Many of us have been there: Reading through a medical statement in mild confusion. Getting lost at a hospital because of bad instructions.
More and more health-related communication takes place online, and it’s not just about tracking your sleep or the amount of exercise. Apps tell us what to eat before surgery, how to train the wrist after an operation and what time to arrive at a cancer clinic. It’s serious business and above all, rock-solid communication.
Good quality UX writing is one of the key elements in creating a smooth care journey. Here’s some of the basic things to consider when designing a health product.
1. Loop in the writer from the start
As said by John Steinbeck. “Bringing writers in at the end of the creative process is like trying to put toothpaste into a tube”.
This holds true for designing digital health services as well.
UX writing not only takes the role of a friendly staff member at the clinic but it also helps the user to navigate the product. Treat the words like lorem ipsum and you’ll have a service that doesn’t obey the rules and conventions of human behaviour.
Choosing what to say, how to say it and when to do it affects the entire UI and in the long run, you’ll save time, money and code by starting the design of UX content early enough.
2. Choose your tone of voice and be consistent
Imagine a movie where the main character, a heroic doctor, is treating a patient with friendliness and respect. But when the patient is leaving the room, the doctor says goodbye in a weird, formal, robot-like way.
Change the movie into a service, and this is what you often get. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Your digital product is a key ambassador to your brand. Applying the same voice throughout will add consistency, credibility and character.
3. Stay clear and simple
The field of medicine is tricky in the sense that it’s overflooded with important things to say. There’s just too much of that legit, good-to-know material.
Online, however, even the calmest of people behave like rabbits. We jump around impatiently while skimming through content, even if we don’t realise it ourselves.
Saying complex things in a clear way is an asset you’ll need with an audience you’ve never met, browsing through content they might not even want to read in the first place.
Simplicity is a matter of skill and effort. It doesn’t come naturally in a world of complex medical terms and very, very much Latin.
4. Give orders like a sergeant
Just to emphasise: Empathy is essential. It’s one of the cornerstones of patient-physician communication and a key element in building trust.
Yet when it comes to guidelines and recommendations, you’re the authority. People expect to get the right information promptly, even it feels like you’re being bossy. For an online audience, imperative is the norm.
Juggling between formality and friendliness can be challenging in a no-nonsense environment like this. But with the right design choices, your health app can be welcoming while serving the user in an orderly way. It’s all about strategic choices while crafting the words.
5. Plan the future
Content doesn’t live forever and it’s subject to change just like everything in a service. Ask yourself early: Who will edit the content once the design phase is over?
For the best result, work on a content strategy and a governance model to safeguard the future of your UX content. Don’t leave it in the hands of that mythical “someone”.
Maybe the lifelong health of an app means just about the same things as it does for people: Grow resilience. Adapt to change. Stay mindful about your choices.
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