Who Is a UX Writer and What Skills Do They Need?

谁是用户体验作家,他们需要哪些技能?

2021-11-24 17:50 clickhelp

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Today’s reality shows us that technology is integrated into our everyday life so that we can’t imagine doing simple things without electronic gadgets and smart devices. We study, communicate, consult doctors, buy food, tickets, clothes, and do far more things with the help of apps, websites, and other software products. Have you ever thought of who wrote that text on the green button in your favorite app? A developer? A designer? No, it is a UX writer! What Is UX Writing? UX writing or user experience writing is creating short texts that we see on the interface of digital products (mobile apps, websites, desktop software, games, services, etc.). Its aim is to guide users, inform them, and show how to interact with a product and complete tasks. Digital products become more complex, the need for clear guidance increases to provide customers with a great user experience. It is UX writing that can make digital products more intuitive. The right words are as important as wireframe Some teams make a huge mistake thinking that first, they should create a design, and then UX writers will create texts somehow. It doesn’t work like that. UX copies are closely connected with the design and even marketing. UX writers must collaborate with other teams that are involved in building a product (developers, designers, marketers, etc.) to make it really nice, intuitive, and efficient and to create a clear conversation between users and the product itself. When there is no dialogue like that, users don’t enjoy a product. As a result, they choose some other alternative - something that your competitors offer. Read our post What is UX Writing to learn more on the topic. What Does a UX Writer Do? We’ve already figured out that UX writers create content for digital products. These are short texts on buttons, menus; also messages, push notifications, chatbots, onboarding instructions, etc. But how exactly do they do it? And what is the difference between a UX writer and a copywriter? Here are the main features of UX writing as an occupation: A UX writer creates microcopies, while a copywriter can create far longer texts to express main ideas. A UX writer cannot work alone, they communicate a lot with product, design, marketing, development, and other teams. It is highly important as UX copies are the reflection of a product’s philosophy. Unlike a UX writer, a copywriter can work alone. They don’t need so much communication to write a blog post, a social post, check statistics, and prepare an email campaign. A UX writer spends a lot of time researching. The main idea of every software product is to solve the pains of customers, and they choose the product that copes with it most efficiently. That’s why UX writers may interview potential customers, learn the way they interact with a product, use A/B testing to figure out the best UX copy version. A copywriter is less dependent on the audience, and they don’t have to keep track of every step of a user. A UX writer creates the value of a product and improves users’ everyday life by building an easy-to-use and informative interface. Meanwhile, the task of a copywriter is to help marketers and sales teams sell a product. A UX writer analyzes product statistics: how much time users spend on a page, whether they can or cannot complete tasks successfully, etc. A copywriter deals with different data: how many readers clicked this or that link, email open rate, etc. It is a challenging task to create a microcopy (sometimes just a couple of words) that reflects a product’s philosophy and tone of voice and, at the same time, can be easily understood by any person not depending on their age, social background, education, and other factors. If you want to learn more about how to write documentation for UX, read this article - 7 Rules for Brilliant UX Documentation. Who Needs UX Writers? A UX writer is a relatively new occupation, but the demand for these experts is already high. First of all, the majority of tech companies hire UX writers as they are eager to create high-quality UX microcopies for their software products, websites, apps, services, etc. Retailers that