UX Copy

UX Copy

Words in interfaces are design decisions. They set tone, frame action, and decide how the user feels at the moment they read them.

Principles

• Clear. Say what you mean. No jargon, no ambiguity, no marketing copy in a moment that needs information.
• Concise. Use the fewest words that carry the full meaning. Then cut one more.
• Consistent. The same term for the same thing, everywhere. "Project," "workspace," and "board" are not interchangeable.
• Useful. Every word helps the user act. Decorative copy is filler.
• Human. Write like a person who's trying to help, not a system that's trying to log an event.

Patterns

CTAs

• Start with a verb: "Start free trial," "Save changes," "Delete files."
• Be specific: "Create account" beats "Submit."
• Match the button label to the outcome. "Pay $29" tells the user exactly what happens next.

Error messages

Structure: what happened + why + how to fix.

"Payment declined. Your card was declined by your bank. Try a different card or contact your bank." Avoid blaming the user. Avoid "An error occurred." Avoid stack-trace nouns ("ValidationError: field invalid").

Empty states

Structure: what this is + why it's empty + how to start.

"No projects yet. Create your first project to start collaborating with your team." Empty states are onboarding moments — they're the first impression for users who haven't done anything yet.

Confirmation dialogs

• Make the action the question: "Delete 3 files?" not "Are you sure?"
• Describe consequences when relevant: "This can't be undone."
• Label buttons with the action, not "OK"/"Cancel": Delete files / Keep files.

Tooltips

Concise, helpful, never restating what's already obvious from the label. If the tooltip says the same thing as the label, cut the tooltip.

Loading states

Set expectations. "Loading…" is fine for under a second. "Processing your file — this can take 30 seconds" is fine when it actually takes 30 seconds. Lying about duration erodes trust.

Tone by moment

• Success. Acknowledge, don't over-celebrate. The user did the work.
• Error. Empathetic and actionable. Don't apologize; help them recover.
• Warning. Clear and actionable. Don't bury the risk under softeners.
• Neutral. Informative. No fake friendliness.

Output

• Recommended copy for each element.
• Alternatives when tone or length tradeoffs are live (e.g., terse vs. warm). Note when to use each.
• Rationale — short. Why this copy, tied to the user's state.
• Localization notes — idioms to avoid, length variance to expect, anything cultural.

Anti-patterns

• "Oops! Something went wrong." — Says nothing, blocks recovery.
• "Are you sure?" — The button label should already make consequences clear.
• Marketing voice inside the product ("Awesome! You're crushing it!") — fine once, exhausting daily.
• Different terms for the same concept across screens.