5 Things Every UX Writer Hates to Hear

Writing copy for things like buttons and pop-ups can be kind of hard to grasp. I get it—I’ve been at more than one event with family friends where they’ve said, “You do what? You get paid for that? I don’t even really notice them…”

But that’s exactly it. When done well, good UX writing makes your experience with a website or an app so smooth that, well, you don’t even notice what you’re reading.

Similarly, a fellow UX writer once shared that someone said to her: “Your position is senior? For writing so few words?”

Sigh. We’ve come a long way, but people still don’t realize the thought, knowledge, and effort that goes into writing those “few words.”

In that spirit, here’s a list of five things UX writers really don’t like hearing.

"Can you make it shorter?"

Though sometimes UX writing is called “microcopy,” it isn't a contest over who can write the absolute shortest copy.

While it’s true that a UX writer is typically working with limited real estate, complete clarity for the user trumps all. Sometimes this can mean that a designer will have to tweak the design to accommodate longer copy rather than the UX writer slashing copy. UX writing and UX design are a tango for two, and giving a UX writer a set template and asking them to fill in the blanks is not going to yield the best user experience.

"Can you just fill in a few words here?"

Sure, I can fill in a few words. Just one, actually: No.

UX writing isn't just about changing the designer's filler text into actual text. It's about understanding how a product works, what comes next, how users read, what they are thinking, and what their concerns might be—and then translating all of that into clear, concise copy. Sometimes that means reworking the design, breaking up a screen, or changing the order that the designer already had in mind. So yes, the design is important, but the UX writer’s role isn’t just to fill in the blanks.

"I'm going to run over to Karen in marketing and get her to jot something down."

UX writing is a skill in its own right that brings together good communication and experience with digital interfaces (including an understanding of how they work).

Just because someone can write (or can speak English 🤦‍♀️) doesn’t mean they’re a good UX writer. Marketing writers have a different focus and set of skills they’ve mastered (so they probably don’t like hearing this sentence either). The goals, purposes, style, and best practices in marketing writing and UX writing aren’t the same, so asking even the most talented of marketing writers to write UX copy isn’t likely to result in a great product.

Read more about what makes UX writing different from copywriting and content writing.

"The capitalization doesn't matter."

What is true about this statement is that in the world of apps and websites, there’s no be-all-and-end-all rule. Each brand gets to decide what rules they choose to follow—and follow them.

Apple uses title case capitalization (i.e., every word in titles and buttons is capitalized). Google uses sentence case, where only the first word in a string is capitalized. And tcby—uniquely—uses all lowercase (in their logo, menus, and titles). Some companies use all caps for their buttons but sentence case everywhere else.

So while there are no universal rules in the world of digital products, each company needs to set their own rules and stick to them.

Following brand rules and capitalizing consistently streamlines the workflow and strengthens a brand's reputation. Setting rules early on and making sure all the writers (and even designers and product managers!) know them makes a company’s work process much easier and cleaner.

And while many users won't notice inconsistent capitalization, there are always some who will, and inconsistency can compromise their experience and make them question a company’s credibility.

"People don't read."

This statement is right—sort of. People don't read every word—they skim or scan with their eyes, which is why UX writing has to be a happy marriage between words and design. The design has to support the copy, and the copy has to be formatted in a way that makes sense for the way people read online.

Because (surprise!) people actually DO read when something gives them value—when it answers questions they have, explains something they need explained, or provides them with information they are seeking. UX writing is about making sure all that info is there for them in the most palatable and scannable way possible and making it quick and easy for them to understand when they do pause to read (so easy, in fact, that they don’t even notice it).

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Want to work better with UX writers—and therefore make your product better? Banish the five sentences above from your conversation. Finding the exact right words is a skill that UX writers hone, and giving them the respect, and the time, to do their work well make a digital product the best it can be.

Looking to break into UX writing? Join the waitlist for UX to Success.