Chosen Theme: Avoiding Common Copywriting Mistakes in Design

Welcome! Today we explore Avoiding Common Copywriting Mistakes in Design—how words and visuals can work together to guide, reassure, and delight. Join us to learn practical techniques, real stories, and simple habits that prevent costly, user-frustrating missteps.

Where Words Meet Pixels: Spotting the Sneaky Pitfalls

A headline can feel important in a doc, yet vanish under a bold illustration or overpowering button. Align typographic hierarchy with user intent, not just aesthetics. Ask what users need first, second, and later—then write and design to reinforce that journey together.

Where Words Meet Pixels: Spotting the Sneaky Pitfalls

Buttons like “Continue” or “Submit” make people hesitate because they hide consequences. Replace them with intent-revealing actions such as “Create account,” “Review order,” or “Save draft.” Teams often report faster completion times and fewer support chats when next steps are unmistakably clear.

Clarity Over Cleverness: Copy that Serves the Interface

Turn passive phrasing into crisp guidance that nudges progress. “Add a payment method to start your free trial” beats “You need a card.” Action verbs set expectations and reduce friction. Share your favorite clarity win in the comments and tell us what changed for your team.

Clarity Over Cleverness: Copy that Serves the Interface

Designers love craft terms; users love clarity. Trade “synchronize credentials” for “sign in.” Replace “instantiate workspace” with “create workspace.” Plain language lowers cognitive load, shortens training, and improves accessibility. Try reading aloud—if it sounds like a robot, rewrite until it sounds human.

Define reusable patterns for voice the same way you define colors or spacing. Capture examples for calm, celebratory, and corrective tones. When writers and designers apply the same tokens, the product sounds coherent. Consistency saves time and prevents accidental personality whiplash across screens.

Errors are the product’s most human moments. Skip blame. Offer what went wrong, why, and exactly how to fix it. “Card declined—your bank needs verification. Try again or contact support.” We once cut error-related tickets by simplifying language and adding a single, specific next step.

If a feature is “Projects” in the nav, it should not be “Workspaces” in onboarding and “Folders” in settings. Pick one term, document it, and defend it ruthlessly. Consistent naming helps users learn once and reuse knowledge everywhere, strengthening confidence throughout the interface.

Descriptive Links and Buttons

Avoid “Learn more” loops that force screen reader users to guess. Write links that describe the destination, like “Learn more about billing plans.” Context-rich labels improve scanning, help SEO, and reduce pogo-sticking. Ask yourself: if I read this link alone, would I still know where it goes?

Alt Text that Complements the Visual

Alt text should convey what the image contributes, not just what it shows. “Graph showing signups up 22% after simplifying checkout” beats “Line chart.” If the image is decorative, mark it as such. Respect attention by providing meaning only where meaning exists.

Reading Level and Cognitive Load

Aim for a reading level most people can process quickly, especially in complex flows. Short sentences, familiar words, and front-loaded meaning help. When in doubt, cut a clause. Clear reading supports better decisions, which ultimately improves conversions and satisfaction across varied audiences.

Test, Measure, Iterate: Proving Words Work

Isolate one variable at a time, and measure task success, not just clicks. “Start free trial” versus “Try free for 14 days” may change expectations. Build a learning agenda, not just a winner. Share your favorite test idea with us, and we might feature your results.

Test, Measure, Iterate: Proving Words Work

Ask participants to paraphrase headlines, buttons, and empty states. If they cannot predict outcomes, your copy is unclear. Record where they hesitate. We once discovered a confusing label by simply asking, “What do you expect after tapping that?” The answer reshaped an entire flow.

Collaboration Rituals: Writers and Designers in Flow

Start with the message, then frame it. Sketch journeys using real headlines, CTAs, and error messages before polishing visuals. This surfaces edge cases—like long names or multi-step explanations—early. Invite your audience to try a content-first sketching session and tell us what surprised you.

Collaboration Rituals: Writers and Designers in Flow

Sit side by side for thirty minutes: a designer nudges layout while a writer trims words. Together, you eliminate ambiguity fast. We replaced a confusing tooltip with a clearer label and freed up space for a helpful hint, all in a single pairing sprint.

Collaboration Rituals: Writers and Designers in Flow

Placeholder ipsum hides problems. Build Figma components with realistic character counts, multiline states, and localized variants. When the component anticipates real content, downstream screens inherit clarity. Your design system becomes a language system too, reducing last-minute surprises before handoff and development.

Designing for Constraints: Brevity without Losing Meaning

Character Limits with Purpose

Treat limits as rules of clarity, not cages. Prioritize the verb, the object, and the consequence. If you must cut, remove qualifiers first. “Send invoice” communicates more than “Quickly send your invoice now,” and it fits on narrow buttons without painful truncation or awkward wrapping.

Truncation that Respects Context

Ellipses can obscure essential details. Prefer wrapping, tooltips, or progressive fields for critical information like names and totals. Where truncation is unavoidable, ensure the most informative words appear first. Conduct spot checks on the longest real example data you can find, not just mocks.

Progressive Disclosure Done Right

Show the minimum to decide, reveal the rest on demand. A short primer can expand into details after commitment. Pair microcopy with visual cues so the next layer never surprises. Invite readers to share a screen where progressive disclosure improved comprehension without sacrificing speed.