8 UX Writing Resources to Help You Master the Art of Microcopy

UX has long been viewed only from the perspective of designers. But UX really isn’t a one-angle solution. Now, you may be a product manager or copywriter who’s lately been noticing a lot of the mentions of terms such as ‘microcopy’ and ‘UX writing’. And you’re probably wondering if you should try and dip your fingers into the new area.

Let me tell you: You most definitely should.

The issue is where to start. With such a new niche, there's no such things as an official resource you can turn to.

So, if you’re a product manager wondering how to help a fellow copywriter become better and understanding UX and eventually joining your product team on the journey of perfecting that sweet spot of UX along with the rest of the team, hear me out.

Also, if you don’t exactly feel you’re suited for design, but definitely know that just switching up lorem ipsum for copy isn’t the best route to go if you want happy users, stay with me. Your instincts are not wrong.

I too was once just a budding copywriter who miraculously joined an early-stage startup where we all had to work on many things at the same time. While I loved what we did and was rooting for our vision and mission, the first time I realized I’d be directly involved in the app design process I was both stunned and oh-so excited.

And while creating copy for landing pages and occasional in-app microcopy served as a good foundation for what was to come, I had to learn fast to make sure I’d be able to participate in delivering results I myself as a user would enjoy.

So once I started learning, I never really stopped.

UX writing is a fascinating field that combines the best of design, content, and psychology to create a sleek and meaningful experience for users.

The choice of free resources below is the one I continue to actively consume (content) and participate in (communities).

Keep in mind, some of them also offer additional paid resources, such as courses and books.

If you’ve ever used Booking, you know their experience is top-level sticky, and their user journey is brilliant. And that’s mostly thanks to the UX writing they use every step of the way.

So it comes as no surprise that they have an entire publication dedicated to the art of UX writing. And I double-checked, a huge majority of the content is not behind the paywall.

Even though they haven’t been as active with publishing new content in the previous months, the content that is available there is absolutely worth your time, for both beginner and intermediate levels.

Though UX Writers Collective also has some paid courses too, the free content on their blog is completely fine for starting out. And they approach UX writing from many angles, from beginner-friendly guides and best practices to career advice and portfolio building.

Good Microcopy does exactly what it says it does, it showcases a variety of quality pieces of microcopy that “provide context and set expectations” found all over the web.

It may look a little rusty when you visit it,  but it does break down the intentions behind valuable pieces of microcopy, and it does it in a very simple, non-disruptive manner.

It’s a great resource for visual learners and it’s not time-consuming.

Similar to the concept above, this Pinterest board presents a collection of microcopy examples that significantly improved user experience. It’s also more frequently updated, backed by a community of example curators and it sorts the examples based on the form and context.

🔖 *tip* Next time you sign up for an app, or start using a new tool, pay attention to the copy you come across during the process. Soon you’ll start noticing good examples yourself. I personally like taking screenshots of those. It’s like my tiny collection of work I aspire to. Sometimes I also share them, like I did here.

This is a 15-day challenge with actual real-life examples delivered straight to your inbox. It’s a great opportunity to, as an absolute beginner, get a glimpse at the actual prompts from real-life examples and work on them, no questions asked.

In all honesty, I never completed mine. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun with it, and it doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth signing up.

UX Writing is only lately starting to get more recognition and is not always easy to get an opportunity to intern or practice in your current workspace.

This is why one of my major takeaways here are to expose yourself to as many examples as possible and learn to approach them as a puzzle you’ll eventually be get paid to solve.

Reading about UX writing is one thing, and while it is beneficial, it only leaves you poking around the niche, while what you need to do is immerse yourself in the practice and discuss your thoughts and issues with someone else.

Or, even get the opportunity to hear and discuss someone else’s issues.

For me, that was solved by joining Microcopy & UX Writing group on Facebook. Not only was I able to hear some really good feedback from this very active community, there are *so* many discussions that have already been lead in the group that you will probably find all your newbie answers just using the search option there.

If you’re not active on Facebook, but would like to enjoy similar community perks on Slack, Content + UX is the next best thing.

Though this community may seem slightly less active, the discussions there are actually spread across different channels, ranging from resources, mutual support, job board (with some excellent job listings, may I add).

And my personal favourite is #inclusive-accessible, which is on its own an amazing topic, and the discussions being lead there are absolutely eye-opening.

🔖 *tip* They actually also have a channel for total beginners to introduce themselves and find the answers to their first growing pains.

UX Writing Library wasn’t something I discovered when I was working on my first ever tasks, but I wish I did.

If you wondered if there’s a comprehensive collection of UX writing resources out there, this is exactly it. It sources articles, courses, communities, and books from all over the web (all manually curated by Kinneret Yifrah, an inspiring UX writer who even wrote a book on the topic microcopy herself).

And it actually contains a section called ‘First steps’ that guides you through what UX writing is, what kind of impact it has, how to create your own portfolio, and how and where to find a job.

As I mentioned, ✨comprehensive✨.

No matter if you’re a copywriter getting ready to make a change in your career, or a passionate product manager who knows their users deserve a better user experience and want to educate your team on it, you’re on the right track.

You’re bravely taking the steps into a niche that is only now getting the recognition it really deserves. Not to mention your work will directly help people feel more included and less frustrated when using the product you’re working on.

And that, on its own is quite amazing if you ask me.