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Dr. Katharina Grimm

“Sign up” or “Oops, page not found. ” – tiny words that mark an error message, a button label, or the placeholder text in an input field. Despite their small size, these text elements make up a crucial part of the user experience in digital products. And: While great UX writing can put a smile on the user’s face, bad UX writing can be confusing, annoying, and even insulting.

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“Sign up” or “Oops, page not found. ” – tiny words that mark an error message, a button label, or the placeholder text in an input field. Despite their small size, these text elements make up a crucial part of the user experience in digital products. And: While great UX writing can put a smile on the user’s face, bad UX writing can be confusing, annoying, and even insulting.

But how can we make sure that our UX Writing is actually good?

If this question is one that pops up in your head from time to time, look no further – this course has your back.

Who should join

This course is the perfect match for UX designers, UI designers, developers, product managers, and all other kinds of professionals working in the field of digital product development, as well as for all writers who would like to dip a toe in UX writing.

What you will learn

In this course, you will learn

  • what UX writing is

  • what the difference between UX writing and Copywriting

  • about the psychology of UX writing

  • relevant UX principles

  • how good UX writing can be ensured

  • how to write several different typical UX writing text elements

But we'll not stop at theory. The second part is all about practice, practice, practice. Here you'll learn

  • how to ensure the UX writing quality criteria in practice

  • how to write typical UX writing text elements such as error messages, success messages, and CTAs

  • how to work on real-life UX writing tasks

Sounds good? Then join this class and leave it with some real UX writing work samples.

If you want to take all of my UX Writing courses, here is the order recommend:

1 Introduction To UX Writing

2 Transitioning To UX Writing

3 Accessible UX Writing

4 UX Writing: Finding Your Voice and Tone

5 UX Writing in Practice: Documentation & Processes

6 User Research And Testing For UX Writing

7 Inclusive UX Writing: Physical Abilities & Neurodivergence

8 Inclusive UX Writing: Gender, Race & Age

9 Culture-Based UX Writing

10 Localization in UX Writing

11 Fighting „Dark“ UX Writing: How To Write Kind UX Copy

12 Building Your UX Writing Portfolio

13 Freelancing in UX Writing

Please note that all courses stand for themselves and that you don't need to take any course as a prerequisite for taking another one. You don’t have to follow this order. This is only my very own suggestion, which is especially helpful when you need guidance on which course to pick next.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Understand what ux writing is – and what it's not
  • Know the difference between ux writing and other forms of writing
  • Get to know the most important quality criteria of good ux writing
  • Know how to ensure high-quality ux writing in theory and practice
  • Practice how to write ctas, error messages, placeholders, and more
  • Tackle real-life ux writing tasks with ease

Syllabus

Part I: What Is UX Writing?

Welcome to this course! In the introduction, I will give you a brief overview of what you'll learn in this course, who this course is best suited for, and how you can best benefit from it. Sounds good? Then let's go!

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Introduction To Part I
What Is UX Writing?
UX Writing vs. Copywriting
The Psychology Of UX Writing
Relevant UX Laws
Outro Of Part I
Part II: What Is Good UX Writing?
Introduction To Part II
Good UX Writing: Necessary
Good UX Writing: Clear
Good UX Writing: Concise
Good UX Writing: Useful
Good UX Writing: Conversational
Good UX Writing: Branded
Outro Of Part II
Part III: The Practice Of UX Writing
Introduction To Part III
Why Practicing Your UX Writing Is Important
Repetition: The Quality Criteria Of UX Writing
The Rules For Practicing UX Writing
Let's Practice: CTAs
Let's Practice: Placeholders
Let's Practice: Success Messages
Let's Practice: Password Errors
Let's Practice: Empty States
Let's Practice: 404 Errors
Let's Reflect!
Outro Of Part III
Part IV: Final Remarks
Introduction To Part IV
The Tasks Of UX Writing
Continuing Your Journey: What's Next?
Final Thoughts

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Suitable for individuals with career backgrounds in UX design, UI design, product management, and development
Additionally, writers seeking to enter UX writing will find this course valuable
Provides a thorough understanding of UX writing principles, psychology, and best practices
Offers practical exercises and real-world tasks to enhance learners' skills in UX writing
Covers various aspects of UX writing, including error messages, success messages, CTAs, and more
Led by Dr. Katharina Grimm, an experienced instructor in the field of UX writing