sell their goods online need UX writers as well. Game producers often hire UX writers. These are just a few examples. Actually, any company that wants to create a digital product with a clear and nice interface hires the above-mentioned experts. UX Writer Skills To become a UX writer, one must possess the appropriate skills. Let’s figure out which skills exactly can help one develop in this field. Technical Skills It goes without saying that to write UX copies for a user interface of a digital product, one should have some technical skills and clearly understand how things work, what can be done, and what cannot, as there is always a good deal of coding behind every interface that seems to be straightforward. Technical Writing Skills To get into UX writing, one should know how to explain in clear and concise language how to use this or that feature. Not all content in UX writing is super short. Of course, UX writing doesn’t imply creating endless user manuals, but still, there is some sense in it to know how to explain technical things to users. Apart from that, a UX writer should be aware of lots of different tools: design, prototyping, video conferencing, time and task tracking, project management, etc. Grammar Skills Grammar knowledge and perfect language skills are a must for every person who is a professional writer: a UX writer, a technical writer, a copywriter, etc. Moreover, one should be very attentive with spelling as when texts are extremely short, a writer might let their guard down. User Research and User-Centric Thinking User research and user-centric thinking are the basics of UX writing. A UX writer must know how to keep track of users’ actions, what are their intentions, and the soft spots of a product’s interface. Any smallest button of a user interface should make users want to click it. Everything matters, from the word choice to their tone of voice. All that is meant to help users get the most of a product. And a UX writer should clearly see what can potentially become a source of frustration for users. But, at the same time, a UX writer should realize that not everything needs extra explanations - some visual elements are very straightforward. Web Design Skills A UX writer should be an expert in web design. It doesn’t mean that they will have to work on prototypes and design all the time, but it is a useful skill for an occupation like that to know what stands behind the form and color of buttons and why it is important. Communication Skills Surely, UX writers communicate a lot. It is vital to work well in different teams. Collaborative sessions take place nearly every day. It is important to be able to clearly express your ideas and listen to other team members. It is great when a UX writer has experience in the following spheres - marketing, project management, web design, technical writing, and even web development. It contributes to efficient communication within a team. Basic Usability Testing Skills The only way to create a good UX design is to test it. Usability testing allows figuring out problems and soft spots, learning more about users, and discovering new opportunities as well. It is not only the design that is tested, but also UX microcopies can be tested, and A/B testing is one of the most widely used methods here. You can never know what is going to work best. Analytical Skills Everything that is connected with UX involves a good deal of research and planning. A UX writer should know the main research methods, when and how to use them, and how to interpret the received data. Interviews, surveys, and even experiments depend on the type of software, project, users, problems that are typical for this or that sphere. So, logical and analytical skills are something that could be a great helping hand for a UX writer. UX Writer Job Description What does a UX writer job description contain? Here is the example of an average UX writer job description: A UX designer collaborates with product design teams to create short and long texts for digital products to contribute to easy-to-understand and intuitive user experiences. This includes UI copy and microcopy, content to instruct customers and make their website and app journey smooth. Essential requirements: Superior writing and communication skills, excellent