3 Relevant Tips in UX Writing for Complex Systems

UX Writing is not just text.

As a UX Designer currently working in Nigeria, I am often responsible for the UX Writing and Content Strategy of the products I design. Also, with a background in Content and Marketing, UX Writing is one skill I adapted really quick on my transition to UX/Product Design.

Recently, I worked with a team building an intra-organizational complex system. Complex systems are systems that comprise many components that interact with each other and designed for extremely functional and professional needs. These systems are not linear and use many interdependent modules. A good example is an organization’s payroll system which may be interdependent on the performance management, sales indicator, or check-in system.

In writing microcopy to guide the user experience of a complex system, here are 3 relevant tips that UX Designers, UX Writers or Content Strategists should consider.

1. Understand the problem

To write copy that is going to provide solutions and effectively help users to understand the system, you need to have a good understanding of the problem. Speaking from experience, I recall one time in my design journey; I had to write copy for a complex module which I had almost no understanding about largely because I did not have enough context, no proper onboarding and also, was not familiar with the user requirements for this task having me to do a lot of figuring out myself. I realized I was struggling on this project and had to do a lot of education and also play the catchup race to deliver effectively and on time. Writing from a lack of understanding when designing a complex system can be disastrous. You are also not going to be helping neither the user, yourself nor the business provide solutions as you ought to.

Here are a few simple ways to understand the problem–

• Listen and empathize with your users.
• Define your problem statement. Answer your who, what, why, when, and where questions because this largely determines the direction of your copy.

Know who the users are, what they care about, their pain points, what they want to do, and what they want to know.

2. Understand the user’s language

One rule for writing for a complex system is to write like a professional in the field would talk, and not as if they are writing their doctoral dissertation. But here’s the thing, you can only write like the users when you understand how they talk, what the industry terms are to what problem is being solved. When writing copy without the terms that are used to communicate in the space of the users of the complex system, it not only impedes the professionalism that is expected within the system but also the usability. We might argue that the language is yet simple but if not simplified in their professional language, we might impede them from having a great experience by slowing them down in using or decoding the system which directly increases the time they have to spend in getting a task done. Now, they may need to ask more questions, trying to find clarity at unnecessary points.

Key Steps that can help to understand the user’s language

• Understand the users’ terminologies.
• Understand how the users think.
• Understand how they speak about their tasks.

Professional language does not and should not take away the simplicity of communicating with the user through the microcopies.

3. Write an extensive copy

I have heard people say “the copy is too extensive”, “it is not short enough”, etc. When designing a complex system, the copy does not always have to be short. Not that writing excessive lines of copy to explain the interface where a user guide reference is most appropriate, but if it is too long to sit on the interface, break it into placeholder texts, hints and tooltips. The principle of a User Interface explaining itself is not entirely possible with designing a complex system because of the modules related to each other, possibilities of the interface and proliferation of features.

When writing microcopies for complex systems, it is important to ensure you’re writing to provide solutions from the point of the user, not of the system and not of the designer or developer and to do this well, the UX writer must understand exactly what the user is trying to do at every point, what may go wrong and how they can fix it professionally.