A UX Writer is responsible for crafting clear, concise text and user-centric copy for digital products — think: websites, apps, and software user interfaces. Open any of your mobile apps and you will notice words (duh) paired with aesthetically-pleasing design and a well-organized information architecture. That's UX writing in a nutshell - the words that make engaging apps, pages, and software as intuitive as they are.

Good UX writing makes the frictionless user experience part of the value of the product.

What Are the Primary Functions of a UX Writer?

Anticipate user expectations: By creating intuitive and engaging content, UX writers ensure users can easily navigate and interact with digital products. That's good for the end user and good for retention.
Craft clear and motivating microcopy: UX writers guide users through an action tree, like making a purchase or signing up for a service, by providing clear instructions and compelling calls-to-action. Our attention span is limited and every letter counts.
Be a user advocate: When push comes to shove, the writer must articulate and defend their copy to the team on behalf of the end user to balance creativity and analytics. This requires knowledge of design, psychology, and sincere predictive empathy for the people using the final product.
Build a microcopy brand voice: Keep a consistent tone and voice that reflects a brand's identity and the product's placement within its ecosystem. Cultivate trust and credibility with users by not wasting their time and energy on poor UX.
Collaborate with cross-functional partners: Work closely with designers, developers, and product managers to create cohesive user experiences that align with the product's goals and user needs. Thrive in the stakeholder crossfire while bringing humanity to a product.
Defeat ambiguity: Focus on inclusivity, ensuring content is readable and understandable for users with diverse abilities and backgrounds. QA test just like developers when possible. They must make copy that can be understood internationally and can be easily translated.

The mission? Create highly-effective copy that tells a consistent story, drives conversions, and has ceaselessly intuitive navigation.

The Key Responsibilities of a UX Writer: More Than Just Words

It's easy to assume the primary responsibility of a UX writer (or any type of writer) is simply to craft compelling copy. However, the reality is that UX writers have a multitude of responsibilities that require an uncommon skill set. They need to understand technical, creative, and psychological approaches to product design then use the all at once. Here's how.

Less is more: UX writers excel at creating concise, impactful text for small interface elements such as buttons, labels, and error messages, ensuring clarity and consistency across the product. Functional and personable, but not flowery.
Empathy-driven choices: Use empathy to understand users' perspectives and emotions, helping them write user-centric content that addresses needs, desires, and concerns effectively.
Ceaseless curiosity: Interview subject matter experts, creatives, and front end developers to bring the information architecture to life.
Be the human element: Strike a delicate balance between imaginative storytelling and practical, user-focused writing, weaving brand stories into the user experience without compromising usability.
A/B test for data-driven optimization: When budget is available, deploy A/B testing and data analysis to refine copy, identifying which variations resonate most with users. Data-informed decisions beat guessing to optimize the content.
Apply psychology and behavioral science: Use principles of psychology and persuasion. Appropriately motivate users to take actions — like filling out a form, registering for a seminar, or buying your Super Great Service.

User experience writing is a fundamental part of the product itself. Successful digital products are created through a unique blend of creativity, empathy, and data-driven insights.

The Benefits of Hiring a UX Writer: Creating Iconic Products

Imagine the app you use most often. In 2023, maybe that app is TikTok. Here are all of the words you see on screen on TikTok.

Live
Following
For You
(Creator Username)
(Post Caption)
(TikTok Sound)
Home
Friends
Inbox
Profile

That's it. At no point are you confused or burdened with too many options at once. Brief and unambiguous written content means that users understand intuitively how to use an app. This amazing UX is no doubt the result of an in-depth understanding of how to write for the specific use case, audience, and TikTok brand.

What Can a Writer Do for UX?

Unify the brand identity with consistent messaging and tone.
Minimize attrition by supporting common user behavior proactively.
Promote accessibility, minimizing confusion and maximizing translation accuracy.
Boost user engagement with iconic simplicity.
Optimize the interface for frictionless exploration of endless content.

Section II: What Makes a Good UX Writer?

UX Writers Must Be Comfortable with Designers and Developers

Cross-functional collaboration between creatives and engineers is no simple task. Here are some backgrounds that can help identify a strong UX writer.

