Content
- The Profession of a UX Editor
- Differences Between a UX Editor, UX Writer, and Product Editors
- Responsibilities of a UX Editor
- Key Skills and Requirements
- Demand for the Profession
- How to Become a UX Editor
The Profession of a UX Editor
A UX editor is a professional responsible for creating and editing content for various digital products, such as websites, mobile applications, ATMs, and voice bots without a graphical interface. The main task of a UX editor is to make interface text intuitive and user-friendly.
The term "UX" stands for "User Experience," which translates to "пользовательский опыт" in Russian. This experience includes not only the emotional reactions of users but also their interaction with the interface, ease of navigation, and convenience in accomplishing tasks. If a user encounters difficulties using an application, they may quickly switch to a competing product. It is crucial for an application to be intuitive and allow users to solve their tasks effectively. These aspects are what the UX editor focuses on while working alongside designers, developers, and product managers.
Differences Between a UX Editor, UX Writer, and Product Editors
In practice, UX editors, UX copywriters, and product editors perform similar functions, and their differences lie in the terminology used by employers. When choosing a job vacancy, it's important to pay attention to the specific requirements for knowledge and experience.
The most common classification of UX writers by experience level includes:
- Junior: Focuses on creating texts such as push notifications and stories for mobile applications.
- Middle: Conducts UX research, develops the structure and logic of the interface.
- Senior: Manages processes and is responsible for the overall UX of the product.
In larger companies, there is usually a team leader who coordinates the work of other UX writers and interacts with other departments.
Responsibilities of a UX Editor
The primary task of a UX editor is to make the digital product user-friendly and understandable. Key responsibilities include:
- Analyzing user experience through UX research, including A/B testing and in-depth interviews.
- Developing UX scenarios in collaboration with UX designers to design pages and plan content structure.
- Establishing editorial policies and defining brand tone.
- Creating and editing interface texts, such as prompts, statuses, headings, and scripts for chatbots.
UX editors must understand the product, analyze user requests, and write texts that are interesting and useful. For example, in food delivery apps, an editor might come up with engaging names for product categories to spark customer interest.
Key Skills and Requirements
For successful work, a UX editor needs both personal and professional skills. Personal qualities include:
- Literacy and a high proficiency in the Russian language.
- Awareness — the ability to notice successful solutions and mistakes in interfaces.
- Curiosity and a desire to learn new trends in UX.
- Self-organization and the ability to plan work.
- Communication skills for interacting with the team.
- Knowledge of English at a B2 level and above.
Professional skills include:
- Basics of UX design and marketing.
- Copywriting and the ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms.
- Experience conducting UX research and working with analytical tools.
- Skills in using usability testing tools and graphic editors.
Demand for the Profession
The profession of a UX editor is becoming increasingly popular, especially in large companies that are developing their IT products. By the end of 2023, over 200 vacancies for this position were posted on the hh.ru website. However, in smaller teams, texts for interfaces may be written by copywriters or UX designers.
The demand for UX editors continues to grow, as quality texts can significantly improve product conversion and enhance user interaction with applications. The competition for users' attention is becoming increasingly fierce, highlighting the necessity for these specialists.
How to Become a UX Editor
To become a UX editor, it is beneficial to have a higher education in communications, journalism, or marketing. However, it is also important to gain specialized knowledge in UX/UI design and master prototyping tools such as Figma.
There are various courses for aspiring UX editors that offer training in the basics of UX and copywriting. Reading specialized books and articles, such as "Microcopy: The Complete Guide" and "This Button Needs Text," will also help develop the necessary skills. It is important not only to take courses but also to continuously practice, analyze cases, and work on personal projects to build a portfolio.
In conclusion, to successfully enter the profession, one needs to identify which skills are lacking, improve them, and actively gain experience working with different content formats.