It’s OK to Write Multiple Drafts
Today’s UX writing reminder — sometimes you need to draft and redraft something to get the best result!
Yesterday, I was asked by a product owner to write copy for a new screen to address an urgent error in our onboarding flow. The screen copy needed to:
- Tell customers that a technical issue occurred.
- Inform them that some parts of the onboarding process were successful, even though that success wasn’t the main focus of the screen.
- Provide an alternative method to resolve the technical issue.
I wrote 2 initial drafts of the screen. Both versions had a CTA to lead to the alternative solution in-text, and then a separate CTA at the bottom letting the customer sign in to their account.
After the first 2 drafts, I asked the PO if it was possible to create a third version of the copy, this time with a single CTA — just the solution-focused one, with no sign-in option. I was worried that having 2 CTAs on the screen would distract the user.
The designer agreed with me on this, so we mocked up a third option in Figma, rewrote and reordered the copy, and then sent it to stakes for review.
I just got word this morning that the stakes preferred option 3. So now it’s off to translation.
This makes me feel good! Sometimes, the initial draft of a thing just doesn’t work out. And sometimes, as a content designer, it’s your job to flag design issues that lead to sub-optimal outcomes. So think of this post as me permitting you to play around, make mistakes, and find better solutions.