The top 50 UX content resources of 2023

There’s no shortage of fantastic resources out there, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming to sort through it all. So, we’ve pulled together the most popular links shared in our weekly Dash newsletter for you to enjoy in one place. See what came out on top…

50. UX writing is the name, cohesion is the game. We know consistency is key, but what does it really look like in practice? Marina Nevolina outlines how to create cohesive narratives across touchpoints.

49. The role of content in generative AI. “Keep asking the questions, keep having the conversations, and really try to establish a point of view on this.” This = content generated by artificial intelligence. Hear more from Aladrian Goods, Content Design Manager at Intuit, as she chats with Kristina Halvorson. Listen to the full episode.

48. Monster list of UX books. We were scrolling on LinkedIn and came across a list that’s too good not to share. Thanks to Colin Baird for posting this mega Airtable base including 1,000+ UX books. Add these titles to your library.

47. The state of UX content jobs. Layoffs have made the UX job market tighter, but there are great opportunities for folks of all skill levels who are prepared to put in the work. Patrick weighs in on the state of UX writing and content design jobs.

46. Build trust with organized Figma files. “A cluttered workspace can instantly damage your credibility, even before the quality of your work is assessed.” Is it time for some housekeeping? Read on to keep your Figma files clean and your stakeholders happy.

45. Poor collaboration = poor UX. Working as a team takes some serious work. When cross-functional collaboration is broken, products suffer as a result. Nielsen Norman group unpacks the common challenges and strategies for success.

44. Make it short and sweet. Concise sounds nice in theory, but it’s more difficult to achieve in practice. Thanks to Taylor Dykes for compiling this guide to rewriting digital content for brevity. Here’s how to reduce your word count.

43. 21 small thoughts (and counting) about information architecture. We would read Scott Kubie’s grocery lists if he published them. This time, he shares a non-exhaustive list of IA thoughts. See what you think…

42. Don’t offer discounts on your well-being. You know the saying, “Good, cheap, and fast—but you can only pick two.” What happens when we take a stand against “cheap” content work? In this essay, Chelsea Larsson shares how to be “rich” in content design.

41. Design for cognitive accessibility. Accessibility is more than screen readers. It’s about making your content usable for everyone. In this post, Eva Katharina Wolf outlines design considerations for users living with ADHD. Read the accessible design recommendations.

40. Futureproofing UX in the age of AI. Keeping up with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and automation is a full-time job itself. This post from Gerren Lamson will help your UX team adjust how you create AI-supported experiences. Check out the AI guide from Indeed Design.

39. How AI is transforming UX writing. How can UX content folks embrace artificial intelligence tools? What does an AI-driven workflow mean for the future of UX writing? Tomer Gabbai, CEO and Co-Founder of Frontitude, weighs in. Read the predictions.

38. Writing good interfaces. Good writing takes time. The next time you’re stuck in a vicious rewriting cycle (and not getting anywhere), give these techniques compiled by Nick DiLallo a try.

37. A content designer’s guide to product audits. Ready to launch your next content audit? In this one, Emily Wachowiak, Senior Content Designer at Mozilla, shares how to set yourself up for mission success with the right scope, goals, and tools. Leap into your product content audit.

36. Content design isn’t as broken as you think. Our community has been abuzz with discussion about the future of our field. Some believe it’s doomed, others are optimistic about the prospects. This post from Anna Potapova puts the conversation into perspective.

35. The UX research tools map. Okay, this one is a true work of art. Check out the illustrated guide to the ever-changing world of research software brought to you by the User Interviews team.

34. The 2023 content design salary & industry report. Thanks to all who joined us for the preview session. You can watch the recording, and then get your own custom report.

33. When consistency in microcopy does more harm than good. Kinneret Yifrah (author of the book on microcopy) explores when it’s okay to break the rules to keep the overall user experience intact. Main takeaway: Avoid consistency for consistency’s sake.

32. Be proactive, not reactive. Instead of “you should have invited me earlier,” what if we thought, “how can I take steps to get included earlier?” Kate O’Brien lays out ways for content designers to flip the narrative and take control of our influence. Read on to take action.

31. 23+ UX writing terms for 2023. As word people, we love defining concepts. This post from Pete Armi is chock full of valuable terms and their definitions to carry into this year and share with anyone new to working with UX writers. Get the glossary.

30. Design books for non-designers. Ready to refresh your UX bookshelf? Get ready to bookmark these recommendations from the Stripe design team.

29. 3-step process to feature naming. There’s no “right” way to name a product feature. In this one, Taylor Rohwedder shares the process that helps keep her team on track and avoid unnecessary debates. Read more on naming on the UXCC blog.

28. Tackling your first content design system. Building a content design system from scratch can be super intimidating. Jessica Ouyang put together this guide on what they’ve seen work for other teams building with Ditto components.

27. The laws of UX. We’ve seen this one circulating around LinkedIn and didn’t want you to miss it. This collection of best practices—combining user psychology and design heuristics—is an aesthetic and valuable resource for anyone building user interfaces.

26. The state of UX in 2024. How can we prep for the year ahead? This report looks at the characteristics of “late-stage UX” and how designers can navigate automation, saturation, and financial growth goals while still advocating for user needs. No small task. Get the 2024 report.

25. A manager’s guide to building ground-breaking products. We’re not sure what counts as “ground-breaking,” but we’ll let you read this three-part series from Figma to find out. It includes insights from teams and leaders at Shopify, Ironclad, Twitch, Uber, and more.

24. Quick and dirty content design user test. Working with limited (or zero) budget but still want to test the strength of your content? In this example, Yael Ben-David shows how to work with the resources you have to still gather meaningful insights.

