Confession of a wannabe
My name is Brandon Kirk. I’m working on my new website Microcopy Matters. And I work as…(wait for it)…a Scrum Master.
I know what you’re thinking, “you’re not a UX Writer?” No. Unfortunately, I’m not yet a UX Writer. I’ve done some Microcopy consulting for my company, but I’m not yet a UX Writer.
There, I finally said it. I don’t do this for a living.
But there are 4 reasons I started blogging about UX Writing:
1. I think UX Writing is underappreciated in design
Technology is used by people from all over the world and many different walks of life. Microcopy can be the difference between a product that is a good experience for some and a product that is a good experience for most.
2. I think UX Writing is the next “thing” in design (Raelene Morey)
I know I’m the new guy on the block, but I can see technology breaking towards writers. The more technology is integrated into our daily lives, the more important it is for user interfaces to make sense.
It’s not just button text where a UX Writer can come in handy. A UX Writer can help the product tell a cohesive story (thanks Amy Hollrah Stevens). A UX Writer can help a beautiful design connect with users on an emotional level. A UX Writer can bring your product to life with a human feel and tone.
Plus, the farther we get into voice activated technology and screen-less design (thanks Golden Krishna), the more we’ll need writers as designers. The future is bright for UX Writers.
3. I enjoy UX Writing
I’ve dabbled in creative writing. I enjoy writing the occasional blog post. I like telling a story that motivates people to do something. I love finding the best words to describe something.
So finding the clear, succinct, tone-appropriate way to describe an action that fits on a button or in a header…that’s a rush. I enjoy the process of finding just the right words.
4. I think I have a future in UX Writing
I worked as a waiter at a seafood restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Often, the people I served had never eaten good seafood. Getting to watch someone take their first bite of a good piece of Halibut made the job incredible. That’s the aspect of User Experience that I most enjoy: learning someone’s tastes so I can deliver beyond their expectations.
UX Writing and Microcopy is about more than making sure your Grammarly app gives you no red underlines. It’s about understanding the user and the job they need to do so you can communicate with them in an engaging, enjoyable way.
And I think I can do that. I’m betting on myself. As of now, my blog won’t be from an industry expert teaching the young’uns how to write microcopy. But there’s a conversation happening across all of design and I want to be apart of it.
So if you need some help writing microcopy or want to talk about UX writing, drop me a line. I’d love to chat.
Thanks for reading my microcopy adventures. If you like what I’m doing, I’d love a share or a clap. Until next time, you can follow me on twitter and keep an eye out for my new website: MicrocopyMatters.com
This story is published in Noteworthy, where 10,000+ readers come every day to learn about the people & ideas shaping the products we love.
Follow our publication to see more product & design stories featured by the Journal team.