{"id":951,"date":"2019-04-29T11:05:54","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T11:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uxwritinghub.com\/?p=951"},"modified":"2021-09-19T14:41:30","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T14:41:30","slug":"how-to-tell-your-mom-you-are-a-ux-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uxwritinghub.com\/how-to-tell-your-mom-you-are-a-ux-writer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell Your Mom You\u2019re a UX Writer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Mom,<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s December now, and you know what that means\u2014one big family dinner behind us with more on the way. As much as I love seeing everyone and all the yummy food, last time was a bit stressful for me as I tried to explain my career, and I felt that you just weren\u2019t getting it. So I wanted to write you this letter to help you understand what it means to be a UX Writer. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mom, I\u2019m a UX Writer<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know you dreamed that I would end up becoming a life-saving doctor, a brilliant lawyer, or maybe a genius nuclear physicist. I didn\u2019t turn out to be any of those things, but you should know that my profession is important and has the potential to impact the daily lives of millions of people, which is pretty cool, right? <\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, the world is changing, and those professions might\u2019ve been way cool back when, but now UX is where it\u2019s at! By the end of this letter, I know you\u2019re going to both understand me better and be proud of me. And you can tell Aunt Eileen that you don\u2019t care if little Robbie is all grown up now and became a lawyer because your kid is aUX Writer.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

OK, here’s how to start. You know how your smartphone has all those apps on it? Gmail for emails, Spotify for music, Booking for hotels. Well, my job is to make sure the person using those apps (what we call the u<\/em>ser<\/em>) has the best possible experience<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get it? UX = User Experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

And a great experience usually means an easy one, like how little kids or even Nana can use an iPad.<\/span><\/p>\n

The art of making things \u201ceasy to use\u201d<\/span>
<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Remember how, when I was a kid and got a new toy that we had to put together, Grandpa would always throw out the instructions, and then we would always have to go get them out of the trash when he put it together wrong?<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s because instructions are important. They are there to guide people. Humans. Users.<\/span><\/p>\n

From cavemen who painted on cave walls to pass on messages to the tribe, to Grandpa putting together IKEA furniture (using instructions so easy even a caveman could follow them), instructions make it possible to use the products and devices in our lives. Part of what I do is write the instructions so you can use your favorite apps. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, I know when you use your favorite apps it doesn\u2019t always feel like you\u2019re following instructions. That\u2019s because, when UX writers do it right, you don\u2019t even notice it. You just enjoy the experience of using the app. Because in apps, the instructions are built-in, so Grandpa can\u2019t throw them away! <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But besides the instructions, product designers (the people in charge of the user experience) need to make sure that what they build is as intuitive to use as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe when you hear the word \u201cdesign\u201d you think about making things look nice. But designing products is much more than that. As Steve Jobs said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why a teacup is designed with a handle so you can hold it when it\u2019s hot, or why Tupperware lids fit tight so nothing spills out. If it looks nice but doesn\u2019t work well, it\u2019s because it\u2019s been designed poorly. Remember, the easier it is to use, the better the design.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can check out the book, <\/span>The Design of Everyday Things<\/span><\/a>, which has more on this topic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

The age of digital products
<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Today, teacups, Tupperware, and toothbrushes aren\u2019t the only types of products we use. Really, a product is anything that creates specific value for a group of people. That means the apps on your phone or the websites you use are also products. But they\u2019re a different kind of product\u2014a digital<\/em> product. <\/span><\/p>\n

Like other products, we prefer the digital products that work best.<\/span><\/p>\n

We use Google because they designed the best search engine. We use Facebook (well, some of us do) because they designed the best social network experience. Just like we wouldn\u2019t use a teacup without a handle or Tupperware with a lid that didn\u2019t fit, we won\u2019t choose a poorly designed digital product\u2014whether we realize it or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

So designing digital products is a pretty important job! Unfortunately, since it\u2019s still pretty new, we don\u2019t always know what to call it. Along with UX writer and product designer, there are other names people use:<\/span><\/p>\n