Essay · ~8 min read

The magic of microcopy

John Saito · UX Collective (John Saito) Free Beginner

Saito was the first UX writer at YouTube and a writer at Dropbox, and this widely read essay shows how a few well-chosen words in buttons, hints, and error text change how a product feels. It is full of concrete before-and-after examples you can mimic. The friendliest possible on-ramp to caring about this.

  • Small wording changes carry real emotional weight
  • Button and error text is where personality shows up honestly
  • Read copy in context, on the actual screen, before shipping
Open on uxdesign.cc ↗

The question it answers

  1. How do I write clear button and error messages so users know exactly what to do next?

Read with it

  1. This is the book most working UX writers point to when they need a system, not just tips, for the exact text on buttons,... O'Reilly Media Book Strategic Writing for UX (2nd Edition) Torrey Podmajersky
  2. Nielsen Norman Group is the closest thing to a standard reference in usability, and this piece is a clean, specific checklist... Nielsen Norman Group Article Error-Message Guidelines Tim Neusesser and Evan Sunwall (Nielsen Norman Group)
  3. This is the reference everyone quietly copies when they first try to write down their brand voice, and it is public, free, and... Mailchimp Content Style Guide Article Voice and Tone, Mailchimp Content Style Guide Mailchimp
  4. If you are a founder or designer writing your own product copy without a UX writer on the team, this is the most practical... Smashing Magazine Article · About a 20 minute read How To Improve Your Microcopy: UX Writing Tips For Non-UX Writers Irina Silyanova
  5. Concrete rules for writing the words on your buttons and menus so nobody has to decode them. It covers using a verb plus a noun... Nielsen Norman Group Article · ~9 min read UI Copy: UX Guidelines for Command Names and Keyboard Shortcuts Anna Kaley
  6. This is the single most practical book written entirely about the tiny words in your product (buttons, error messages, empty... microcopybook.com (Nemala) Book · ~350 pages Microcopy: The Complete Guide Kinneret Yifrah
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