Bad UX Writing Belongs on the Not-to-Do List

Anyone can write copy for websites and apps, right? A bit of description, a bit of explanation—and voilà?

Not quite.

UX writing is not copywriting. Marketing copy is meant to inspire, persuade, and evoke emotion. UX writing has a different purpose: It guides people through an interface. Unclear button labels, confusing error messages, form fields without clear labels—these are not design problems. They are text problems.

And this is the fundamental difference: Good copywriting stands out. Good UX writing does not.

When interface copy works, nobody thinks about it. No user pauses and thinks, “What a clear label.” They simply click. Without hesitation. Without abandoning the process. Without frustration. Without calling support.

The invisible work behind good interfaces

Torrey Podmajersky, one of the leading voices in UX writing, captures the essence of the discipline in Strategic Writing for UX: It requires a deep understanding of what people need in a specific moment. “We need to understand the cycle from the point of view of the people who will use the experience, to meet them where they are,” she writes.

Meeting people where they are: in a moment of decision, confusion, or simply moving on to the next step. It sounds simple, but it usually is not. Good UX writing gives people a sense of agency and control—the feeling that makes a digital experience work.

The problem: UX writing often goes unseen

The tricky thing about this discipline is how unobtrusive it is. When design is poor, someone notices. When a feature is missing, someone complains. But when text is poor—well, people usually blame something else. The button. The form. Or they say, “Users just don’t understand it.”

In the worst case, users blame themselves and think, “I’m too stupid for this” or “I just don’t get it.”

At Ergonomen, we think differently.

As a UX writing expert, I am part of the team, and we take language just as seriously as structure and design. In our reviews, we do not only check whether an interface is navigable. We also check whether it speaks. Whether the text says the right thing at the right time. Whether it guides without lecturing or overwhelming. Whether it provides orientation without overloading the experience.

Because well-considered UX writing is a central part of good UX—and therefore contributes significantly to the success of a company’s digital presence.

Text is not decoration

In a recent project for a Swiss organization, we worked on a page that was actually well designed—with one exception. The final step of a process was labeled “Submit request.” Clear enough, one might think. Factual. Straightforward.

The problem: The label suggested that users might still be able to make changes afterward. The word “submit” left room for interpretation, as if the user were handing something in that could still be edited later.

A small change—“Submit and complete request”—helped prevent potential misunderstandings before they could occur.

Well-written text solves problems that people rarely recognize as text problems. And that is exactly why it is always worth taking a closer look.

What this means from an ergonomic and economic perspective

For us, UX writing is not a nice-to-have or a final polish added at the end, when time and budget allow. It is an important tool and an essential part of usability. Anyone who designs digital products also designs the language of those products—whether consciously or unconsciously, carefully or casually.

We recommend doing it consciously and carefully.

Not because good text is supposed to stand out. But because bad text stands out—at the wrong moment, for the wrong person, with the wrong consequences.

Good text, on the other hand, means more than just a smooth experience. When fewer people abandon a process, more people complete it. When fewer people call support, costs go down. Good UX writing has a direct impact on conversion rates, support effort, and customer satisfaction—and ultimately on business results.