4 examples of bad UX writing
Photo by Tranmautritam from PexelsWe can learn as much from good examples of UX writing as we can from bad examples of UX writing.
Understanding what not to do can add an extra layer of context to teach us what a great user experience looks like.
In this post, I dive into bad examples of UX writing measured by the same criteria I used to judge good UX writing, just flipped.
As a refresher, effective UX copy can be measured by writing clear, concise, useful, helpful, usable, and accessible content.
In terms of what not to do, here’s how I define each attribute:
Clear UX copy → Unclear
Unclear UX copy has jargon and leaves someone wondering. It’s:
Hard to understand
Hard to scan
Not obvious
Ambiguous
Leaves doubt
Is easily misinterpreted
Concise UX copy → Lengthy
Lengthy UX copy is long and not streamlined. It:
Uses filler words and phrases
Has no logic as to the order of information presented
Uses passive voice
Uses hyperbole
Uses the longest form of a word
Useful UX copy → Inconvenient
Inconvenient UX copy offers no or little guidance. It:
Doesn’t offer context to help people make decisions
Doesn’t write a path for every direction
Ignores people in all their possible states
Helpful UX copy → Unhelpful
Unhelpful UX copy makes experiences with a lot of hassle. It:
Leaves people with unanswered questions
Surfaces information without being aware of the user journey
Doesn’t uncover what context is *actually* helpful
States facts without translating the value for someone
Usable UX copy → Unusable
Unusable UX copy makes it hard for people to engage. It:
Makes someone think about how a product works
Has distractions throughout an experience
Makes completing tasks hard and complicated
Has a high cognitive load
Accessible UX copy → Inaccessible
Inaccessible UX copy excludes people. It:
Uses words like ‘click’ and ‘view,’ assuming how someone is navigating a product
Uses images with words on them, not text
Orders UI elements so the action comes before information and instruction
Relies on visuals to convey information
Writes undescriptive, confusing calls-to-action
As a note on the rating system used below, the higher the number of stars, the more an example performs in a category. For example, 5 stars for ‘unclear’ would mean the example is the most unclear possible.
Let’s dive in.
Flo app: Analysis question
Unclear: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lengthy: ⭐️
Inconvenient: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unhelpful: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unusable: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Inaccessible: ⭐️
Flo is an app that helps women track their period and ovulation cycles.
The following screen was shown as one question in a flow to assess one’s current cycle performance.
This screen struggles because it’s not being specific to help someone make a decision. What’s being analyzed? My health? Am I going to get feedback or suggestions, or data I need to interpret? What value do I gain from having one of these analyzed? Will my data be shared?
Many unanswered questions are left hanging, and there’s no context as to what each option entails. Will I be shown a graph? What’ll be shared that I don’t already see in the app today?
Also, the ‘Report for a Doctor’ CTA seems misplaced on this screen and confuses the desired action one should take.
iTrackBites: Upgrade prompt
Unclear: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lengthy: ⭐️
Inconvenient: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unhelpful: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unusable: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Inaccessible: ⭐️
iTrackBites is a food-logging app that helps people lose weight.
In this prompt on the app’s ‘Community tab,’ iTrackBites upsells their Premium offering in context. The problem is it’s not exactly clear what the upgraded feature is.
One can gather that if you upgrade now, you’ll be able to make posts in the community. But what do I get out of that? Advice from like-minded people? Tips and tricks from people going through the same process? Is it like Instagram or more like TikTok? How much does it cost?
When questions are left open like this and the value of the feature hasn’t been translated for someone, it doesn’t inspire action. Instead, it makes someone feel annoyed because the piece of content is seen as a company-centric ad not there to help them on their journey.
GoodRx: Enable notifications prompt
Unclear: ⭐️
Lengthy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Inconvenient: ⭐️
Unhelpful: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unusable: ⭐️⭐️
Inaccessible: ⭐️
GoodRx helps people find deals on prescriptions.
I found this prompt by browsing the app, and it could be improved in a few ways.
First, the header — the (arguably) most important piece of UX copy on the screen — offers no value, doesn’t state the benefit, and is written from the viewpoint of the company, not the consumer.
If GoodRx took their first line of body copy and put it in the header, they’d solve all of that. For example:
Header: Never forget a refill
CTA: Turn on reminders
Most of the time people read the header and CTA and call it a day. That’s why it’s so important to make sure the most important value is communicated upfront.
One thing GoodRx does well is sharing this setting isn’t permanent, and if you change your mind, simply go to Settings to turn it off.
MySubarbu: Health report issue prompt
Unclear: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lengthy: ⭐️
Inconvenient: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unhelpful: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Unusable: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Inaccessible: ⭐️
MySubaru is an app for Subaru owners to monitor the health and status of their Subaru.
This scary prompt surfaced to tell us that our windshield wiper fluid is low.
The level of escalation this prompt presents doesn’t match the degree of the problem.
When it comes to the content, this prompt could benefit from some dynamic text. Instead of ‘health report issue,’ say ‘low windshield wiper fluid.’
Also, it would be more helpful to give guidance on how to solve the problem instead of saying ‘your attention is required.’
In addition, the CTAs ‘Vehicle health report’ and ‘Important info’ aren’t distinct and different and don’t give a good glimpse as to what’s on the other side.
As a disclaimer, I have no insight into the analytics of the content presented, and my analysis is based on my knowledge of UX writing best practices learned from years of experience consulting for companies ranging from Fitbit to Chime.
Take a moment this week and see if the content in your product has similarities to these examples. A content audit is a great way to get started.