knowledge of the English language, grammar, punctuation, spelling. Exceptional editing and proofreading skills with attention to detail. Experience working in Agile environment. Experience working with multiple teams, including product managers, designers, researchers, etc. Solutions-oriented mindset, the ability to meet deadlines, work on multiple tasks. Experience creating content according to brand standards, including style and tone of voice. Experience creating content for different use cases and scenarios. Desirable requirements: Additional skills as design and prototyping. Conducting research, competitive analyses, or usability testing. Expertise outside of UX writing. Conclusion Becoming a UX writer is not as easy as it may seem. It is not only writing short pieces of content, but it is also being able to see the bigger picture: how these microcopies will affect users and their product adoption. This is the case when every word means a lot. But anyone who is ready to gain new skills is able to become an expert in UX writing. Good luck with your technical writing! ClickHelp Team Author, host and deliver documentation across platforms and devices
今天的现实告诉我们,科技已融入我们的日常生活,因此我们无法想象没有电子产品和智能设备情况下做简单的事情。我们在应用程序,网站和其他软件产品的帮助下学习、交流、咨询医生、购买食物、门票、衣服以及做更多的事情。你有没有想过你最喜欢的应用程序中绿色按钮上那段文字是谁写的?开发商?设计师?不,它是一个用户体验作家! 什么是用户体验写作? 用户体验写作或用户体验写作是创建我们在数字产品(移动应用、网站、桌面软件、游戏、服务等)界面上看到的简短文本。其目的是引导用户,告知他们,并展示如何与产品交互并完成任务。数字产品变得更加复杂,越来越需要清晰的指导,为客户提供良好的用户体验。正是用户体验写作可以使数字产品更加直观。 正确的词汇与线框一样重要。 一些团队犯了一个巨大的错误,认为首先他们应该创建一个设计,然后用户体验作家会以某种方式创建文本。它不是那样工作的。用户体验副本与设计甚至营销紧密相连。用户体验作家必须与参与构建产品的其他团队(开发人员、设计师、营销人员等)协作,以使其真正美观、直观和高效,并在用户和产品本身之间建立清晰的对话。如果没有这样的对话,用户就不会喜欢产品。结果,他们选择了其他的选择--你的竞争对手提供的东西。阅读我们的文章《什么是用户体验写作》以了解更多有关该主题的信息。 用户体验作家是做什么的? 我们已经发现用户体验作家为数字产品创建内容。这些是按钮、菜单上的短文本;还有消息、推送通知、聊天机器人,入职说明等。但他们究竟是如何做到的呢?用户体验作家和文案作家的区别是什么? 以下是用户体验写作作为一种职业的主要特征: 用户体验作家创建微型作品,而文案作家可以创作更长的文本来表达主要思想。 用户体验作家不能单独工作,他们与产品、设计、营销、开发和其他团作队进行大量沟通。这是非常重要的,因为用户体验作品是产品哲学的反映。与用户体验作家不同,文案作家可以单独工作。他们不需要太多的交流来写博客文章、社交帖子、查看统计数据和准备电子邮件活动。 用户体验作家会花费大量的时间进行研究。每个软件产品的主旨都是解决客户的痛苦,他们选择最有效的产品来应对。这就是为什么用户体验作家可能会采访潜在客户,了解他们与产品交互的方式,使用分割测试来找出最佳的用户体验副本版本。文案作家对受众的依赖性较小,他们不必跟踪用户的每一步。 用户体验作家通过构建易于使用且信息丰富的界面来创造产品的价值并改善用户的日常生活。同时,文案作家的任务是帮助营销人员和销售团队销售产品。 用户体验作家分析产品统计:用户在页面上花费的时间,能否成功完成任务等。文案作家处理不同的数据:有多少读者点击了这个或那个链接,电子邮件打开率等。 创建反映产品理念和语调的一个微型作品(有时只是几个字)是一项具有挑战性的任务,同时任何人都可以轻松理解,而不受他们的年龄、社会背景、教育和其他因素的影响 。如果您想了解更多有关如何为用户体验作家编写文档的信息,请阅读本文--出色用户体验文档的7条规则。 谁需要用户体验作家? 用户体验作家是一个相对较新的职业,但对这些专家的需求已经很高。首先,大多数科技公司都聘请用户体验作家,因为他们渴望为自己的软件产品、网站、应用程序、服务等打造高质量的用户体验微型作品。在线销售商品的零售商也需要用户体验作家。游戏制作人经常聘请用户体验作家。以上只是几个例子。实际上,任何一家想要打造界面清晰、美观的数字产品的公司都会聘请上述专家。 用户体验作家技能 要成为用户体验作家,必须具备相应的技能。让我们找出哪些技能能够帮助人们在这一领域发展。 技术能力 不言而喻,要为数字产品的用户界面编写用户体验副本,人们应该具备一些技术技能,清楚地了解事情是如何工作的,什么可以做,什么不能做,因为每一个看似直截了当的界面背后总是有大量的编码。 技术写作技巧 要进入UX写作,就应该知道如何用清晰简洁的语言解释如何使用这个或那个特性。并不是UX写作中的所有内容都是超短的。当然,UX编写并不意味着要创建无穷无尽的用户手册,但仍然有一些意义,知道如何向用户解释技术方面的东西。除此之外,用户体验编写者应该了解很多不同的工具:设计,原型制作,视频会议,时间和任务跟踪,项目管理等等。 语法技能 语法知识和完美的语言技巧是每个职业作家必须具备的条件:用户体验作家,技术作家,文案作家等等。此外,一个人应该非常注意拼写,因为当文本非常短时,作家可能会放松警惕。 用户研究与以用户为中心的思维 用户研究和以用户为中心的思维是UX写作的基础。用户体验编写者必须知道如何跟踪用户的行为,他们的意图是什么,以及产品界面的软肋。用户界面中任何最小的按钮都应该让用户想点击它。每件事都很重要,从用词的选择到他们说话的语气。所有这些都是为了帮助用户最大限度地利用产品。用户体验编写者应该清楚地看到什么可能成为用户沮丧的潜在来源。但是,同时,一个用户体验编写者应该意识到,并不是所有的东西都需要额外的解释--有些视觉元素是非常简单的。 网页设计技巧 一个用户体验作家应该是一个专家在网页设计。这并不意味着他们将不得不一直工作在原型和设计上,但对于像那样的职业来说,知道按钮的形式和颜色背后站着什么,以及为什么它很重要,这是一项有用的技能。 沟通技巧 当然,用户体验作者会经常交流。在不同的团队中很好地工作是至关重要的。协作会议几乎每天都在举行。重要的是能够清楚地表达你的想法,倾听其他团队成员的意见。如果一个用户体验作家在以下领域有经验,那就太棒了--市场营销,项目管理,网页设计,技术写作,甚至网页开发。它有助于团队内部的有效沟通。 基本可用性测试技能 创建一个好的UX设计的唯一方法就是测试它。可用性测试允许找出问题和软肋,更多地了解用户,以及发现新的机会。不仅仅是测试设计,UX缩微拷贝也可以测试,而A/B测试是这里应用最广泛的方法之一。你永远不知道什么最有效。 分析技能 与UX相关的一切都涉及大量的研究和规划。一个UX编写者应该知道主要的研究方法,何时以及如何使用它们,以及如何解读接收到的数据。访谈,调查,甚至实验取决于软件的类型,项目,用户,这个或那个领域的典型问题。因此,逻辑和分析技能对于用户体验编写者来说是一个很大的帮助。 UX编写器作业说明 UX writer工作描述包含什么?下面是一个平均的UX编写器工作描述的示例: 一名UX设计师与产品设计团队协作,为数字产品创建短长文本,为易于理解和直观的用户体验做出贡献。这包括UI拷贝和缩微拷贝,内容来指导客户,使他们的网站和app旅程顺利。 基本要求: 优秀的写作和沟通能力,优秀的英语语言,语法,标点符号,拼写知识。 出色的编辑和校对技能,注重细节。 有在敏捷环境中工作的经验。 有与多个团队合作的经验,包括产品经理,设计师,研究员等。 以解决方案为导向的思维方式,能在最后期限前完成任务,能处理多项任务。 根据品牌标准创造内容的经验,包括风格和声音的语气。 为不同的用例和场景创建内容的经验。 理想要求: 设计和原型制作等其他技能。 进行研究,竞争分析或可用性测试。 UX写作之外的专业知识。 结论 成为一名用户体验编写者并不像看起来那么容易。它不仅仅是写一些简短的内容,它还能够看到更大的图景:这些微缩拷贝将如何影响用户及其产品的采用。每一个字都意味着很多的时候就是这样。但是任何准备好获得新技能的人都能够成为用户体验写作的专家。 祝你的技术写作好运! 单击帮助小组 跨平台和设备编写,托管和交付文档

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