Thy Nguyen
UX Writer
The Daily UX Writing Challenge
— prompts by Ryan Farrell
— solutions by Thy Nguyen
UX Writing Challenge: Day 1
Scenario:
A traveler is in an airport waiting for
the last leg of a flight home when their
flight gets abruptly canceled due to
bad weather.
Challenge:
Write a message from the airline app
notifying them of the cancellation and
what they need to do next.
Headline:
45 characters max
Body:
175 characters max
Button(s):
25 characters max
Flight canceled due to bad weather
​
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Let us help you get to your destination
as soon as possible. Contact us or visit
the nearest kiosk for assistance.
​
Call Chat
About my solution:
Delays can be frustrating, especially when the user has already been travelling for hours that day or are coming back from a trip and are tired. Even when the delay is not the fault of the airline, empathy can help to inform the user without adding to their frustration. While I thought about different options like automatically rebooking the passenger or comping them a hotel and meal to ease their frustration, this is not common practice with most airlines. Instead, I opted to go with a message that informs the passenger “What happened? Why? What can they do next?”. Given the situation is very upsetting, I included an apology that acknowledge understanding how the passenger might be feeling. I include a voice and tone that lets the passenger know that the airline is empathetic and wants to help the passenger get to their final destination. I give them the option to handle this online or in-person by contacting the airline. I thought to add the option for the passenger to rebook themselves, but this was also not something I found to be a common practice amongst airlines.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 2
Scenario:
A user is a working parent, and a big sports
fan, in the midst of their favorite sports
season who can no longer attend games.
Challenge:
Write a promotional screen for an app that
lets a user choose teams, sends game
reminders, real-time score updates and
highlight videos.
Headline:
Body:
Button(s):
40 characters max
175 characters max
25 characters max
Stay up-to-date on your favorite teams
​
No time to watch the game? Sign up for
game reminders, live score alerts, and
video highlights of the teams you follow.
About my solution:
Whether a parent or not, life happens and most of us, at one point or another find ourselves with little time to do things we enjoy. Sometimes, it can even make us feel overwhelmed, and to simply know that someone understands can be comforting. The wording I chose for this promotional screen was to convey the message: “Hey, we get it. You’re busy, so let us help you stay up-to-date on your sports teams. Here are the benefits of signing up.” I highlight the goal and the features of the app that will help them achieve that goal.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 3
Scenario:
The user entered the wrong email address
to sign in to their account.
Challenge:
Tell the user to enter the right email.
40 characters max
About my solution:
Typos happen even to the best of us. In this situation, although the user had entered the wrong email, I wanted to call out the error without putting blame on them. By asking if “we”, the website, got it right, the user can review the address entered and make any corrections needed without feeling they are to blame.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 4
Scenario:
A user is in their favorite supermarket.
They open the supermarket’s app on their
phone to see what’s on sale and are
greeted by a promotion.
Challenge:
Write a promotional home screen for a
subscription service that delivers
groceries to the user once-a-month for
a flat fee.
Save time and money with
home deliveries
​
Have the items you love delivered for a $10 monthly fee. Subscription includes one delivery per month. We will
hand pick your produce to ensure the
freshest quality.
x
Headline:
Body:
Button(s):
45 characters max
175 characters max
25 characters max
About my solution:
For this scenario, I recognized the convenience of having groceries delivered. However, I asked myself why I preferred going to the supermarket. What it because I didn’t want to pay the fee or was there something else? I realized that I preferred to go to the store myself so that I could hand pick the freshest produce or point to the best-looking cut of meat. Walking through the grocery aisles, I saw many do the same, or opt to get a different green, because the one they wanted was past its prime. Therefore, I highlighted not only the benefits of saving time and money, in spite of the $10 monthly fee, but also the promise of personal attention and care to the shopper’s order, assuring them they would still get the freshest produce as if they had gone to the store and picked it themselves.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 5
Scenario:
The user works in graphic design.
While critiquing a design in a mobile app,
their phone abruptly turns off. When they
restart the phone, they reopen the app.
Challenge:
Write a message that the user will read
immediately upon opening the app.
