Youth Incorporated Magazine

The digital world has evolved immensely. For every little thing today, we turn to digital platforms, be it paying electricity bills through apps, applying for a job with a company, or seeking to solve queries by taking the help of a chatbot. This has given rise to a career in UX writing and research. 

Companies are now demanding employees/professionals holding UX skill sets that include UX designing, UX writing and UX research. This has led to the creation of new careers. 

Let’s try to understand what is UX writing and research and how can one become a UX writer or researcher. 

UX Research:

What is it? 

Just like it is crucial for every other business to understand its customers, it is important for every digital platform or any company to have a digital presence to know and understand its users. This is where UX research comes into play. A UX researcher uses dedicated methods to find out what users like, dislike, and expect, what their needs are, their behaviour, and their motivation which helps in designing the products and services accordingly. 

UX researchers help companies to improve the quality of products and services for the users by using various techniques, some of which include observation, surveys, usability tests, task analysis and other feedback methodologies. They also ensure that the users receive what they expect and want, i.e quality.

Without UX research, it is nearly impossible to understand the user base. 

What is required to become a UX Researcher?

To become a UX researcher, you must have knowledge or experience in relevant fields like marketing, cognitive science, psychology, economics or information science. You also need to be a good reader of people’s minds. You must know how to gauge people’s expectations and needs and empathise with the user. In addition to this, you must also know how to handle data and analysis. After the collection of user data, the  UX researcher also works in close coordination with UX and UI designers, developers and product managers. An overall understanding of the design process is also crucial. 

UX Writing:

What is it? 

All the text that we see on websites and mobile apps is the work of a UX writer. UX writing involves creating copy/microcopies for apps, websites, and other digital platforms that help users easily navigate the product. UX writing involves doing the following:

• Using the right words for the menus,
• Writing definitions,
• buttons, labels,
• chatbots, and
• error messages, or
• the instructions to guide first-time users through a product

A UX writer must write microcopy (small pieces of content collectively called micro-copy) which tailors with the company’s style, tone and personality, resonates with the product’s brand voice and is easy to understand for all. 

What is required to become a UX Writer?

Well, you first need to know for yourself, how good are you with your words, language, vocabulary, and writing skills. You need to have a command of language and a strong penchant for writing. For UX writing, you must also hold an in-depth understanding of the tone and shades of meaning of the words. Further, effective UX writing is always concise. UX writers must know how to convey more in fewer words. To be able to develop the skills in UX writing, you can enrol