The Dash: Why are UX writing roles & titles so freaking confusing?

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Do you consider yourself a UX writer? Content designer? Content strategist? If you’re confused by the roles and different titles, don’t worry. You’re not alone. This week, we’ve rounded up a podcast episode featuring Jane Ruffino to break it down. Plus content on frictionless in-app marketing. Interaction costs. AI and the future of UX. Let’s get to it.

Do in-app marketing right. The dreaded intrusive pop-up. You know the one. It takes over your entire screen with no X in sight. And just when you think you’ve closed out of it, you accidentally exit the app. Ugh. There’s a right (and very, very wrong way) to do in-app marketing. Kudos to Sasha A. Rae for this blog on how to approach it friction-free. 

Content rookie: UX writing, content strategy, and content design. Where is the industry now? Where is it going? And why are the roles and titles so freaking confusing? In this podcast episode, Jane Ruffino and Nicole Michaelis discuss all things UX writing. Give it a listen.

Interaction design is more than just user flows and clicks. Interaction cost is a crucial skill for any modern product designer. And understanding how Physical Interaction Costs (PIC) and and Mental Interaction Costs (MIC) impact the overall burden on the user is huge. Check out this post from Richard Yang, Product Design Lead at Facebook.

Solving your organization’s research problems. User research siloed within departments. Repetitive research. Unread reports. Sounds all too familiar? Here are some helpful principles that make for a great research repository solution.

How can AI revolutionize UX? The short answer? By providing smarter content and better support to customers. The long answer? This piece from IoT for all. 

Changing careers to UX writing. The job search can be daunting. Moving into a new field is a whole different story. Big props to Geoffrey Thomas for this honest day-in-the-life account.

Testing content with the right users. Creating useful content requires understanding your users and what they hope to accomplish. When it comes to testing said content, pay extra attention to recruiting. Closely tailor tasks to your participants and get comfortable with silence. More from NN/g. 

“Learn more” is not enough. Are your CTAs serving a specific purpose or are they acting more like fillers? Alice Chen makes the case for why descriptive CTAs are more accessible, SEO-friendly, and contribute to an overall better UX. We refuse to say learn more so we’ll instead say read the latest over on our blog.

Convo Design Corner

Hey, Alexa, are you sexist? It’s no coincidence that our digital assistants have feminine voices. How does the presence of these feminized voices affect the dynamics between actual people who use them? This column in the New York Times explores just that.

The Conversation Design Summit is coming! If you didn’t snag a ticket yet, there’s still time. On March 1-2, you’ll get the chance to hear from working conversation designers, go behind-the-scenes of their design processes, and network virtually with cool people in the industry. Save your spot!

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