How to write usable, helpful, and accessible UX copy
Photo by Dzenina Lukac from PexelsWriting clear, concise, and useful UX copy is only the first step on the path to mastering microcopy.
Your UX copy also needs to be usable, helpful, and accessible to make sure your experience can properly function in an inclusive, navigable way.
These three UX writing principles are the foundation for creating a seamless, fine-tuned product that doesn’t make someone think too hard.
Usable UX copy is the baseline for solid engagement
Usable UX copy might sound like a technical term, but it’s actually simple. It means the product is easy to use because of the microcopy.
You know a product is easy to use when:
Someone doesn’t have to think about how it works
There are no distractions throughout the experience
Completing tasks is easy and intuitive
The cognitive load is low
If someone has a lot of questions about how a product works, gets frustrated throughout the experience, or resorts to Googling how to accomplish a goal, the experience isn’t very usable.
Making sure your UX copy is usable comes before adding in any delight. If the UX copy is delightful but difficult to understand, the experience has failed the user.
To make sure your UX copy is usable:
Lean on research to hear straight from users how understandable and usable the product you’re building is
Be clear before cute
Collaborate closely with engineers to understand the technical nitty-gritty
Break up large chunks of UX copy
Only use words that serve a heavy-lifting purpose
Helpful UX copy makes experiences hassle-free
Usable UX copy creates a clear, actionable, navigable experience. Helpful UX copy is the next layer.
Imagine you’re at The Home Depot looking for a Hue light bulb. You ask an employee if the store carries them. The “usable” employee says, “Yes, we carry Hue light bulbs,” being very clear and making a statement you can’t misinterpret. The “helpful” employee says, “Yes, Hue light bulbs are in aisle 13 on the right-hand side in bay 6. It looks like we have 6 in stock.”
Helpful UX copy goes above and beyond to make an experience seamless with information that takes away any hassle.
To write helpful UX copy:
Answer any and all questions that could come up for the user
Surface the right information at the right time
Provide context that helps the user make a decision
Cut the fluff — test and iterate what context is *actually* helpful
Don’t assume knowledge the user does or doesn’t have
Accessible UX copy ensures everyone’s included
To write effective UX copy, it’s important to think about the result, not just the flow.
That means focusing on what happens when a user selects a button, not that you want the user to select the button. And not everyone ‘clicks’, ‘taps’, or ‘sees’ a button.
The best experiences are inclusive of every user, regardless of race, gender, age, or disabilities.
To create inclusive experiences, we must make sure we’re designing for accessibility. 15% of the world’s population has some sort of disability. If your product isn’t accessible, you’re ignoring a sizable chunk of humans.
Accessible UX copy is:
Readable
Understandable
Appears and operates in predictable ways
To write accessible UX copy:
Use UX writing systems — be consistent by using the same words to describe actions
Avoid words like ‘click’ and ‘view’ so you don’t make assumptions about how a user is navigating your product
Use text instead of images with words on them
Order UI elements so information and instruction come before action
Don’t rely on visuals to convey information — be clear in the UX copy
Write descriptive, clear calls-to-action
Add alt text to images, icons, and illustrations
Take a moment this week and evaluate how usable, helpful, and accessible your product’s UX copy is.
You don’t have to look at your entire product — just take one screen that’s not getting great engagement or isn’t converting well. Apply these principles, and watch to see how your experience improves.
