How to get into UX writing (a field guide) — Updated for 2023

A note on this update

This article has gotten a lot of play since I first published it in early 2020 (nearly 3 years and half my UX writing career ago). I still get messages from people saying they find it helpful. Boy does that make me glad!

So that's why it warrants an update. I've learned a lot in that time. I've looked at dozens of portfolios from up-and-comers through my mentorship on ADPList. I had a brief (fascinating!) stint as a hiring manager. New resources have spun up.

So this update reflects my best knowledge as we head into an uncertain time. Layoffs are hitting tech bigtime. Recession is looming. But we can all take steps to uplift each other and become stronger practitioners, even while resources are tight.

And if this article helps you out, don't be shy! Let me know what you think.

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A lot of folks have asked me lately about switching careers into UX writing. I love helping others discover this completely badass life path, but at this point I need to save myself some time. Hence, this blog post.

Not 100% sure what UX writing is? You’re not alone. You might begin with?this article.

My career trajectory (in a nutshell)

My career transformation from medical receptionist to UX writer at a big tech company took about 3 years. Hopefully with a handy guide like this one, it doesn’t have to take you that long.

Remember: we are all making it up as we go along. You will always be learning. In that regard, there’s no separation between you and a seasoned senior professional.

I came to UX writing from a customer support and copywriting background. I handled tech support and software configuration, then I started doing copywriting in a moment of sheer financial panic. I discovered that I loved writing, and realized that I wanted to marry it with tech to make the internet a better place to be.

Next, I worked at a small software company where I was able to create support documentation, design training, and write customer-facing emails. At the same time, I picked up freelance clients on the side to do content marketing work. I marketed myself to tech companies, because I had some industry experience and was just beginning to find out about the magic of UX writing.

Soon, I decided to go full-time freelance. I used the extra time to teach myself about UX design, and to build my business. Clients started asking me to write interface copy, and I marketed myself primarily as a UX writer. Once I built up?my portfolio, I started landing interviews with big tech companies.

I worked a 10-month contract at Intuit, and shortly after leaving that position managed to land a full-time role at LinkedIn. Since then I've moved around a bit. I went to Squarespace, was promoted to Senior level at Google, then moved to another team at Google that better fit my strengths. I've been blown away at how fast I moved up. This industry is still young, and pretty dang accessible, with a little know-how. I'd love to share what helped me along the way.

There’s no one right way

You can come to UX writing from almost any educational background (I trained as a theatre director! No joke!) Any humanities major can do this, if your writing skills are top-notch. Here are a few less-obvious qualities that can help you succeed as a UX writer.

• You love people. Understanding people and an overdeveloped sense of empathy is a requirement for this job.
• Strategic vision is your jam.?If you’re good at defining a communication strategy and bringing a team along with you, you’ll be super valuable.
• You’re detail-obsessed.?Obviously, everything has got to be proofed. No editors here, it stops with you.
• You’ve got a knack for concision.?Shorter is almost always better. As a UX writer, cutting the fluff (without sacrificing meaning) is a fundamental skill.
• You ask hard questions.?You’ll be asked to fix things with words. A lot. By asking the right questions, you can help sharpen designs with more than just words.
• You don’t mind that writing is only 5%.?Wild, right? If you love churning out words, this job is not for you. It’s quality, not quantity. A ton of research, communication, and understanding has to happen before you write any words at all.

Free(ish) learning opportunities

UX + Content Slack

This Slack group?is very active, and totally badass. You’ll find conversations about process, interesting current articles, and job opportunities(!!!) Plus general nerdery. I have a strong “These are my people!” feeling when I look at this group.

UX Writing Library

The UX Writing Library is fantastic roundup of books, events, newsletters, everything under the sun. Start here.

Medium

You can also consider a Medium subscription. It’s an excellent platform for both people who want to read about design, and people who want to write about design (you should do both!) Their?partner program?lets you get paid for your writing—put up a few quality articles, and you can easily cover the $50 yearly subscription.

UXW challenge

Get UX writing assignments sent to your inbox?. A nice push to build up your portfolio.

Paid learning opportunities

I want to emphasize that you do?not?need to pay for a course to break into this field. Your portfolio matters way more than any credential. Freelance work is, in many ways, superior to coursework for the purpose of creating a portfolio (more on that later).

