Who, what, where, when, why and how — for UX writing
You were probably taught the Five Ws — Who, What, Where, When, Why, and their friend, How — as the 6 questions that a journalist must answer to give a complete report.
UX writing* has a lot of similarities with journalism: it’s about the discovery and clear conveyance of information. As a UX writer, you can also use the 5 Ws and 1 H to validate your words and ideas as you write, revise and repeat.
*Throughout this post I refer to UX writing. You might call it content design or content strategy, but the framework still applies.
Here’s how I frame the Ws and Hs in my process:
1. Who is the user?
This basic question is at the heart of what any UX professional does. We learn about the user, understand their needs, know where they’re coming from and where they want to go. Digging deep into user insights and research sets us up to write for the people who use our products.
Keeping your user in mind should influence every word you write.
Some questions to ask about your user before you start writing include:
• Are they a first-time user or returning user?
• What are they trying to do?
• What are their mental models around similar services or products?
2. What does the user need to know?
If users knew exactly what to do all the time, we wouldn’t need to write anything (and sometimes this is true!) Consider the message that you need to convey and write to that — nothing more, and nothing less.
I’d like to give a shoutout to Scott Kubie’s Writing for Designers and the “ACBs” of UX writing here: Accuracy, Clarity, and Brevity. Notice that accuracy is first. Determining what you need to communicate and communicating accurately is the most important. Any stylistic flourishes or personality enhancements can come later.
3. Where is the user in an experience?
Considering where your user is allows you to develop empathy. And empathy will affect your tone.
Did they just buy an awesome new hat or create a new profile? Then maybe this is a celebratory moment. Or are they locked out of their account because they entered an old password too many times? Then you might need to provide some calm and clear direction.
4. When do users need this information?
Maybe you’re working on an alert that a takeout order is ready to for pickup. Better make sure the user sees your message ASAP (work with your designer here!) and that it’s to the point—no one likes jokes when their food is getting cold.
Or maybe you’re explaining advanced settings for power users. These settings can be updated anytime, and the product will work fine without adjustments. This could be an appropriate place for more in-depth content, but placed out of the limelight.
6. How should you say it?
Finally, we get to style. Voice and tone are the cherry on top of UX writing in all the metaphorical ways. You need to make sure you have a solid vanilla base of language before adding any flair.
If the substance of your words don’t meet your users’ needs, then applying personality won’t amuse them. It could feel like an abuse of their time, lead to confusion or, even worse, drop-off.
But once you’ve made sure your UX writing answers the first 4 Ws, then it’s time to have a little fun (if that’s your brand personality). Do you speak with a straightforward “Next,” or are you an energetic “Let’s go!” kinda product?
5. Why do you stand behind the words you chose?
Did you notice I missed 5? That’s because the Why comes after the writing is done. And personally, it’s my favorite part: getting feedback on your work with real users.
There are so many ways to get feedback. Some examples are:
• A/B testing
• Usability testing
• Quantitative studies
However you gather feedback, use it to make sure your words are resonating with your users, and change them if they’re not. Hooray for iterative processes and virtuous cycles!
Thanks for reading
I hope you find this framework helpful. Let me know if you have a different set of guiding questions, or if you put the 5Ws and 1H to use.
