{"id":165,"date":"2018-10-19T17:25:27","date_gmt":"2018-10-19T17:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uxwritinghub.com\/?p=165"},"modified":"2021-07-06T09:20:21","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T09:20:21","slug":"top-4-ux-writing-tips-from-paypal-interview-with-a-ux-writer-from-paypal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uxwritinghub.com\/top-4-ux-writing-tips-from-paypal-interview-with-a-ux-writer-from-paypal\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 4 UX writing tips from Paypal – Interview with a UX writer from Paypal"},"content":{"rendered":"

This time I had the opportunity to interview Anjana Menon, a senior content designer from PayPal\u2019s product team. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

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Hi everyone! I\u2019m Anjana, and I\u2019m a content designer<\/a> at PayPal. I write for some of our card products like the PayPal Cash Card and the PayPal Business Debit Mastercard. I\u2019m from Kerala, a tiny but beautiful state in South India. I\u2019ve lived in Bangalore, London, and New Delhi.\u00a0A secret I like to keep from most people is that I hate Nutella and peanut butter. I also don\u2019t drink coffee unless I really need to stay up.<\/p>\n

In one word what does microcopy mean to you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Clarity.<\/p>\n

How did you get into Content designing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I have a background in publishing, so I\u2019ve always been into writing and content-related work. At one of my previous jobs, I had to help build a private social media platform. At my last job, I worked on a lot of user-centric communication projects and my mentor pulled me into product writing.<\/p>\n

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\nPayPal\u2019s offices\u200a\u2014\u200apicture by Dailyhive<\/p>\n

Where do you find inspiration for the UX writing projects you are working\u00a0on?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I always have a look at similar products\u200a\u2014\u200aI find it interesting to look at their layout, what wording they use. But I think my main inspiration comes from other PayPal products and user research.<\/p>\n

Tell me about your process of being as a Content Designer and a UX writer?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The first step for me is to understand the product. I need to know the customer\u2019s needs, who they are, why we\u2019re doing something, what problems and\/or opportunities exist, and the customer journey. I then do a bit of research on competitors and identify other content touchpoints (emails, notifications etc). I start writing content once I have all this info. I\u2019m lucky enough to work with some amazing product owners and designers who make sure I\u2019m a part of everything right from the start!<\/p>\n

What is your method for finding Paypal brand\u2019s\u00a0voice?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

PayPal\u2019s voice and tone has already been defined and is well-established. Personally, I find it simple, helpful, and likeable. I keep these hats on as much as possible, so I don\u2019t have trouble finding the right voice and tone when I write!<\/p>\n

As a product and UX writer, what is your super\u00a0power?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Overthinking! It\u2019s definitely a super power when you\u2019re a product writer, because you think about every possible scenario and use case very thoroughly. This has made me very sensitive to user needs and in turn, a better writer.<\/p>\n

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\nPayPal\u2019s offices\u200a\u2014\u200apicture by Dailyhive<\/p>\n

Tell us about the challenges UX writers have when working in a product\u00a0team<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Content is still an afterthought within most product teams, so it\u2019s always important to get everyone on the same page and help them understand that content can make or break the user experience. Content has to be a part of the process, end to end. I find that it\u2019s quite a challenge to make people understand this.<\/p>\n

4 useful tips for people that want to get into the field of UX\u00a0writing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

1. Network\u200a\u2014\u200aonline and offline. Everyone in the industry is very approachable and will help you out with anything you need.
\n2. Read\u200a\u2014\u200aas much as you can about UX writing. Medium has loads of posts on the topic.
\n3. Apply\u200a\u2014\u200awhat you learn and build a portfolio. It\u2019s easier to see your thought process when you have concrete examples.
\n4. The last tip would be to join the Microcopy & UX Writing Facebook group by Yuval Keshtcher and sign up for Gordon Macrae\u2019s newsletter.
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\nPayPal\u2019s offices\u200a\u2014\u200apicture by Dailyhive<\/p>\n

If you had a list of \u2018best-kept secrets\u2019 you\u2019d recommend, which would you include and\u00a0why?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Anything written by John Saito, Shopify\u2019s UX blog, and Content Design London\u2019s blog. These blogs will teach you so much about the field!<\/p>\n

For books, I recommend:<\/p>\n