However! If enrolling in a course helps you learn and get your portfolio done, you have some options. I haven’t taken them myself, but these are where I might start:

• https://uxwritinghub.com/
• https://uxwriterscollective.com/

SVC in Seattle is an unaccredited trade school that offers a certificate program in UX writing — full disclosure, I'm about to teach a class there. My current supervisor Torrey Podmajersky (author of Strategic Writing for UX) has been heavily involved in designing the curriculum, so I'm willing to bet it's all good stuff.

Portfolio, portfolio, portfolio

Your portfolio is extremely important for most hiring managers. This can be helpful for folks with less experience, but more storytelling skill. (That could be you!)

It is?not?important that your portfolio be:

1. Extremely slick
2. A complete account of all the work you’ve ever done
3. Perfect

It?is?important that your portfolio be:

1. An accurate representation of your best work
2. A clear, succinct reflection of your process
3. You

If you're just getting started and are wondering "is this portfolio-worthy?" — stop overthinking it. Your portfolio is a living document that will get continuous updates. Old projects that don't reflect your best work anymore will fall off. New, more impressive projects will join the ranks.

There are 2 main buckets of early-career portfolio projects:

1. Freelance or volunteer work with real clients, real stakeholders, and real constraints.
2. Speculative work, school project work, without real-world complications.

Number 1 is better, almost always, by far. As a hiring manager, I would prefer to see a non-UX-writing project that shows strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and strong research over something speculative, without those constraints.

If you’ve only got spec work available to you, that's OK. If you are thoughtfully considering your audience and using language strategically, you are already practicing the fundamental skills behind UX writing. Show that. No shame!

You can always conduct your own research on spec work, and change your work based on that feedback. That will strengthen your portfolio hugely.

NOTE: Be really careful when you choose a speculative project. Don't try to redesign a popular, well-known product that has hundreds of writers working on it already — they have already optimized that thing to death, with data you do not have access to. Look for low-hanging fruit instead.

Remember that you're telling a story where you're the hero. What were the challenges? What didn't go according to plan? How did you save the day? Those elements are what make a fabulous portfolio piece.

I've written some portfolio tips you might find helpful:

• Own your shit
• Design for scannability
• Output vs. process
• Where to host your portfolio

And finally, here are some examples of?UX writing portfolios?that might strike your fancy.

A word on branding

If you have some budget to spend on your burgeoning UX writing career, I would recommend investing it in your personal brand. A polished website that sets you apart from other writers is a complete game-changer. I know it sounds silly-why do you need a photoshoot to prove you can write words?!

All I can tell you is, people buy from people they know, like, and trust (blah blah blah…) Use your website to show off your whole self, not some muted corporate version that you think will be deemed acceptable.

My first website and current logo launched in 2017, and was designed by the fabulous Mel Judson. In 2021 I decided I needed to grow up my brand a little bit (um, move away from Millennial pink RIP LYLAS), that I did with the help of Squarespace and Emily Kim Photography.

I started by making myself a little brand board like this. And the concepts and mood I defined there definitely shows up in the finished product. A little bit of planning and thought went a long way.

You want people to know you from looking at your web presence. The skills are important, sure, but they're hiring a human being. Who are you? How do you move through the world? What's your orientation toward work, people, life? All of that is important too.

Remember, you’ve got a huge advantage when it comes to branding. You can write. Get out there and show ’em what you got.

Books I’ve read, and recommend for UX writers

• Strategic Writing for UX by Torrey Podmajersky
• Because Internet?by Gretchen McCullough
• Nudge?by Sunstein & Thaler
• Technically Wrong?by Sara Wachter-Boettcher
• Ruined by Design?by Mike Monteiro
• The Design of Everyday Things?by Don Norman
• Made to Stick?by Chip & Dan Heath

Finally…

Writing is an incredibly powerful tool. Wield it well. Write responsibly. Teach others how to do the same. Best of luck on your UX writing journey.

P.S. Go ahead and connect with me, I don’t bite

If you'd like 1:1 mentorship, I'm available through ADPList. I'm here to support you!

Originally published at?https://kkwritescopy.com?on February 23, 2020.