Language is an interface

I translated some chapters from a book on uxpin called "Interaction Design Best Practices", which is also about the standards and rules of copywriting in Internet products. I would like to share it with you.

1. Language in Interaction Design

Interaction is based on effective communication, and communication relies heavily on language. Copywriting may not seem to be a top priority (especially when you have a team of content planners and copywriters), but you must understand that copywriting is affected by the overall design and affects the overall design. Imagine if the visual designer only leaves enough space for two words in the title, the smoothness of the entire page will inevitably be lost.

1. Why copywriting is the foundation of interactive design

Greeting: First and foremost, your product copy is more than just a friendly greeting; it explains the nature of your website.
Secondly, whether it is suggesting registration or jumping directly to the content that can attract users, the copy also plays a role in guiding users to take the first step. As we often say, interaction design needs to be treated as a conversation, so this is your first chance to create a humanized experience.

The following is an example of the travel rental website AirBnB. The copywriting is minimalist, but at the same time deeply rooted in people’s hearts. The titles Just for the Weekend and Explore the World allow users to see the experience that AirBnB can bring before going to a specific destination. This interaction is subtle, and through the hint of the text, it builds the framework of the product experience – bringing users one step closer to a pleasant journey.

Navigation: Copy tells users where they are, while providing new or lesser-known options to deepen the user experience. Any advertiser knows that different copy can make a big difference in the promotional effect. An attractive description can "sell" a web page and tell users what content is contained there.

Guide to action: The text on menus, buttons, and instructions plays a vital role in the usability of the product - without them, users will feel frustrated in the process of struggling to find their way. Short language can save time, and well-chosen words can increase the chances of registration and sales. Users come to your page to achieve their goals, so design copy that can guide interactive operations.

Provide help: Similar to instructions, text can also play an important role in the help process. In the process of explaining a problem or solution clearly, the copy can affect the user's emotions—helping to reduce the impact of occasional mistakes (whether the mistakes are caused by the user or not).

The 404 error page of Github is a great example of providing help to users when occasional errors occur. The page is interesting and quotes the picture of Star Wars when reporting the error, which successfully diverts the user's attention. At the same time, the copy at the bottom of the page tells the user how to return to the original path. This is the most noteworthy point, because personalized content can only help you to a limited extent. Sooner or later, users will realize that they have not yet reached where they want to go.

2. Content is king

Interecom co-founder Des Traynor has come up with a list of helpful self-test questions. You can use the following list of questions to test the copy on your interface:

• Who are your readers? Not only do you need to know who your target users are, you also need to know what type they are: new users, old users, registered users, free users, etc. For example, new users need more straightforward language.

• When should it be read? Should a message appear suddenly or in response to user behavior? Should it be expected by the user or should it grab the user's attention? These details can make the difference between a smooth interaction or a jarring interruption.

• What to know? Make sure your text conveys exactly what you want to say, and does so in every way possible.

• What’s the next step? Is the task completed? Is further action required? Just like the Github example above, each interaction needs to take the user one step closer to their goal.

• What is the format? By format, we mean the format of the interface (webpage, app, email, etc.). Will you use a pop-up window or a global alert that appears at the top of the screen? Each format has its pros and cons. For example, a pop-up window can carry much less information than a modal window. Also pay attention to details, 250 milliseconds can make the difference between pleasure or annoyance.

What is the tonality of a product? The tonality of a product conveys the voice of a brand, so the choice of tonality needs to be carefully considered. A humorous or serious tonality is not good or bad in itself, but in the wrong environment, they may become completely wrong.

2. Create incredible communication with users

1. Clarity is most important

Ambiguity is the biggest enemy of good design, and this is especially true in interface design, where text is the most direct form of interaction, and ambiguity will only confuse people.

• Be clear: state exactly what you mean and minimize ambiguity. Choose the right words, for example, "save" is not the same as "submit", and "filter" is not the same as "search".

• Avoid using jargon: A simple mistake in interaction design is to use the language you usually speak in the office to your users. Unless you are designing a product for other designers or developers, your jargon will confuse your users. When we frequently use UX, IxD, and UI in e-books, ordinary people may have no idea what we are talking about.

• Put important text first: Important text should be placed front and center. In a table box, "First name" is much better than "Name (first)". If you want users to pay attention to a detail at the bottom of a page, "You will see more details below" is not as effective as "More details below".

• Delete redundant text: William Strunk, Jr. mentioned in the classic article "The Elements of Style" that a very important basic principle in all writing is to avoid redundant text, which will make your design changes redundant, the features are not obvious enough, and waste attention. A study of 205,873 web pages found that users only need about 10 to 20 seconds to decide whether a web page is worth reading.

2. Don’t force personalization

Well-known brands usually regard the ability of text to clearly express the meaning as the most important. When individual characteristics affect clear expression, they should be removed.

3. Emotional connection is more important than text length

4. Take advantage of people’s reading patterns

• Layout: In the best case of visual design, we explored the trend of users browsing web pages, including the F model and the Z model. The importance of studying the eye movement test model is that you need to predict the user's visual direction to determine where to place the most important content. In interactive design, designing according to the reading mode can improve the intimacy of your interface (also known as learnability).

• Layout: Without typography, readers will have a hard time concentrating and may not even be able to finish reading the entire content. On the contrary, an excellent layout will add color to your content, and you can even guide users to read and browse according to your ideas.

5. Secondary text is also important

Although it may not sound obvious, secondary text can sometimes have a huge impact on the way users interact with your website or app. The skill of using secondary text lies in knowing how to organize the language and put it in the most appropriate place. Secondary content is mainly used to give hints or alleviate users' concerns (especially in key steps such as registration and login). Before you deconstruct the entire design to solve a specific problem, try adding or changing some key text to see if it helps.