What do they need to know? What steps
(if any) do they need to take to recover
their content? What if they can't recover the content?
Restore content?
​
Sorry about that. But, don’t worry. We saved your content so you can continue where you left off.
Headline:
Body:
Button(s):
40 characters max
140 characters max
20 characters max
About my solution:
This scenario is a delicate one which I experienced not long before being presented with the prompt, so I can truly empathize with the user. When apps, websites, or other programs crash while the user is working, they are immediately frustrated and worried that they’d lost all their work. It is important for the UX writer to appease that feeling first by reassuring the user their work is not lost. Then, apologize and tell the user what to do to retrieve their work. I added a “Start Over” button because in some cases the user may prefer that since their train of thought had been interrupted by the app crashing.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 6
Scenario:
It’s Monday. A user has just gotten into
their car to drive to work. They plug their
phone into the car and start driving.
Challenge:
How would you let the user know there’s
a fire happening in a nearby town that is
causing road closures? The effect on
their commute is unknown, but there is a
definite danger if the fire gets closer.
How do you communicate this to them?
When? Write it.
Fire Danger Warning
​
Emergency road closures ahead.
​
Tap to reroute
​
​
Headline:
Body:
30 characters max
45 characters max
About my solution:
Alerting a user of a possible danger requires a specific tone and brevity, especially since the user is driving and can’t focus 100% on reading the notification. Since there is danger, but the effect is unknown, I used “emergency road closures ahead” in lieu of “road closures ahead” to indicate that there could be more unexpected closures than could be predicted at that moment. This warns the user to be ready for any sudden changes or approaching dangers.
Curry scores 3 points!
​
Warriors lead 51-48 with 1 min. left in Q2.
About my solution:
In this scenario, because of where the user is, it’s important to keep notifications short, so that the user can quickly put their focus back on the wedding celebration. Some abbreviations and sports lingo were used, which works here since a sports fan would be familiar with those terms.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 7
Scenario:
Challenge:
Headline:
Body:
A sports fan is at a wedding while their
favorite team is playing against their
arch-rivals. Their team scores.
How would you, quickly, let the sports fan
know about the latest play, the current
score, and the key players? Write it.
30 characters max
45 characters max
UX Writing Challenge: Day 8
Scenario:
The user is a casual music fan and
(on occasion) goes to live concerts. They
have a music player app on their phone.
Challenge:
Tell the user that one of their favorite
bands is playing live in their town. How
would you compel them to want to go?
x
The Who is coming Oct 9 to SF!
​
See them live at 7pm at the Chase Center.
Headline:
Body:
Button(s):
30 characters
45 characters max
25 characters max
About my solution:
A casual music fan might not research to learn more details on concerts happening nearby or when their favorite bands are playing, so for this prompt I included the essential details — which band, what day/time, and where they are playing — so the only remaining step for the user is to click “Buy tickets”, which will lead them to choosing their seats and entering payment information. I felt that “Buy tickets” was a stronger action than “Find tickets”, and might better compel the user to want to go.
The card on file has expired.
Update your payment info to continue.
About my solution:
Here, the user is trying to complete a task. They are ready to complete a transaction, so the fastest way to get them there is to tell them what the problem is and how to fix it. In this case, direct and neutral is the better approach so that the user doesn't give up.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 9
Scenario:
Challenge:
Headline:
Body:
The user is trying to rent a car using
an application but the credit card on file
has expired.
Write them an error message so that
they can correct the problem.
30 characters max
45 characters max
UX Writing Challenge: Day 10
Scenario:
The user is trying to view a website to
help them buy a car. But, the content
can’t load without the user’s location.
They need to enter their ZIP code and
first name.
Challenge:
Ask them where they live and who they
are without sounding like you're
unnecessarily mining their data.
Headline:
25 characters
Body:
Button(s):
45 characters max
15 characters max
Your name
Find car deals near you
Enter your name and zip code to view cars.
