How to make software human and relatable

@LauraParkerUX Hello How to make software human and relatable

@LauraParkerUX Housekeeping • Laura Parker   — Content Designer at
HMRC  — UX Writer • Questions  — Use the BlueJean chat box moderated by Rachel   — Post your questions after the talk in the Write The Docs slack channel #north-england  — Tweet me @LauraParkerUX • Please mute your microphone • All research is linked so you can explore in your own time • Slides will be posted on speaker deck afterwards 

@LauraParkerUX Problem: how do you make software human and relatable?

@LauraParkerUX https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ui-copy/

@LauraParkerUX Keep a beginner’s mind Don’t assume the user knows
anything

@LauraParkerUX What’s a beginner’s mind? • We create new things
all the time   — but we forget what it's like to be a new user • A new user might be anxious about using your product   — give them everything they need and nothing more • We know too much (curse of knowledge)   — the more you know, the further you are from the beginner’s perspective • Users have existing expectations and behaviours  — don’t assume users will ﬁnd your product intuitive if they do the same thing diﬀerently on other apps/websites 

@LauraParkerUX How we read • Our cognitive load (mental effort)
increases 11% for every 100 words • Some people bounce around when they read online and anticipate words and fill them in • Your brain can drop up to 30% of the text and still understand • People with some learning disabilities read letter for letter, they do not bounce around like other users • People with moderate learning disabilities can understand sentences of 5 to 8 words without difficulty so keep sentences short • GOV.UK recommends you write for a 9 year old reading age  — Jakob Nielsen, How Do Users Read — Sarah Richards, Content Design

@LauraParkerUX Our eyes don’t see every letter in a word
or every word in a sentence. Our eyes skip along the text in small jumps called saccades. After each saccade, our brain takes a snapshot and arranges the letters into words. Those pauses are called ﬁxations. — Jost Hochuli, Detail in Typography

@LauraParkerUX Empathy v humour Writing with ﬂavour

@LauraParkerUX Why you should get to the point • Make
it easier for everyone to read your content • People with poor internet connection • Busy people • Physical injuries • People with children • Roughly 11.9 million people are living with a disability (1 in 5 people or 20%) “Getting to the point quickly has less to do with intelligence and more to do with time and respect.” — Sarah Richards, Content Design

@LauraParkerUX Not all disability is visible

@LauraParkerUX github.com/UKHomeOﬃce/posters

@LauraParkerUX microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility

@LauraParkerUX http://actiondeafness.org.uk/product/deaf-awareness-posters/

@LauraParkerUX Balancing empathy and humour • Have a moment with
the reader   — use empathy to ﬁnd when a user is having a moment, and be a part of it • Keep a beginner’s mind  — skip the what and go directly to the why • Use simple, everyday language   — it helps everyone, especially those with a visual impairment, dyslexia or anxiety • People don’t ﬁnd the same things funny  — humour is risky

@LauraParkerUX What is information anxiety? • There are lots of
moments of doubt and anxiety to deal with, especially when using a product or service you’re not familiar with • “Do I remember my password? Did that web app really save my changes? Was my shared document sent? Where did that notiﬁcation disappear to? How do I get it back?” • It's our responsibility to make this process easy to understand and delight users, as long as it doesn't get in the way of clarity   https://medium.com/movingui/building-brand-loyalty-and-reducing-anxiety-with-ui-animation-1cf6d6307033

@LauraParkerUX What is information anxiety? • Some examples   —
time limits and countdown timers (Netﬂix and BBC iPlayer provide options to disable the next episode countdown timer)  Monzo spending alert Hermes chatbot

@LauraParkerUX Know your audience

@LauraParkerUX Who are you talking to? • To understand your
audience you should know:   — how they behave, what they’re interested in or worried about - so your writing will catch their attention and answer their questions   — their vocabulary - so that you can use the same terms and phrases they’ll use to search for content • Check Google Trends and forums to see how people are talking about your product or service   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk

@LauraParkerUX Writing for specialists • Use plain English   —
according to GOV.UK research, people understand complex specialist language, but do not want to read it if there’s an alternative • Technical terms  — technical terms are not considered jargon but you should explain what they mean • People with the greatest expertise tend to have the most to read   — make sure your content is helpful and easy to scan   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk

@LauraParkerUX Working with designers Your most important working relationship

@LauraParkerUX Because… • You share the same problems   —
“I need answers to this, this and this before I can start.” • You ask (roughly) the same questions  — “Who am I writing/designing for? What’s the purpose? Brand guidelines?” • And, you make things together 

@LauraParkerUX Most designers have never worked with a writer. It’s
down to us to get the ball rolling.

