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Smashing Magazine

2 resources from Smashing Magazine we point founders to, and the questions each answers.

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it If you are a founder or designer writing your own product copy without a UX writer on the team, this is the most practical single article we found, and it is written for exactly that reader. It walks through 15+ tips with real app screenshots covering buttons, empty states, and error messages, and ends with a copy checklist you can run against your own screens. It is honest about the traps too, like why leaning on "Oops" for every error stops feeling friendly and starts feeling lazy.

How To Improve Your Microcopy: UX Writing Tips For Non-UX Writers

From Smashing Magazine by Irina Silyanova About a 20 minute read

  • Write buttons the way a user would say the action out loud ("I'll reserve" reads more human than a stiff generic "Submit").
  • An empty state should hand the user their next move, not just announce that nothing is here yet.
  • A good error names what happened, why if you know it, and what to do next, instead of hiding behind a cute one-liner.
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Answers How do I write clear button and error messages so users know exactly what to do next? How do I write microcopy for buttons, empty states, and error messages so the product feels friendly instead of robotic?
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Intermediate

Why we picked it Your short answer says never bury the language switch, and this is the definitive piece on getting that one control right. It explains why flags mislead, why you should show each language in its own script, and where people actually look for the switcher. Concrete examples throughout mean you can copy patterns that already work.

Designing A Perfect Language Selector UX

From Smashing Magazine by Vitaly Friedman 20 min read

  • Never use flags for languages, a flag is a country not a language
  • Label each option in its native script, for example Hindi not Hindi in English
  • Put the switcher where people expect it and make it reachable everywhere
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Answers How do I design an app that works well for users who aren't fluent in English and may switch languages?
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