Writing for better user interfaces (GDS)

Writing for better user interfaces

Beth Aitman @baitman

4th August 2016

In this talk

- Intro- Why does writing in UIs matter?- Types of writing:

- Naming things

- Adding extra information

Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary

About me

- I’m a technical writer- Embedded in software development teams


Technical writing is evolving

- Used to be “write us a manual”



- Used to be “write us a manual”- Becoming “write help for the UI”



The goal: “help users understand and use UIs”



My goal: “make UIs that are easy to understand and use”


Why do the words in UIs matter?



Why do the words matter?

On a screen, you use words to find out what things are.



Why do the words matter?

Without physical cues, you need new ways of explaining.


https://signalvnoise.com/posts/3404-reminder-design-is-still-about-words


Words make UIs meaningful


Thinking about words helps you make better UIs


Thinking about writing

Writing makes you ask good questions.



Questions about concepts:

- What’s this for again?- Does this concept make sense? - What does the user know about it already?- Can we make it simpler?



Questions about workflow:

- Could this workflow be simpler? - Can we do work instead of the user?- What happens when it goes wrong? - Can we avoid hitting errors?


Writing to make UIs better

It’s not just about writing well. It’s about making good UIs.


Types of UI writing

Broadly, there are two:

1. Names of things2. Extra help and information


1. Naming things, or ‘microcopy’


2. Extra help and information


2. Extra help and information


First, naming things






Skim-reading

Labels and buttons are the words that people are most likely to register.


Naming things is hard!


Three strategies for naming things

1. Think from the user perspective2. Use terminology they can understand3. Experiment with phrasing


1. Think from the user perspective

Name things from the outside of the UI.

What it does, not how it works.






2. Use terminology that users can understand

What do users call it?

What will they understand?

Do we need to name it at all?





3. Experiment with the phrasing


3. Experiment with the phrasing

Try explaining it in a sentence.






If it’s hard to name something - ask WHY


Do as much in the naming as you can...


Do as much in the naming as you can...


… and recognise when naming isn’t enough.




Help and extra information





What information to include

What do users need to know to complete their task?



What do users need to know to complete their task?

Look at it from both sides:

- What information can’t they do without?- What can we cut out?


Can we solve this better?

vs



Can we make it so they need less information?





Don’t show all the information you have





Show help in the right place, at the right time




Keep it structured and easy to read




Summing up: naming things


1. Name from the user perspective2. Find the right terminology for your users3. Experiment with phrasing

Summing up: help and information


1. Work out what information users need2. If you can, make things simpler3. Keep it minimal4. Show it in the right place and time

Summing up: make better user interfaces


1. Always question what you’re writing2. Simpler things > good explanations3. Keep fighting the good fight!

Thanks for having me!Any questions?

Technology

Writing for better user interfaces (GDS)