Writing is design. Writers design stories and communication with words.

You need a story to connect people with your site or application.

Clear, effective copy involves and informs.

Jason Fried recently posted this to Twitter:

Writing is design. Design your sentences with the right words like you design your interfaces with the right pixels.

Along with defining the tone of your site and mood of your audience, word choice affects customer satisfaction and profitability (e.g., search, clicks, conversions, and customer loyalty).

Erika talked about this in 2007 at the Future of Web Apps Conference. In her session (Copy is Interface), she said: “Language is itself an interface.”

She outlined simple guidelines for getting the words right:

• Be authentic.
• Be engaging.
• Be specific.
• Be appropriate.
• Be polite.

I would add:

• Be concise.
• Be consistent.
• Be careful.

Writers inform people about companies and products with language, structure, imagery, ideas, and craft.

Jason Fried mentioned this before in Getting Real:

Good writing is good design. It’s a rare exception where words don’t accompany design. Icons with names, form fields with examples, buttons with labels, step by step instructions in a process, a clear explanation of your refund policy. These are all interface design.

When I write a refund policy, hover message, error message, FAQ, or tagline, I design the story. Writing, like interface design, is decision-driven. It shows what a company chooses to say (and chooses not to say) to their customers.

Writing influences perception and understanding. Writing shapes the experience.

Good writing takes strategic-thinking, research, focus, testing, and editing. We plan, pattern, create, and compose; all of these acts are part of the design process.

Tweet | Written by Nicole Jones on June 17, 2010 |