Respect for front and backend limitations: UX writers must have a basic understanding of development limitations and how to create content that fits within the design. Ideally they make the technical implementation process smoother.
Knowledge of UX design principles: Understanding the fundamental principles of user interface design and human tendencies is necessary to create a compelling product.
Familiarity with design software: While not mandatory, knowledge of design software such as Sketch, Figma, or Adobe XD can help writers work more effectively with designers and developers in creating designs that complement their content.
Ability to adapt to design changes: UX writers must be able to adapt to design changes throughout the development process and edit their content to fit frequent iterations, ensuring that the final product is cohesive and user-friendly.

Key Competencies of an Exceptional UX Writer: Traits to Seek in Prospective Hires

Writers tend to be introverts. This can be a problem when the role of a UX writer is inherently social, collaborative, and under great scrutiny from the myriad of stakeholders. Your ideal prospect is self-reflected but not self-isolating. Keep your radar open to these key indicators:

Empathy: I can't repeat it enough times. UX writers must have a deep sense of empathy to understand the user's perspective and tailor content that addresses their needs, pain points, and emotions. They should be able to put themselves in the user's shoes and anticipate how different users might interact with the product, crafting content that resonates with diverse audiences. Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill — it is the skill.
Curiosity: An inquisitive nature is invaluable for UX writers, driving them to ask probing questions, explore user behavior, and continuously learn about industry best practices. Curiosity fuels their desire to uncover the root causes of usability issues and devise creative solutions that enhance the user experience.
Communication: UX writers are skilled communicators who can distill complex ideas into concise and easily digestible content. They excel at being efficient with time, sharing their insights and ideas in a clear, persuasive manner that fosters alignment and drives the project forward.
Design Knowledge: A strong understanding of design principles enables UX writers to create content that complements the visual aspects of a product, harmonizing with the overall aesthetic and layout. By recognizing the symbiotic relationship between design and content, they ensure a cohesive, visually appealing, and user-friendly experience.
Psychology: It's a no-brainer once you think about it. Psychology exposure allows UX writers to craft content that resonates with users on a deeper level. By leveraging cognitive biases, emotional triggers, and behavioral patterns, they add an ineffable ease of use to digital products.
Brevity: UX writers must convey information quickly and efficiently without overwhelming the user. They have the ability to pare down content to its most essential elements, ensuring that users can quickly grasp the intended message and navigate the product effortlessly.
Personality: A unique and authentic voice sets top UX writers apart from their peers. By infusing their content with personality, they create memorable and engaging UX writing that not only conveys information but also forges emotional connections with users, making the product more enjoyable and relatable.

Section III: Recruiting and Hiring UX Writer Talent

Have no idea how to hire a UX writer? Use this graphic to help.

How to Select Candidates

How do you recruit veterans for a nascent field? You may not be able to, so you will need a different way other than sheer years of experience on a LinkedIn resume to assess job candidates. Here are a few tips to help fill your UX writing positions.

Look for candidates with multidisciplinary backgrounds: UX writing requires a unique blend of technical knowledge and creative writing skills. Look for candidates with backgrounds in related fields such as user experience design, technical writing, or psychology, as they may possess the necessary multidisciplinary skills.
Treat personal websites like auditions: I put great effort into my website. Why? Because I know that I will be judged by it. If a writer has not put clear thought into their personal website, squeezing every drop of value out of the platform they use, that may be an indicator that design thinking and quality UX is not top of mind for them.
Find examples of landing pages in portfolios: Barring direct app and software experience, landing page copy will contain a mix of content and CTAs representative of the type of UX work your product team will need. Use it as a barometer, not a map.
Value confidence and thoughtfulness: The best UX writer I ever met had phenomenal confidence and patience — those were two of her greatest assets during presentations and meetings. Without the ability to confidently defend work and calmly process feedback, talent gets wasted by a lack of people skills.

Remember that there is nothing intangible about writing and the creative process. Good writing talent can be broken down into its component pieces so you can recognize it without being a professional writer yourself.

Screening UX Writer Candidates: Questions to Ask and What to Listen For

No idea what to ask during a UX writer interview? I made you a handy cheat sheet.

In this section, we'll explore the essential questions to ask during UX writer interviews and what to listen for in the candidate's responses.

What is UX Writing?

