The skills and techniques required to write meaningful and user-friendly text for the mobile phone are unique to this medium. The characteristics and design constraints of the phone, as well as the associated user-mobile relationship, all present unique challenges for the writer. I suggest that there is another aspect of writing for mobile that plays a fundamental role in the development of information for this medium: the actual writing and design process.
The synergy between the various specialised role-players: interface design, UX design and text writing contributes to the development of an optimum user experience. I argue that the role of the writer in this process is not yet fully understood or maximised, specifically in the South African context. The words featuring on a mobile application are often written by the designer, or other role players in the development team, without an appreciation of the crucial linguistic role of the specialist digital wordsmith. The writer also frequently works separately from the UI designer, which affects the clarity and logic of the presentation or
understanding of the user experience. The content writer is often considered as the “poorer relation” in context to other digital disciplines and is omitted until absolutely essential (Bowles & Box, 2010). As UX writer Janet Six (2015) suggests, the technical writer is not able to make a positive impact on a product’s success if the writer is ignored until the latter stages of the development process.
It is acknowledged that the responsibilities of each role-player tend to blur and overlap in this field of creative execution. In his research on the shape of information space, Andrew Dillon (2002) discusses the divisions between writing and design.
Dillon claims that the text and the interface design shouldn’t be thought of as distinct or separated, which supports the central argument in this thesis. There is a natural relationship between the content and its form, as each discipline manipulates and influences the other, by its very nature. For example, a lengthy textual narrative will demand a specific visual layout or the integration of graphics will influence the approach to the textual decisions (Dillon, 2002). It is therefore of essence to involve the writer before the design is completed, as UX writing is essentially the design of experiences using words (Berkery, 2018).
I use this theory to support my argument, that the writing, and the writer, should be closely integrated in the entire process, and even become the driver of many of the interface design decisions. A typical team approach utilised in the advertising agency environment involves the close collaboration of the copywriter and art director in the development of relevant conceptual communication, maximising the visual and text- driven skillsets (Felton, 2013; Sullivan & Boches, 2016). In contrast, digital design tends to separate the content from the format in which it appears. Based on the multi-faceted demands of human-computer interaction, there are understandably now more technological factors to take into account, such as the linking structure, navigation and visual elements on the interface (Cooper et al, 2007, Shneiderman et al, 2016). It is therefore even more important for the writer to be involved in the space of the words, rather than simply fulfilling a role of content provision, as content
shouldn’t be viewed as words and images “to be shaped by others into a consumable hypermedia form” (Dillon, 2015:66).
Based on the rapid growth in the demand for effective mobile interaction, there is now an increasing focus on the collaboration between the writer and designer in the creation of meaningful user interface experiences. There is also a growing demand for a mix of multi-disciplinary skills to provide different perspectives on human interaction. Design teams are now including specialists in media, industrial design, sociology and psychology to cater for a new generation of interactive systems (Preece et al, 2002). In the USA particularly, there is a new respect developing for the skills of the specialist user experience (UX) writer, who is now acknowledged as a core role-player (Berkery, 2018; Six, 2015; Wolhuter, 2018). The importance of this role was highlighted by a job description that appeared on the official Google career’s page in 2017. The description read as follows:
UX Writers advocate for Google design and help shape product experiences by crafting copy that helps users complete the task at hand. They set the tone for content and drive cohesive product narratives across multiple platforms and touchpoints. As our resident wordsmiths, they work with a variety of UX design-related jobs including researchers, product managers, engineers, marketing, and customer operations to help establish connective language and a unified voice (Google design, 2017).
Companies such as Apple, PayPal, and DropBox also now employ specialist UX writers and the role has become a topic of considerable discussion among technical writers. The role of design in the field of UX writing is a consistent feature, with collective definitions using terms such as conversational design and creative tools to develop rewarding and effective user journeys. The principles of UCD are once again relevant, as the effective UX writer requires an intricate understanding of the user’s needs, background and usability skill. The content should therefore adopt the mental framework of the user, which considers everything that models the user’s world, including use of language and choice of vocabulary (Bjoran, 2017; Kissane, 2011:5; Sanchez, 2017; Wolhuter, 2018).
This thinking is reflective of Rosenblatt’s transactional response theories, that the interpretation of meaning is inherently influenced by the reader’s previous
experiences and personal background to bring meaning to a text (Rosenblatt, 1978). The successful UX writer therefore has the ability to analyse the strategy and
semantics of the information, as well as the appropriate user action throughout the journey. Ironically, effective UX copy should guide users intuitively without the words actually being noticed, much like effective typography in print communication
(Bowles & Box, 2010; Cooper, 2015; Halvorson & Rach, 2012). I argue therefore, that each word appearing on a mobile screen plays a core role in directing the user to help achieve a specific objective, with the least amount of cognitive effort. The mobile user is already faced with so many distractions and interaction factors, the words shouldn’t be the cause of confusion or doubt in the mind of the user (Sanchez, 2017).
The principles of effective UX writing are illustrated in the writing guideline for Google focusing on three best practices: clear, concise and useful (Ligertwood, 2017; Rung, 2015). Clarity of communication is a fundamental objective of all writing, but in this context of writing, the user’s needs are often overlooked when working within the
boundaries of technical specifications. There is also a constant risk of jargon terminology that is misunderstood by the user (Ligertwood, 2017). The principle of conciseness refers to the importance of writing short, economical text. Although brevity is important, the choice of words should also be efficient as “every word on the screen has a distinct job” (Ligertwood, 2017). However, clarity can at times be negatively affected by trying to write too concisely. If the message is not immediately understood with fewer words, it is advisable to rather add more words, as the goal of writing in this context is always to communicate with the least amount of user effort (Carroll, 2014; Redish, 2013; Sanchez, 2017). The third practice of usefulness relates to the objective-driven nature of mobile apps. I maintain that these three principles of UX writing are all based on insights driven by the behaviour of the mobile user and argue that the skilled application of these techniques contributes to a reduced cognitive load during the interaction experience.
As discussed in Chapter 6, there is a direct interaction between the words and the visual elements on the screen, which also applies to UX writing. A combination of informative text and visual presentation affects the clarity of communication and efficiency of copy (Yalanska, 2016). The writing of information for mobile media requires specialist techniques and a unique process, which I suggest could be optimised by integrating the writer more closely into the design decisions. I maintain this approach to writing will become critical to the way content is designed for mobile products in the future (Bjoran, 2017).
Conclusion
In this chapter, I focus on the role of the writer and text in the interpretation of information on mobile media. The digital user reads text on screens in different patterns to printed media, which influences the optimum presentation and hierarchy of information. I argue that techniques of frontloading and the inverted pyramid contribute to reducing cognitive load by providing the most important information upfront and removing unnecessary effort to achieve a task. I examine the theories of hypertext and the way this approach to writing shifts the balance of power to the reader, and extend this categorical writing approach to the unique mobile writing space. I believe the context of the mobile phone also creates a unique relationship between the text and the reader, and explore this thinking within the theoretical framework of reader-response and literary criticism (Bleich, 1975; Bolter, 1991;
Canavilhas, 2007; Carter, 2000; Delaney & Landow, 1994; Fish, 1980; Iser, 1972; Landow, 1992; Rosenblatt, 1978; Slatin, 1990; Tyson, 2014).
This chapter also situates the role of the mobile UX writer within current industry context as I examine the writing processes involved in the design of information for this medium. I believe this process and the synergy between the writer and design presents a significant influencing factor in reducing the user’s cognitive load during the interpretation of information on mobile media.