UX copy

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Clear and concise

Say exactly what will happen, in as few words as possible

Remove redundant words, and avoid inventing new words for actions

Purposeful

Ensure the words always have an intent

Through reading what's written, a user should understand what an action will do before they interact with it. Removing jargon that doesn't help the user can make this easier

Tone

How your brand comes across through the writing

Aim for consistency and draw from the brand to understand the appropriate tone. Some brands can benefit from humour, while others may seem unprofessional using it.

Conventions

Maintain a specific action as one term e.g. don't interchange 'Next' and 'Continue' as the action to proceed

Sticking to consistent conventions helps users notice a purposeful change in copy e.g. a number of 'Next' steps followed by a final 'Confirm' step tells them something different will happen next

Avoid dark patterns

Being sarcastic, antagonistic or guilt tripping the user to do (or not do) something

Even if the business has an action they prefer the user to choose, that doesn't require making the alternative option sound worse than it is to sway their decision