The Effectivenss of UX Writing Guidelines - A Mixed Convergent Study
As the graduating project for my Cognitive Systems degree at UBC, I investigated the effectiveness of UX writing under the supervision of Dr. Olivier St-Cyr. Our experimental research was approved by the UBC Behavioural Research Ethics Board and we conducted A/B usability tests on the same interface with different UX writing using Maze.
Compay/Institution
UBC iSchool
Year
2023
Scope
HCI Research, Experimental Study
As a UX designer, I conducted this study to investigate the effectiveness of User Experience (UX) writing guidelines in creating positive user experiences. Despite the prevalence of UX writing tips in industry articles, I noticed a lack of empirical research supporting these guidelines.
My goal was to determine whether applying UX writing best practices would result in a more enjoyable, positive, and engaging user experience compared to a prototype that does not follow such guidelines.
I employed a within-participant experimental design using two prototypes of a food journaling app called Eat n' Log. I created one prototype adhering to UX writing best practices based on Podmajersky's UX writing scoreboard, while the other violated these guidelines. I recruited fourteen undergraduate students to participate in the study, having them complete three tasks on both prototypes. I counterbalanced the order of prototype presentation to mitigate learning effects.
For data collection, I collected quantitative data including task success rates, completion times, and User Engagement Scale (UES) scores. I also gathered qualitative feedback through post-task and post-study questions. I conducted the study remotely using the Maze.co platform to facilitate data collection and analysis.
Contrary to my hypothesis, I found no significant difference in user experience between the two prototypes. Most participants did not notice the differences in UX writing between the prototypes. I observed that task performance often improved on the second prototype regardless of writing quality, likely due to increased familiarity with the interface. The UES scores were identical for both prototypes (41.5 out of 60). My qualitative analysis revealed that only 4 out of 14 participants noticed the difference in copywriting between the two prototypes.
These findings suggest that adhering to UX writing guidelines may not significantly impact user experience compared to other UX elements like layout and visuals. Through this study, I highlighted the potential influence of user familiarity and heuristics in interface interactions, suggesting that as designers, we might prioritize other aspects of UX before focusing on writing, especially in the early design stages. This research has informed my approach to UX design, emphasizing the importance of empirical testing in validating design principles.
