Category Archives: Content Design
Sweat the Small Stuff
Sweat the Small Stuff : The importance of page-level content and your style guide. I published this article in March. It addresses how thinking about essential issues in content design and adhering to a style guide helps ensure your content is both correct and consistent.
5 Rules For Writing Great UI Copy
From Google Ventures: 5 Rules For Writing Great Interface Copy is a good article that discusses 5 good things to keep in mind when writing UI copy. I like “Headlines and buttons are the pillars of our products. See, there’s a good chance you’ve been writing product pillars this whole time, and didn’t even know…
Effective Business Writing – Part 1
A while back, I attended a writing workshop. It was mostly aimed at writing better in general. While most of the topics were points that I (and you) already know, I did take a way some worth from it. So, here are some ideas I took from the event, since they can benefit all of…
Writing to a “General” U.S. Audience
As a follow-up to my last post, which addressed how to determine the level at which you are writing, I thought I’d give a few tips on how to write at the goal (8th Grade) reading level. Most of these points are ones you already know. So, you might consider this some form of refresher….
A Little Logo Fun
So, a few months ago, I came across this video of a 5-yr-old’s perspective of some famous logos. It is, of course, very cute, and some logos she knows or mentally connects with person events. However, it got me thinking about how That video lead me to
What reading level is your text?
We often hear that the average American reads at an 8th grade reading level (shameful, that). Most newspapers, I believe, are even written as low as at a 4th grade reading level (painful statistic). But, what does that mean, and how can you know the level at which you are writing? You could
Come to the Dark Patterns
Dark patterns are intentional content and design decisions in UX that tend to employ deceptive practices to trick you into taking some action. There’s actually quite a bit of psychology that goes into such design decisions. I recently came across this website and presentation that details what dark patterns are and how to use them. While…
Don’t Confuse Engagement with User Experience
Substantially more Android phones are sold than are iPhones (about 5:1 in 2012). However, iPhone users do much more shopping, browsing, and app-downloading. So, what gives? This Harvard Business Review article, by Michael Schrage, discusses it. The key point is:
Originality in Professional Writing
As writers, we all want to deliver that exceptional, unparalleled line of prose, that all-unique gem that perfectly fits the situation and purpose, rewards both you and the customer, and leaves you showered with public accolades and shining with personal satisfaction. But in the professional writing ring, does unproved originality really trump tried effectiveness? That…