Your name
Your zip code
About my solution:
This scenario is a bit delicate as users are often asked for some personal information which they are reluctant to give and sometimes even annoyed about. Some users prefer to give up rather than provide this information. Therefore, the UX writer needs to give them a reason to provide their name and zip code without making them feel they are being phished for data. I do this by highlighting the benefit of finding cars, not just anywhere, but in their area. That way, when they are asked to enter their zip code, they will understand that information is necessary for the site to be able to look through its database for cars within that zipcode or a certain distance away.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 11
Scenario:
An elderly user is doing a Google search
to find an easy way to buy contact
lenses online.
Challenge:
Write a title and meta description for a
website that sells subscription contact
lenses delivered to a user every 30 days
—convince them to try it.
Title:
Meta Description:
60 characters max
160 characters max
About my solution:
In approaching this prompt, I wanted to find a way to convince the user to sign up without relying on any promotional offers. I opted to highlight the benefits of ordering contact lenses online through this particular company. As someone who used to wear contact lenses, I recalled the feeling of putting in fresh lenses as opposed to ones I had already worn for a day or two or even a week. That led me to the company name. I then thought about some issues contact lense wearers had, like lenses tearing or getting lost, or simply running out without realizing it. Therefore, I highlighted that signing up for this subscription meant the customer would always have a pair on hand. For many customers, quality and price were also key factors influencing their purchases. In some cases, customers are concerned that they’d have to sacrifice quality for low prices or vice versa. There are also those customers who are very loyal to specific brands. I address all these issues by assuring the user they could get the brand they loved with the quality they want at an affordable price.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 12
Scenario:
A user is creating an account. When they
come to the step where they are asked to
enter their name, they get an error
message. A fraud detection software
thinks their name is fake—but it’s wrong
5% of the time.
Challenge:
Write an error message that prompts
them to fix the error without shaming
them for having a fake-sounding name.
45 characters max
About my solution:
This particular prompt deals with a very sensitive issue. There are so many names out there that might be common in some countries or languages that aren’t as recognizable in the US. I’ve experienced instances where people changed my name, assuming it was a typo on my part (or my parents part back when I was a child). If a fraud detection software were to question a legitimate name, it would be frustrating and upsetting for the user whose name was being questioned. Simply having the user retype their name wouldn’t work since the software would still present the same error. Therefore, an alternative that would likely not offend the user is to have them log in with their credentials to Google or Facebook or another social media channel that already required the user to verify their identity.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 13
Scenario:
A short-haul truck driver has a phone app
that monitors his route, schedule, fuel
& deliveries.
He has 6 more deliveries before stopping
for fuel and lunch. Due to unexpected
traffic, he’s behind schedule.
He can choose to stay on his planned
route for a few more stops, but risk
running low on fuel and missing lunch,
or he can get fuel and lunch now and
finish the deliveries later.
Traffic delays ahead
​
Stop for gas and food?
Challenge:
Write a push notification alerting him of
this dilemma and options.
Headline:
30 characters max
Body:
45 characters max
Button(s):
25 characters max
About my solution:
Since the user is a truck driver who has been driving and making deliveries for some time already, he is likely tired and hungry. He’s also stressed because he is behind on his delivery. Given his emotional state and the fact that he’s driving, I opted for short and to the point. I notified the driver of the delays coming up, presented a suggestion for what to do in the form of a question, and gave him to actionable options in the form of buttons to tap.
UX Writing Challenge: Day 14
Scenario:
A user is shopping using a price
comparison app that boasts “real-time”
pricing on items. As they are checking
the price of an item, something goes
wrong. The problem is unknown.
Challenge:
Write a message that informs the user
that they cannot access the app right
now. You cannot specify "why" the app
doesn't work, you also want them to
continue using the app.
We apologize for the delay
​
We're having trouble connecting. Please wait a few minutes and restart the app.
Headline:
30 characters max
Body:
120 characters max
Button(s):
15 characters max
About my solution:
This type of error is a difficult one to handle since the UX writer can’t offer the user an explanation for what the problem is. For users, it’s frustrating not knowing why something isn’t working or how it can be fixed. In such a situation, what can be done to appease the user is to acknowledge there is an issue, apologize for the inconvenience it causes them, and encourage them to try again by refreshing the app.