fill in the Lorem ipsums with real words. They’re a rich asset to a product team, and they bring to the table traits and characteristics that are essential for designing good user experiences.
1. Empathy
Effective products foster a relationship between the interface and the user. Relationships aren’t built on the shape of a button or the background color of a modal. To build connections, we need words. UX writers spend most of their time doing research, seeking to understand users and their pain points, and crafting copy that speaks directly to those issues and needs; through words, they bring empathy to products. Copy—not colors, not animation, not code—is what makes products human and enables the conversation between the product and the user.
2. Attention to detail
The space limitations of product copy teach UX writers, early on, to keep their words super concise and focused. UX writers are also the keepers of consistent terminology, punctuation, and phrasing, which lead to a more cohesive, professional, and trustworthy experience for users. Beyond that, though, the practice and process of UX writing can also reveal issues in the user journey or design. For example, because UX writers are used to taking apart even the tiniest element or component, they can often point out if a flow doesn’t make sense or isn’t intuitive.
3. Curiosity
So much of UX writing can be distilled down into the question What if…?: What if the user doesn’t know where to find this information? What if the connection is lost while the data is loading? What if this form doesn’t work properly? What if we want to use this term somewhere else? And so on…
UX writers are constantly asking questions to dig deeper and get to know the target audience, the brand, and the functionality of the product. Their curiosity and desire to understand more can lead us, as teams, to create better products that are more closely aligned with users’ pain points and needs.
4. Big-picture viewpoint and coordination skills
Good UX writing requires working closely with product managers, designers, and often marketers and developers, too, which means that UX writers are well-equipped to coordinate and bring together the many moving parts involved in creating a product. As long as they’re integrated into the team and kept in the loop, they can often be counted on to push things forward and manage the communication between the different parties involved. For example, a UX writer might be the one to notice that the team only designed the “happy flow” and can help map out the potential errors and fill in the gaps that are critical for a complete product.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that UX writers fill in words in Figma designs. But good UX writers aren’t just word nerds and editors; they’re inquisitive, critical, curious, and eager to be informative and helpful—traits that are essential for connecting people and products and driving excellent user experiences.
Looking to work with thoughtful, curious UX writers who will write delightful UX copy for your users? Get in touch!
