| name | ux-writing |
| description | Use when writing or auditing UI copy — button labels, error messages, empty states, onboarding flows, confirmation dialogs, tooltips, success toasts — or when establishing voice and tone documentation for a product. |
| metadata | {"references":["references/error-message-patterns.md","references/microcopy-guide.md","references/voice-tone-guide.md"]} |
UX Writing
End-to-End Workflow
For every piece of UI copy, run these five steps in order.
1. Identify UI context. Which pattern? (button, error, empty state, onboarding, success toast, confirmation, tooltip, placeholder) Match to a template in Microcopy Guide or Error Message Patterns.
2. Determine user emotional state. Curious, frustrated, anxious, accomplished, lost? Look up the row in the Tone Across Contexts table in Voice & Tone Guide.
3. Apply voice + tone. Voice is constant (the product's personality). Tone shifts by context. Pick the tone row that matches step 2.
4. Write the copy using a pattern below.
5. Validate against the checklist at the bottom. If any item fails, revise.
Pattern: Error Message (formula)
What happened + Why (optional) + How to fix it
| Before | After |
|---|
| Error: Invalid input | That email address doesn't look right. Check that it includes an "@" and a domain like name@example.com. |