ux-writing-skill

The saved excerpt is a snapshot from review. The external source remains the complete and most current version.

---
name: ux-writing-skill
description: |
  Systematic UX writing for digital products — applies four quality standards
  (Purposeful, Concise, Conversational, Clear) to all interface copy. Covers
  microcopy patterns for buttons, error messages, empty states, form labels,
  notifications, tooltips, and onboarding. Includes accessibility writing
  guidelines, voice/tone framework, and before/after examples. v1.6.0.
triggers:
  - "UX writing"
  - "microcopy"
  - "error message copy"
  - "empty state copy"
  - "button label"
  - "UI copy"
  - "interface copy"
  - "ux-writing-skill"
das:
  type: skill
  category: content-design
  upstream: "https://github.com/content-designer/ux-writing-skill"
  upstream_path: "SKILL.md"
  version: latest
  install: true
---

# ux-writing-skill

> Catalogue stub — full skill: [content-designer/ux-writing-skill](https://github.com/content-designer/ux-writing-skill)

## Decision tree

1. **Is the full skill already installed?**
   - Global: `grep -q "^das:" ~/.agents/skills/ux-writing-skill/SKILL.md 2>/dev/null && echo "pointer" || echo "installed"`
   - Project: `grep -q "^das:" .agents/skills/ux-writing-skill/SKILL.md 2>/dev/null && echo "pointer" || echo "installed"`
   - No `das:` block → full skill installed, invoke and proceed
   - `das:` block present → go to step 2

2. **Detect scope, then install:**

   ```bash
   [ -e ~/.agents/skills/ux-writing-skill ] && echo "global" || echo "project"
   ```

   **Global:**
   ```bash
   npx skills add content-designer/ux-writing-skill --skill ux-writing-skill -g -y
   ```

   **Project:**
   ```bash
   npx skills add content-designer/ux-writing-skill --skill ux-writing-skill -y
   ```
   > **Claude Code:** send either command as a chat message starting with `!` to run it without leaving the conversation.

## Invoke after install

- Skill name: `ux-writing-skill`
- Triggers: "UX writing", "microcopy", "error message copy", "empty state copy", "button label", "UI copy"

## What it does

Applies systematic UX writing standards to every piece of interface copy. Four quality dimensions: **Purposeful** (serves user goals), **Concise** (8–14 words for labels), **Conversational** (active voice, second person), **Clear** (no jargon). Covers the most common UI copy patterns:

- **Buttons & CTAs** — action-verb labels, primary/secondary/destructive framing
- **Error messages** — what happened, why, how to fix (never blame the user)
- **Empty states** — purpose, value prop, call to action
- **Form labels & placeholders** — distinction between label, hint, placeholder, validation
- **Notifications & toasts** — urgency calibration, dismissal copy
- **Onboarding** — progressive disclosure, setup copy, success moments
- **Accessibility** — screen reader-first phrasing, `aria-label` guidance, cognitive load

## When NOT to use

- Long-form product marketing copy — use `copywriting-skill`
- Removing AI writing patterns from existing text — use `humanize-text`
- Full content strategy / information architecture — use `design-with-claude` (`content-strategist`)