Problem-solving skills are the differentiating factor for UX writers
Don't let the job title fool you. While we may have the word 'writer' or 'content' in our job title, most of our time is spent in discussions rather than writing per se.
Just take a few minutes to read Emma Aldington's article on what content design is really like.
That was written in 2023. And while most of it is still true, I want to build upon her point about how messy reality is. That, and also how unpredictable things can be.
As someone who had the opportunity to learn on the job, I must admit that I’ll never fully comprehend what it’s like to start out as a UX writer today. But what I do know is that in tech, change is the only constant. (Some have already claimed that prompt engineering is going extinct.)
As the UX industry matures and gets more saturated (FYI the tech gold rush is over and there are now more highly qualified candidates than there are UX job openings), companies will start looking at a candidate’s problem-solving skills.
Everything you know about UX are guidelines rather than rules
Let's start with user research. On paper, it should be the starting point for every UX project. But not every project has the budget or time for it.
So what would you do if you were expected to write new copy without any plans to do research?
Do you 1) write the copy based on UX writing principles 2) escalate this issue to UX leadership 3) make copy decisions based on existing research?
They're all valid courses of action. However, what might work for one project might not be suitable for another.
So critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential at every step of the UX workflow.
And it's questions like that that interviewers might use to assess how well a candidate can assess an imagined situation and make the best decision based on limited resources.
Chaos is common
Because tech moves so quickly, there's a high chance that you won't understand a lot of what goes on, but neither do your colleagues.
That's why companies need people who can make sense of the mess.
Teams are also often under pressure to make decisions with little information and change the project's direction whenever new information arises.
But there's always a solution. You just need to go looking for it.
Don't understand what you're supposed to do? Go ask someone who might know. Don't have a solution? Do some research and get someone more experienced to validate your proposals. Plans change after stakeholders have signed off on the copy? Take a deep breath and create that final_approved_final_V2 doc.
We're all doing the best that we can, and sometimes - well, a lot of the time - that means muddling through things by making educated guesses.
Get comfortable with the fact that you will say and do stupid shit, and that people will forget about it in the long run.
If you want to be happy and successful in your career, it's important to roll with the punches!
How content designers are expected to solve problems at work
For me, the best part about being a UX writer in tech is that I get to work on such a wide range of problems. It could be something as small as coming up with the best error message to reduce CS tickets, or as complex as building an end-to-end experience for businesses to get verified.
Writers are expected to solve user problems with words, but that also means navigating the corporate environment in order to do so.
As each project is different in terms of its requirements, timeline, and stakeholders, there's really no strict SOP for anything.
But if I were to break down every challenge at work, whether it's about copy, collaboration, or colleagues, things can usually be solved with these steps:
Understand the problem
Understand the context around the problem
Propose solutions, highlight your recommendation, and explain why you think that's the best way forward
Evaluate the success of the final decision
Summary
Before the AI boom, UX writers often complained that anyone who could read and write would give out unsolicited feedback on our writing. With AI now more accessible than ever, colleagues won't need to wait to see our copy to critique it. They can easily send us their AI-generated copy any time, or even worse, stop including writers all together.
As AI becomes better at mastering the craft of writing, problem-solving skills will be the differentiating factor. Read Doug Kerwin's article on how craft-focused careers will change.
It's now not enough just to be an expert in UX principles. UX writers must also be able to apply these principles to solve a company's problems, which come in many forms and are seldom identical.
Businesses are no longer looking for UX writers who can just produce good copy. They need professionals who can navigate increasingly fast-paced and unpredictable environments.
