Error codes: everyone hates them. they keep you away from the information you’re looking for, and they make you want to fold your fingers into a firm fist, and put a hole in your laptop, but you can’t, because it cost a lot of money, and you’re really not that emotional.
Do you know what makes most error codes so frustrating? The fact that half of them just say you can’t get in, and they don’t tell you what you need to do to get in. Like bouncers at a night club or the security guy at the supermarket entrance that doesn’t tell you to go get a facemask, but instead picks you up and throws you in a dumpster. I’m sure that happens.
Error codes have been the blight of the internet for many,
many years, and the problem is not with their existence, because errors happen.
The problem is with their format.
However, thanks to the evolution of man and the creativity
of a few, UX teams have begun to consider a better way of presenting error
codes, and that is how Tiny Words
began to matter. UX teams are the people in organizations, behind the scenes,
trying to make sure you enjoy your time on a website, or an app, or a software.
A UX team is to virtual programs, what Customer Experience Management is to
business. They make sure that even though mistakes happen and sometimes a couch
is delivered to you when you only ordered a spoon, you’re not so pissed you
never want to come back.
Let’s take a look at some error codes;
1.
The 400 code: This means bad request, but what does
bad request mean and what am I supposed to do about it? It sounds like you
asked for a kiss on the first date.
2.
The 401 code: This means unauthorized. But. But.
But… I’m not carrying metal, and this is not the international airport.
3.
The 402 code: This means forbidden. Really.
FORBIDDEN. Are you my British grandparents? Come on!
4.
The 404 code: We’ve all seen this one. It just
means not found. So, what do I do now? Nothing. Not found go home.
In order to fix this frustrating problem, microcopy was
born. Errors cannot stop happening, that’s a fact. However, the information
provided when these errors happen can become more useful.
Microcopy is the tiny bits of copy on a product. We hardly
even notice them, but they can be the difference between a product that people
return to and its better designed competition that people don’t use.
From the call-to-action buttons to the placeholder text on the
forms you fill. Each of these things make your experience easier, and that’s
why microcopy is created by UX writers, user experience writers who are more concerned
with the user’s feelings than the “proper words.”
Musixmatch is an app that plays music and reveals lyrics. The
typical text for when the lyrics cannot be found would be “lyrics not found” or
“lyrics unknown” but musixmatch is all up in the future. Rather than any of
these text, the app shows any one of these microcopies when it can’t find the
lyrics of an audio file;
- · Sorry, we don’t have these lyrics, you didn’t really want to listen to this song, did you?
- · Our magic 8 ball says try again later. Stupid 8 ball.
- · Clearly, your music taste is better than ours.
- · Well, this is embarrassing…it happens to everyone once in a while…
- · Whoops, I forgot the lyrics to that song…
- · Our intern lost the lyrics to this song. Bad intern…
Just look at those copies! I hate that you don’t have the
lyrics, but I’m ok too. why? Because it looks like they care that I didn’t get
what I wanted from their product. This is how microcopy works. It says, “I’m
sorry that didn’t work. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, here’s what you
can do.”
Microcopy saves the user from frustration, and lets them
know that you the developer knows their problems. It helps the user feel seen
and heard at the time when they need it the most.
This is why many login pages have gone from “user
authentication failed” to “wrong password. Check and try again.”
Good microcopy is;
- · Clear
- · Short
- · Easy to understand at a glance
- · Sounds like the brand it speaks for
- · Answers a question or at least empathizes with the user
If your developer says to pay for microcopy, you better do
it.
I love writing microcopy. I love seeing good microcopy on pages
even more than I love writing it. What are some cool microcopy examples you’ve
read? Share in the comments.
Wow! This is so insightful. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI like micro copies that start with ’oops’.
ReplyDeleteThose are the best!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteInsightful read!
ReplyDeleteI must say I've not really noticed these much. I'm one those people that just move on if the page is not loading quick enough but this is really educating.
ReplyDeleteThank You Ma'am
You're welcome!
Delete