23. How to use AI in the UX writing process. There’s a lot of AI talk out there but not a lot of “how” to actually use it to streamline our work. In this new post, Patrick shows the ways input impacts output and examples of finetuning prompts to generate more useful content. Use AI wisely to scale your work.

22. The anatomy of a notification. Unsure if your alert copy calls for an inline notification, banner, or toast message? You’ll want to read this breakdown on the Adobe Design blog from Haley House on how to design notifications that inform and empower users.

21. How tiny UX copy tweaks make a big impact. Seemingly small copy changes can lead to major performance wins. Lily Rutman, Senior UX Content Design Lead at DoorDash, shares a few case studies with positive business outcomes to help make the case for consistent content testing.

20. A guide to measuring copy success. In UX, every word matters. Wondering how much weight your copy carries? Need help solving a copy decision tie-breaker? Let the data do the talking. Read more on creating (and measuring) copy that converts.

19. The evolution of content design skills. If you missed our LinkedIn event with special guest Kristina Halvorson, you’re in luck. We’ve turned the interview into a brand-new episode of the podcast. Tune in for the candid conversation, leave with the confidence to take initiative in your role. Listen to the episode and get the transcript.

18. Is content design the same as UX writing? Not quite. The titles are used interchangeably, but there are subtle nuances in the roles and skill sets. This excellent post from the Hotjar team walks through their content design practice to show how UX writers, content designers, and product designers work together to build better experiences.

17. Top content design skills teams need in 2024. Navigate the evolving UX content landscape to set yourself (and your organization) up for success in the year ahead … and beyond. Prioritize these 9 skills to stay ahead.

16. Language is the new interface. There’s no denying that generative AI is changing the way we interact with machines. What does this mean for the way we design digital products and services? See why every UX designer should study conversation design.

15. 21 things to consider when pursuing a promotion or raise. Ready to get paid what you’re worth? Before navigating your next pay conversation with your boss, be sure to read up on best practices and industry standards. Big thanks to Scott Kubie for this gem of a negotiation guide.

14. Acceptance criteria for UX writers. If you’ve seen a Jira ticket before, you’ll know the tickets typically include requirements that need to be met before it’s considered “done.” Ben Davies-Romano recommends we adopt this mentality to avoid “copy by committee” with opinion-based feedback. Before you start content designing, get everyone on the same acceptance criteria page.

13. Humanize your ChatGPT output. Check out this guide from Jeff Coyle with tips on how to fine-tune the outputs from AI-generated content. It’s here to stay, so let’s make sure it works for real people.

12. The power of integrated content standards. Jessi Field-Sierra led the effort to integrate Robinhood’s Content Standards into their design system. The results? 88% of product designers found the content updates helpful and inconsistencies were caught weeks (and even months) earlier. Read the Robinhood case study.

11. 10 questions to consider when writing UX copy. “Just as airline pilots still adhere to a pre-flight checklist to ensure nothing is amiss, we believe in the value of a ‘quick checkup’ before any UX writing project.” Get the UX copy checklist from Hamza Labrinssi.

10. Alert! Your alerts need an audit. Is it an alert, callout, popup, or notification? In this post, Steve Dennis shows how to componentize your notifications to reduce the chaos. Get a taxonomy for alerts and notifications.

9. Should we compare content design to UX design, not UX writing? In this one, Lizzie Bruce shares a few thoughts on UX content as a discipline. Above all, though, is the idea that “we should perhaps focus on what we do, where we overlap, where we can learn from each other, and how we can advocate for the user … rather than on what we are called.” Read more from Working in Content.

8. Friction is a feature. It’s been used to prevent accidental shopping sprees or deleting important files. But this time, Maximilian Piras focuses on how adding strategic friction can actually improve algorithmic quality (AKA more personalized content). See how products leverage friction.

7. Less is more when it comes to “Learn More.” Is your website full of inaccessible links? In this one, Ryan Bigge shares how the team at 1Password broke the “learn more” habit and collaborated on content patterns together for a more usable experience. Learn how to overhaul your CTAs.

6. Is your company gaslighting you? We’ll take “Loaded Questions” for $500. You may have seen Sara’s article circulating around LinkedIn. There’s quite a bit to unpack here, so she joins Patrick for a chat on the podcast to discuss our unhealthy approach to work and the “now what” next steps. Listen in or read the transcript.

5. How to level up in content design. In this one, Jane Palash shares where to look and what to learn when trying to move into a “senior” title. (Special shoutout to our UX Content Research & Testing course.) Learn how to grow as a content designer.

4. Implementing UX writing in a design system. The task of building a content design system might seem daunting, but it’s well worth it in the long run. Where should you begin, especially if you’re a solo UX writer? Learn more from Mélanie Michou’s year and a half journey at AVIV Group.

3. Content design in the age of AI. It’s easy to get anxious thinking about artificial intelligence and the future of the field. Jenny Williams talks about working with AI, the challenges of designing content in a high-tech environment, and staying inspired in the work. Read the full Microsoft Design interview.

2. Content design leadership with Connie Wu. What does it mean to be a content leader? Connie Wu, former Head of Content Design at TikTok, joins Patrick for a LinkedIn Live podcast recording to share lessons learned on the leadership path. Get the podcast recap!

1. 3 must-have content design artifacts. Rebecca Nguyen shares how using the right tools, templates, and documents at the right time can help you work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and demonstrate the power of content design. Try these artifacts out for yourself.

…and one more for luck! Check out Andy Carney’s free book on UX Writing for Beginners. Andy is the Content Design Manager at AfterShip and hosts a YouTube channel on UX Writing.