UX Writing

Overview

Interface text is part of the design: it tells people what they can do, what happened, and what to do next. Good microcopy is specific, short, consistent and kind, and it still works when translated or read by a screen reader.

Inputs

• The screen or flow (screenshot, Figma frame, or a list of strings) and where each string appears.
• Who the user is and what they are trying to do at that moment.
• Existing voice and tone guide or glossary, if any. Otherwise infer the tone from the product's existing copy and keep it.

Method

1. Context per string: where it appears, what the user just did, what they want next, and how they feel (in a hurry, worried about money, first visit).
2. Write or rewrite each string with the patterns below.
3. Consistency pass: one name per concept across the flow (do not mix "workspace", "project" and "space"), the same verb for the same action, the same capitalisation style.
4. Length pass: fit the space; leave room for about 30% expansion in translation.
5. Accessibility pass: link and button text makes sense out of context, error text is tied to its field, no meaning carried only by an icon or colour.
6. Deliver as a table: location, current, suggested, why.

Patterns

Report format

## UX writing: <screen or flow>

| Location | Current | Suggested | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delete dialog, primary button | OK | Delete project | Names the action; "OK" hides that it is destructive |

**Glossary for this flow:** <term> (use) · <term> (avoid)
**Open questions:** <facts you need, e.g. "how long does the refund take?">

For the most important strings (primary buttons, key errors, headlines) give one or two alternatives with the trade-off.

Rules

• Never invent facts in copy: timings ("within 24 hours"), prices, limits or policies. Ask, or leave a placeholder like <refund time>.
• Use the user's words, not internal or technical terms ("payment failed", not "transaction error 402").
• Front-load the important word; cut "please", "simply", "just" and filler.
• Sentence case unless the product's style says otherwise.
• Do not build sentences by joining strings ("You have " + n + " items"); write full strings with plural forms, so they can be translated.
• No "click here" or "learn more" alone; link text names its destination.
• Keep the product's existing voice; do not add jokes or exclamation marks to errors.

Common mistakes

• "Something went wrong" with no cause and no next step.
• Buttons that say "Yes" and "No" under a question the user has to re-read.
• Three different words for the same thing in one flow.
• Copy that fits in English and breaks the layout in German.

Made by Wageesha Tripathi · LinkedIn · Email · More skills