Writing is Design
The evolution of words in digital experiences
Whether crafting a story, witty copy for a web page, a concise turn of phrase, or an entire learning curriculum, writers at Microsoft take ideas and masterfully combine words to create meaningful experiences. These meaningful experiences show up in software products, web pages, learning systems, and a variety of other digital experiences. Talented writers at companies across the tech industry do similar work.
In my team at Microsoft, writers are accountable for a broad set of experiences ranging from UI text, concise tips, engaging web pages, and comprehensive digital learning paths. They work closely with designers and engineers to craft UX journeys. They also design conversational flows that manifest as interactions with features such as predictive text, smart replies, or bot interactions. These same writers design the Voice and Tone guidance that defines how these conversations are expressed in our products. They also bring thought leadership to terminology and style guides.
Writing roles at Microsoft and across the tech industry have evolved as UX writing and well-designed content experiences are now recognized as essential for success.
Our day-to-day work has changed dramatically in recent years. Often, it’s more about designing end-to-end content journeys and experiences as well as language frameworks that fuel intelligent systems and machine learning. In 2020 we not only saw new expressions introduced, but we also saw the evolution of usage, casing, and style for particular terms.
For example, the Inclusive Language feature of Microsoft Editor now provides insights to customers who want to ensure their content avoids outmoded or offensive racial, cultural, and identity-oriented stereotypes. The writing team carefully explores the complex and nuanced history of words and phrases to help students, professionals, and English language learners consider the weight and impact of the words they choose. These writers also provide the UX writing that offers up such a suggestion, ensuring this area reflects sensitivity, respect, and humility. This same group of writers also develops strategies that guide machine learning and AI algorithms to avoid using offensive or insensitive language.
These are just a few examples of how the design of the content — the careful consideration of the experience created by the words and language in play — has become essential to intelligent systems like Word Editor, PowerPoint Presenter Coach, predictive text, and search. Writers are designing experiences via word choice, usage, and guidelines that became urgently essential in 2020.
Our day-to-day work has changed dramatically in recent years. Often it’s more about designing end-to-end content journeys and experiences as well as language frameworks that fuel intelligent systems and machine learning.
This year we also saw the increased need for businesses and people everywhere to learn new skills and modernize how they work and learn. The pandemic has dramatically accelerated digital transformation in education, healthcare, finance, retail, hospitality, food services, etc. People in those industries are racing to adopt new skills, approaches, and processes. Last spring, Microsoft announced a new Global Skilling Initiative to help people around the world acquire the digital skills needed to make a change or fill new jobs. This initiative will also equip employers who want to help their employees upskill or reskill their careers.
Writers are now surging to design micro-learning and structured content modules that will help people adopt new skills and quickly become productive in new roles or new ways of working. This micro-learning is visually engaging and interactive, and it’s designed to accommodate the needs of people at home, work, and school in this time of rapid and challenging change.
Nicole Fenton, a speaker and influencer in tech design and the author of Nicely Said, wrote:
Writing is design. Writers design stories and communicate with words. You need a story to connect people with your site or application. Clear, effective copy involves and informs.
She also describes writing “as a material in itself. Something we can play with and manipulate. Something that can change over time as questions come up in the design process or an idea evolves.”
Writing roles at Microsoft and across the tech industry have evolved as UX writing and well-designed content experiences are now recognized as essential for success. We recently updated the title of some of the writers on our team to better capture and reflect the expansive nature of this work. The title, Content Designer is now included in our suite of writing roles, along with Technical Writer, and Content PM.
I’m thrilled that we’re formally modeling this evolution and I celebrate where it’s reflected elsewhere in our industry. You may have seen the post from Elisabeth Carr, VP of Content Design at Facebook, or noted the new Button conference hosted by Kristina Halvorson and Brain Traffic. It’s a wonderful time for writing careers in the world of tech!
code:words is a collective effort focused on elevating and amplifying every aspect of writing in the tech industry. This curated publication requires community contribution in order to learn, grow, and connect with other writers. To submit an article, start here.
