UX Writing Weekly #229

What they are and why you should care.
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WHAT’S INSIDE ✍️

Issue #229 (Mar 29th, 2023)

  • Putting readability tests to the test

  • Your users are not stupid

  • UX Writing Hub events

  • Trash room influencer

ARTICLES 🗞

📝 Readability is a big part of useability for UX writers. And readability tests can be useful tools to help us gauge how difficult our copy might be


But where do these scoring systems come from? How accurate are they and are they even relevant to today’s readers? 


It’s time to put the tests to the test.


Testing readability tests: Flesch–Kincaid, ARI, and Gunning Fog

🤪 Your users are not stupid—it’s just that your product isn’t their top priority. Here’s why you should consider attention level as a key metric for usability.



Users are smarter than you think


🗑 Here’s a fun, trash-filled look at how one man changed his neighbors’ behavior with simple gamification. Become a trash room influencer. 


How I changed the behavior of the tenants in my building, using gamification.



MICROCOPY BITE 💬

AllTrails is a great app. But this modal pop-up is sending mixed messages. Is it giving us the option to get the notification, or telling us we’ll get it? 

PILLARS OF COMMUNITY 🏛

Community answers to trending topics. Join the conversations below.

UPSKILL: LIVE EVENTS 📚


Exclusive UX Writing Hub events:


If you’re thinking about breaking into UX writing and content design this year, but are still on the fence about investing in a training program, join our upcoming open house. Yuval will talk about some of the challenges and opportunities in today’s market and answer questions about the program.


UX Writing Academy Open House: Breaking into UX Writing in 2023 (TOMORROW, Thursday, March 30)


As you’ve probably heard, AI is totally a thing now. Don’t ignore it—embrace it! Join us for some generative-AI fun, and learn some cool tips and tricks. 


Generative AI for UX Happy Hour #3 (Free online event) (Thursday, April 13)


Figma: it’s still free, and it’s still the #1 tool in the field. Find out why writers don’t need to be afraid of it anymore and get some Figma confidence. 


Figma happy hour #5 | Free design class for UX writers/content designers (Thursday, April 20)

PORTFOLIO 🖌


Here’s a great approach for creating a portfolio in Notion. Templates, tutorials, examples, and more. 


How to create your UX/UI portfolio website today | FREE Notion templates for you

JOBS 💼


Put down that Xbox, ‘cause PlayStation is looking for a senior UX writer in San Francisco.


Check out more positions on the job board.

COOL TOOLS 🧰


Hungry for some UX templates? Check out the UX Cookbook—handcrafted recipes to get you started with everything UX. Great stuff!

THIS WEEK IN AI 🤖


Back in December, in our special AI edition, we talked a bit about deepfakes and synthetic media. A lot can happen in three months, namely, huge advancements in publicly available generative-AI art tools.


Midjourny released its version 5, allowing anyone to create realistic-looking images of, well, just about anything (including human hands, which had been a problem). So far, we’ve already seen images of Trump being arrested and the Pope lookin’ even snazzier than usual.

These images were created just for fun, yet they still fooled millions. So what will happen when bad actors start to use this technology for nefarious purposes? Will we be ready? (Spoiler alert: no!)


What are deepfakes – and how can you spot them?

SHARING IS CARING 🤲


Have something you think would be a good fit for our newsletter?


Share an article, portfolio, microcopy example,  event, or another resource with the UX Writing Weekly team — we may just feature it next week!

Share a UX writing resource

VOX POPULI 🗣️


Join our online communities, and take part in the discussions and debates that are shaping the field.


Enjoying UX Writing Weekly? Share it with your UX besties.

See you next week!



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