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
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Technical writing is evolving
- Used to be “write us a manual”
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Technical writing is evolving
- Used to be “write us a manual”- Becoming “write help for the UI”
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Technical writing is evolving
The goal: “help users understand and use UIs”
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Technical writing is evolving
My goal: “make UIs that are easy to understand and use”
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Why do the words in UIs matter?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Why do the words matter?
On a screen, you use words to find out what things are.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Why do the words matter?
Without physical cues, you need new ways of explaining.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
https://signalvnoise.com/posts/3404-reminder-design-is-still-about-words
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Words make UIs meaningful
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Thinking about words helps you make better UIs
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Thinking about writing
Writing makes you ask good questions.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Thinking about writing
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?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Thinking about writing
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?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Writing to make UIs better
It’s not just about writing well. It’s about making good UIs.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Types of UI writing
Broadly, there are two:
1. Names of things2. Extra help and information
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
1. Naming things, or ‘microcopy’
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
2. Extra help and information
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
2. Extra help and information
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
First, naming things
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Skim-reading
Labels and buttons are the words that people are most likely to register.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Naming things is hard!
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Three strategies for naming things
1. Think from the user perspective2. Use terminology they can understand3. Experiment with phrasing
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
1. Think from the user perspective
Name things from the outside of the UI.
What it does, not how it works.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
2. Use terminology that users can understand
What do users call it?
What will they understand?
Do we need to name it at all?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
3. Experiment with the phrasing
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
3. Experiment with the phrasing
Try explaining it in a sentence.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
If it’s hard to name something - ask WHY
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Do as much in the naming as you can...
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Do as much in the naming as you can...
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
… and recognise when naming isn’t enough.
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Help and extra information
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
What information to include
What do users need to know to complete their task?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
What information to include
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?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Can we solve this better?
vs
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
What information to include
Can we make it so they need less information?
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Don’t show all the information you have
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Show help in the right place, at the right time
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Keep it structured and easy to read
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
Summing up: naming things
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
1. Name from the user perspective2. Find the right terminology for your users3. Experiment with phrasing
Summing up: help and information
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
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
Intro - UI writing - Naming - Help - Summary
1. Always question what you’re writing2. Simpler things > good explanations3. Keep fighting the good fight!
Thanks for having me!Any questions?
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