UX Microcopy Skill
How this skill behaves (read first)
This is a generative skill. Claude's default UX copy tends to be verbose, clever, or generic ("Oops! Something went wrong", "Submit", "Are you sure?"). Good microcopy is the opposite: plain, specific, and quietly helpful. The expressive part — tone — is context-dependent, so this skill gates:
- Establish voice, audience, and the moment — tone that's right for a celebratory success state is wrong for a payment error.
- Apply the always-true core — clarity, concision, action-orientation, consistency, and inclusive/accessible language hold for all copy.
- Choose tone deliberately — pick the register for the brand and the specific moment; don't default to jokey or to robotic.
Then hand off to the audits: the companion ux-microcopy-audit, plus accessibility (copy that screen readers and all users can follow) and dark-patterns (copy must persuade honestly, never manipulate).
Step 0 — Establish context before writing
- Brand voice — the product's consistent personality (playful vs. formal, warm vs. neutral).
- Audience & vocabulary — use the words users use ("rides", not "commutes"); tech-savviness and reading level.
- The moment — celebratory, routine, sensitive (payment/security), or error/recovery? This sets the tone.
- Locale — language(s) and platform conventions ("click" desktop vs. "tap" mobile); localization beyond literal translation.
State assumptions if proceeding without answers.
The always-apply core (true for any microcopy)
- Plain, simple language. Write for the widest range of users; no jargon or high-register vocabulary unless the audience expects it. Read it aloud to test.
- Concise. Say it in as few words as keep the meaning; ~16% read word-by-word, the rest scan. Cut filler.
- Action-based and specific. Labels are verbs (+ nouns) describing the outcome — "Get Pro", "Delete file", "Unmute now" — never generic "Yes/No/OK/Submit". A great CTA also conveys the benefit.
- Tell users what's happening and what's next. Reduce uncertainty: where they are, what an action does, how long it takes.
- Consistent terminology. One term per concept across the whole product ("scheduling" everywhere, not "booking" elsewhere); consistent with platform conventions.
- Human numbers & dates. "Tomorrow" not "April 1"; "8:45 AM" not "a quarter to nine"; concrete numbers/social proof over vague "many".
- Inclusive & accessible. Gender-neutral pronouns (they/them); descriptive link text ("Read more about pricing", not "More"); microcopy as live text, not baked into images; persistent labels (not placeholder-only); acknowledge completed actions.
- Honest, never manipulative. No confirmshaming, fake urgency, or guilt (→ dark-patterns).
Tone — the gated decision (pick per brand + moment)
Choose the register intentionally; the same message reads differently in each. Don't default to one.
| Tone | Use for | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Playful / witty | Low-stakes moments, light errors, easter eggs | Know your audience; never at the cost of clarity |
| Enthusiastic / praising | Encouragement during effort; celebrating an achievement | Don't over-cheer routine actions |
| Warm / friendly | Welcomes, everyday guidance (first names, contractions, "you") | Can feel flippant in serious moments |
| Confident | Sensitive moments — payments, security, data | Avoid hedging ("maybe", "try to") |
| Respectful / formal | Professional, regulated, or sensitive contexts | Can read as dry — still be clear |
| Honest / direct | Permission/data requests | Active voice; don't mask intent |
| Concise | Dense UI, labels, mobile | Don't strip needed context |
Rule: match tone to the moment. A payment error wants confident + clear, not a joke.
Microcopy patterns (quick reference)
- Buttons: verb + outcome; descriptive over generic ("Unmute now" > "Yes").
- Errors/alerts: explicit (what happened) + constructive (how to fix) + plain language; place next to the problem; polite, no blame/ALL-CAPS.
- Labels: specific verbs+nouns, not "OK/Start/Finish".
- Placeholders: hints/examples only — never the sole label (they vanish on input).
- Tooltips: add genuine value; never state the obvious.
- Notifications/push: ask "how does this help the user?"; useful, not intrusive.
- Empty/success states: empty = teach the first action; success = confirm + positive moment.
Validate the result (orchestration)
Hand-offs name each lens by its installable skill
name. Invoke one only if that skill is installed; if it isn't, this skill's own core already carries these rules — proceed without it rather than blocking.
After writing or revising copy, hand the result to the audit lenses rather than declaring it done. These are candidate lenses — posture is set by docs/orchestration-policy.md, or route the whole thing through ux-design-review. Here, microcopy and dark-patterns are Tier A (auto-run); accessibility is Tier B (offered) — under an existing design system accessibility narrows to usage. If the user invoked this skill for one specific thing, respect that scope.
ux-microcopy-audit(Tier A) — the companion audit: clarity, action-orientation, consistency, tone fit across the flow.ux-accessibility-audit(Tier B — offer; narrow under a design system) — plain language, descriptive links, live text, persistent labels, screen-reader acknowledgments.ux-dark-patterns-audit(Tier A) — copy persuades honestly: no confirmshaming, manufactured urgency, or guilt.
If an audit flags it, resolve toward the core: plainer, more specific, on-the-right-tone.
Common do/don't patterns
| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
|---|---|
| "Oops! Something went wrong." | "We couldn't save your changes. Check your connection and try again." |
| "Submit" / "OK" / "Yes" | Verb + outcome: "Create account", "Delete file" |
| Jargon / high-register words | Plain language users actually use |
| Same tone everywhere | Match tone to brand and the moment |
| Joke on a payment/security error | Confident, clear, reassuring copy |
| "April 1" / "a quarter to nine" | "Tomorrow" / "8:45 AM" |
| "Register" here, "Join free" there | One consistent term per concept |
| "Click More" link / generic labels | Descriptive: "Read more about pricing" |
| Text baked into an image | Live, selectable text |
| Confirmshaming the opt-out | Neutral, honest dismissals (→ dark-patterns) |