@LauraParkerUX How to work with designers • Give designers your
copy in advance   — think about the design deadline too • Try using a diﬀerent word processor   — most designers don’t use MS Word every day, look for alternatives • Ask for feedback (content crits and design labs)  — feedback can only improve your work • Celebrate their moments of greatness   — some designers can write well  

@LauraParkerUX Problem: how do you make software human and relatable?

@LauraParkerUX • Keep a beginner’s mind  — what’s obvious to
you won’t be the same for your audience  — make your audience feel less anxious by using high frequency words • Be empathetic and cautious with humour  — be inclusive and write with plain English   — humour is risky, especially if it gets in the way of clarity • Know your audience  — understand who is reading your content   — use words they use, not words you think they use • Work better with designers   — it’s not them and us, we’re in it together  — pair up, host design clinics and content crits The answer

@LauraParkerUX GOV.UK standards • Use speciﬁc verbs   — ‘Connect’
or ‘save’ are more meaningful than ‘set up’ or ‘manage’ • Check your language  — use Google Trends and forums to check for terms people search for • Use ‘today,’ ‘yesterday’ or ‘tomorrow’ instead of a date  — people don’t use the date when they refer to the day before the present day • Avoid long blocks of text  — look at your work on a mobile to check spacing • Use inclusive language   — words to use and avoid when writing about disability   https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk

@LauraParkerUX People to follow  Andrew Schmidt (senior product writer at
Slack): https://www.andrewschmidt.net   Jared Spool (UX genius): https://www.uie.com @jmspool  Craig Wright (tech writer): https://straygoat.co.uk  Erika Hall (designer): https://muledesign.com @mulegirl  Caio Braga ([product designer) https://caioab.com @caioab  Paul Boag (UX expert): https://boagworld.com @boagworld Links to click   Readability Guidelines: https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org  Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: https://www.w3.org  Rules of Effective UX Writing: https://uxplanet.org/16-rules-of-effective-ux-writing-2a20cf85fdbf  The Unusable podcast: https://podcast.theunusable.com  Content Design London: http://contentdesign.london  Microsoft accessibility kit: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/style-guide/welcome/  UK Home Office accessibility posters: https://github.com/UKHomeOffice/posters/blob/master/accessibility/  UX Collective: https://uxdesign.cc  UK disability facts and figures: http://www.craigabbott.co.uk/accessibility-is-not-an-edge-case  GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk

@LauraParkerUX Thanks!

@LauraParkerUX Web  lauramarieparker.com    Email  [email protected]    Twitter  @LauraParkerUX

How to make software human and relatable

How to make software human and relatable

Laura Parker

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@LauraParkerUX Hello How to make software human and relatable

@LauraParkerUX Housekeeping • Laura Parker   — Content Designer at

@LauraParkerUX Problem: how do you make software human and relatable?

@LauraParkerUX https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ui-copy/

@LauraParkerUX Keep a beginner’s mind Don’t assume the user knows

@LauraParkerUX What’s a beginner’s mind? • We create new things

@LauraParkerUX How we read • Our cognitive load (mental eﬀort)

@LauraParkerUX Our eyes don’t see every letter in a word

@LauraParkerUX Empathy v humour Writing with ﬂavour

@LauraParkerUX Why you should get to the point • Make

@LauraParkerUX Not all disability is visible

@LauraParkerUX github.com/UKHomeOﬃce/posters

@LauraParkerUX microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility

@LauraParkerUX http://actiondeafness.org.uk/product/deaf-awareness-posters/

@LauraParkerUX Balancing empathy and humour • Have a moment with

@LauraParkerUX What is information anxiety? • There are lots of

@LauraParkerUX What is information anxiety? • Some examples   —

@LauraParkerUX Know your audience

@LauraParkerUX Who are you talking to? • To understand your

@LauraParkerUX Writing for specialists • Use plain English   —

@LauraParkerUX Working with designers Your most important working relationship

@LauraParkerUX Because… • You share the same problems   —

@LauraParkerUX Most designers have never worked with a writer. It’s

@LauraParkerUX How to work with designers • Give designers your

@LauraParkerUX Problem: how do you make software human and relatable?

@LauraParkerUX • Keep a beginner’s mind  — what’s obvious to

@LauraParkerUX GOV.UK standards • Use speciﬁc verbs   — ‘Connect’

@LauraParkerUX People to follow  Andrew Schmidt (senior product writer at

@LauraParkerUX Thanks!

@LauraParkerUX Web  lauramarieparker.com    Email  [email protected]    Twitter  @LauraParkerUX