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction To UX Writing with these activities:
Watch videos on UX writing case studies
Will help you to see how UX writing is applied in real-world scenarios, helping you connect the theory to the practice.
Show steps
  • Find videos on UX writing case studies.
  • Watch the videos.
  • Take notes on the key takeaways from each video.
Write UX text variants
Will ensure you are getting enough practice writing UX text in various scenarios.
Show steps
  • Think of 5 different UX text scenarios (e.g., error message, login button).
  • For each one, write 3 different variations of the UX text (e.g., 3 different error messages).
Attend a UX writing workshop
Will give you a chance to engage with other UX writers and learn from their experiences in the field.
Show steps
  • Find a UX writing workshop.
  • Register for the workshop.
  • Attend the workshop and take notes.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a UX writing style guide
Offers a chance to use UX writing principles to create a document that you may need when working as a UX writer.
Show steps
  • Research UX writing style guides.
  • Create an outline for your style guide.
  • Write the style guide.
Network with other UX professionals
Will help you build a network of professionals who can support your career growth.
Show steps
  • Attend UX industry events.
  • Join UX professional organizations.
  • Connect with UX professionals on LinkedIn.
Design a UX writing portfolio piece
Provides an opportunity for you to create something from this course that can later be shown to potential employers.
Show steps
  • Identify 1-2 specific UX writing problems.
  • Develop potential solutions to these problems.
  • Write up a case study or blog post detailing how you solved these problems.
Develop a UX writing blog
Will provide a great way to put what you've learned into consistent, written practice.
Show steps
  • Choose a topic for your blog.
  • Research and outline your blog post.
  • Write and publish your blog post.
  • Promote your blog post on social media.

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction To UX Writing will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
UX Writer
User experience (UX) writers research and write text that appears on websites, apps, and other digital products. They ensure that text is clear, concise, and useful, and that it helps users complete their tasks. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a UX writer, including an understanding of UX writing principles, best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of UX writing samples that you can use to apply for jobs.
Content Strategist
Content strategists develop and manage the content on websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX writers to ensure that content is aligned with user needs and goals. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a content strategist, including an understanding of UX writing principles, content strategy best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of content strategy work that you can use to apply for jobs.
UX Designer
UX designers create the look and feel of websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX writers to ensure that the user interface is intuitive and easy to use. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a UX designer, including an understanding of UX design principles, best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of UX design work that you can use to apply for jobs.
UI Designer
UI designers create the visual elements of websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX designers to ensure that the user interface is visually appealing and consistent with the overall design vision. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a UI designer, including an understanding of UI design principles, best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of UI design work that you can use to apply for jobs.
Technical Writer
Technical writers create documentation and other materials that explain how to use websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX writers to ensure that documentation is clear, concise, and useful. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a technical writer, including an understanding of technical writing principles, best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of technical writing work that you can use to apply for jobs.
Product Manager
Product managers oversee the development and launch of websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX writers, content strategists, UX designers, and UI designers to ensure that products meet user needs and goals. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a product manager, including an understanding of product management principles, best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of product management work that you can use to apply for jobs.
Copywriter
Copywriters create marketing and advertising content for websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX writers to ensure that content is persuasive and engaging. This course can help you develop the skills you need to become a copywriter, including an understanding of copywriting principles, best practices, and techniques. It can also help you build a portfolio of copywriting work that you can use to apply for jobs.
Graphic designer
Graphic designers create visual content for websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX designers to ensure that visual content is consistent with the overall design vision. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a graphic designer, including an understanding of graphic design principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Web Designer
Web designers create the layout and structure of websites. They work with UX designers to ensure that websites are visually appealing and easy to use. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a web designer, including an understanding of web design principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Customer Success Manager
Customer success managers help customers get the most value from websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX designers to ensure that products are easy to use and meet customer needs. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a customer success manager, including an understanding of customer success principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Project Manager
Project managers plan, execute, and close projects. They work with UX designers to ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a project manager, including an understanding of project management principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Sales Manager
Sales managers lead and motivate sales teams to achieve sales goals. They work with UX designers to ensure that sales materials are persuasive and engaging. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a sales manager, including an understanding of sales principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Software Engineer
Software engineers design, develop, and test software applications. They work with UX designers to ensure that software applications are user-friendly and efficient. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a software engineer, including an understanding of software engineering principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Data Analyst
Data analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to identify trends and patterns. They work with UX designers to ensure that websites and apps are meeting user needs. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a data analyst, including an understanding of data analysis principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.
Marketing Manager
Marketing managers develop and execute marketing campaigns for websites, apps, and other digital products. They work with UX designers to ensure that marketing campaigns are aligned with user needs and goals. This course may help you develop some of the skills you need to become a marketing manager, including an understanding of marketing principles, best practices, and techniques. However, it does not cover all of the skills that are typically required for this role.

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Introduction To UX Writing.
This classic book on design offers a good foundation for the principles of design that are used in UX Writing.
Provides a good overview of microcopy with supplemental knowledge for beginning UX writers.

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