As we all know, new technology changes and develops at a dizzying speed, and as a consequence, the market now calls for a new set of professional skills that are adapted to the needs of online businesses. An example of these ‘newly called-for’ professionals is the UX Writer.

What is a UX Writer?

A UX Writer is a creator of the “statements” and complete verbal cues that can be found on an interface. They keep the needs of the business in mind and, more importantly, cater to users’ needs and better their experiences by producing relatable language on the interface. One could say that the principal objective of the UX Writer and their writing is to establish good communication between the user and a digital product.

What does the job involve?

The work of a UX Writer usually deals with the leading text and content on the main “body” of the interface, but they do much more as well, putting together a great variety of hidden texts and micro-content such as the following:

• Error Messages
• Content on Interval Screens. Advertising formats that completely occupy the screen and appear while a new page or content is loading.
• Online validation.
• Information about various tools.
• Legal warnings.
• Metadata.
• Animations on the user interface.
• Fields on forms and documents.
• Helpful content.

In addition, the UX Writer produces:

• A definitive vision for the product from the first phase to the final stages.
• Collaborates on research concerning users and the public.
• Develops and maintains the style and tone of voice of the brand.
• Collaborates on the development of the information architecture.
• Takes part in the creation of content strategies.
• Creates useful, concise, fresh content and maintains important traditions.
• Uses research and data to evaluate content.
• Directs and contributes to the flow of work and objectives for the rest of the team.

UX Writers collaborate with the UX Design team, clients, and the development team from the beginning of the project, contributing with beneficial tasks such as:

• Helping to facilitate the design process.
• Making sure the prototype uses real content for the user tests for optimum authenticity.
• Helps to improve the verbal design for the entire team.

What characteristics should their “language” have?

The following practices are typically recommended for UX Writers:

• Clear Language: The verbal cues should be centered around the actions that a user can take, eliminating technical terms or complicated language so that the text is easier to comprehend. Provide verbal cues that inspire the user to take action.

• Concise Language: According to users’ “reading patterns,” it is best to put the most relevant text at the beginning, reducing the rest of the content to the bare necessities. This provides the users with more efficient and relateable forms of communication.

• Usefulness: Users should be able carry out their desired tasks and actions with ease. If there is an error in the loading page or online process, it’s better to provide a “try again” option, rather than only an “OK.” Furthermore, the option to start over should be available after various failed attempts. You want to avoid frustrating the user by forcing them to “recover password.”

These three principles aren’t always in harmony. There will be certain necessary changes that don’t completely comply with some of the previous criteria, but always thinking in the context of the user will help create an equilibrium between the three in the end.
In addition to these characteristics, it’s very important that UX Writers put themselves in users’ shoes, using creativity and added images to complement their written content and define the voice of the brand (or the way that users will perceive the business). Writers must choose the appropriate tone for different contexts as well.

As we can see, the demand for UX Writers in Spain will continue to grow in the coming months, following the pattern displayed in other countries like the United States, where businesses like Google, Amazon and Paypal have been requiring the talents of UX Writers to bring technology closer to people and impro  ve their user experience since 2016.