Kristina Halvorson — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:12:09 GMT

Trevor – great article. Thanks for writing.

As a content strategist and web writer, I talk about the idea of Flow constantly. How can we help our readers gather information and complete tasks without overwhelming them or getting in their way?

Too many words, poorly constructed paragraphs, failing to begin with the conclusion instead of the background, being too technical or formal with our audience … these are all interruptions caused by poor writing. And this writing often is what destroys a solid UX long after the IA, IxD or visual designer has walked away.

I’d like to suggest that these folks partner closely with web writers during their design process to ensure the structure and design they’re creating supports and contextualizes the actual messages and content they’re organizing.

To achieve real Flow in our product design, we need to remember the words. Visual elements might welcome a user to the page, but it’s copy that typically communicates direction, facilitates progress and confirms our success.

Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Kristina Halvorson