This is not a trick question. Listen for an intelligent explanation of how content strategy, UX design, and concise copy are all part of the UX writing process. Ideally you want to hear signs of design thinking (how the microcopy contributes to the overall structure of the interface and the information architecture), a larger content strategy that informs every creative choice, and an excitement to contribute on a fast-moving product design team.

Tell me about your writing process.

Listen for the candidate's approach to writing for web experiences, and how they incorporate user feedback, research and collaboration — if all these things were in the budget at previous employers — into the product design process. If you are lucky, you will hear a user-empathetic candidate who prioritize user-centric writing and has the vocabulary to communicate with designers and developers.

A test user hates your copy. How do you respond?

By the time a UX writer is involved, the product team may already be stressed by the feedback they have received so far. That can make it tough to stay focused on key insights gleaned from user testing. A good UX writer knows how to weigh individual opinions from first time users against data in aggregate and consolidate feedback.

A stakeholder hates your copy. How do you respond?

It will happen no matter what; someone having a bad day will tear a piece of copy apart without providing constructive ideas on how to improve it. Your writer needs to be comfortable defending work in front of passionate stakeholders while contributing to a positive team dynamic. Listen for the ability to consider multiple points of view at the same time with poise, as well as always putting the product experience first.

How do you approach crafting microcopy?

Microcopy is a critical component of UX writing, and the candidate's approach should reflect this. Listen for their understanding of how with microcopy, less text can provide more value to the overall experience. Microcopy needs to be unambiguous, helpful, and on-brand.

Conducting effective interviews is key to building a team of skilled and dedicated UX writers who can help elevate your digital product in the competitive online market.

How to Onboard and Integrate a UX Writer

Have you ever hired an industry rockstar who mysteriously didn't work out once on the payroll? It's easy to blame the hire, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to own the factors you can control. If your personnel are not organized for success, you are making sure that every new hire will not provide maximum value. High-performing employees expect you to be ready to make the most out of them. Let's explore how different organizations can set the stage for success using real-world scenarios, specifically tailored to the UX writer role.

Scenario 1: Startup with a Small Team

Imagine you're the project manager at a small startup with a tight-knit design team developing a mobile app for travel enthusiasts. To successfully onboard and integrate a new UX writer, you could:

Mandate that the the design or content team act as an onboarding unit and build professional chemistry with the UX writer through their first weeks, sharing insights on style guides, design principles, and the overall content strategy.
Organize a UX writing workshop or presentation, led by the new writer, to familiarize the team with their approach, allow others to ask questions, and give the newcomer a chance to make an impression on your small group.
Involve the writer in the early stages of product development. Writers are equal parts thinkers and doers, so don't miss out on value by leaving them out of planning.

Scenario 2: Large Corporation with Multiple Departments

As the UX design manager at a large corporation, you've hired a UX writer to your internal team to work through your backlog. To effectively onboard and integrate the new hire, you could:

Ask the UX writer for their assessment of the existing standards, design and content strategies, and user research methodologies.
Schedule a series of meetings between the writer and product owners to discuss specific pain points, blockers, and priorities.
Make sure the writer knows what larger elements of a project are non-negotiable. Constraints lead to better writing.

Scenario 3: Agency with Multiple Client Projects

As the account manager at a busy marketing agency, you've hired a UX writer to work on client projects. To ensure a successful onboarding and integration process for this critical part of your design team, you could:

Provide a thorough overview of each client's brand voice, user personas, and UX writing objectives, allowing the writer to tailor their approach accordingly. This is useful to both the writer doing the work and the account manager supporting the product team.
Organize a "content kick-off" meeting for each new project, where the writer, designers, and strategists can brainstorm ideas and discuss content requirements. Always start with a clear brief and prioritize creative alignment so the UX writer can work effectively.
Implement a system for tracking UX writing deliverables, such as a shared content calendar or project management tool, to ensure deadlines are met and the entire team stays informed.

Let's Work Together

I have worked with many different businesses as a writer and no two product teams or writing jobs have ever been the same.

If you aren't sure what you might need, reach out to me using the button below for a free consultation! I am happy to help.

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Zachary Markman

The Essential Guide to UX Writers: Their Value, How to Choose One, and Onboarding Best Practices

Table of Contents

Section I: What is the Value of a UX Writer?

Understanding the Role of a UX Writer