Daily UX Writing Challenge: Day 1

Flight Cancellation Alert

Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels

Hello UX enthusiasts!

I just signed up for the daily UX Writing Challenge, a 15-day exercise to practice writing copy for various scenarios and interfaces.

So, over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be dropping daily updates as I share my unique solutions to the various UX Writing challenges. My goal is to sharpen my UX writing and content strategy skills through daily practice and your kind feedback.

What’s more? I’ll also be putting my UX design skills to the test by designing all the screens for the UX text.

So, if you’re ready, let’s dive right into the first task.

Daily UX Writing Challenge: Day 1

Scenario: A traveler is in an airport waiting for the last leg of a flight home when their flight gets abruptly canceled due to bad weather.

Challenge: Write a message from the airline app notifying them of the cancellation and what they need to do next.

Headline: 45 characters

Body: 175 characters max

Button(s): 25 characters max

Thought Process

This is definitely not the sort of news any traveler wants to hear. So, it is safe to assume that the user will be annoyed by this development. They might also feel anxious as they don’t know how long they’ll be stuck at the airport. Therefore, this is not the time for a light-hearted or ambiguous message.

To solve this challenge, I brainstormed on the following questions:

1. What would the user want to know in such a situation?

My answer: If I were stuck in an airport, I would want to know why the flight was canceled and what is being done to ensure that I get to my destination. Also, I’d want to know how long I’ll have to wait (who wants to be stuck in an airport indefinitely?). So it’s most likely the users would want to know these too.

2. What can the airline do to help reduce the traveler’s frustration?

My answer: Based on my research, airlines will rebook a traveler for free on their next available flight. The traveler can also request a refund should they decide to cancel the trip because of the hassle.

Through these answers, I decided on the information to include in the message.

My Solution

My goal was to be empathetic while letting the user know what has happened and the way forward. To achieve this, I chose a helpful and informative tone.

My solution

Headline: The thunderstorm illustration followed by the clear and direct heading lets the user know what has happened and why.

Body: Starting with an apology acknowledges the inconvenience the user is facing. The rest of the message gives the exact details of what has happened and what is being done to get the user to their destination.

Buttons: As the user has just learned that they will be put on another flight, they would need details of this new flight. The main button (View flight details) allows them to learn more about the new flight. The auxiliary button (Contact help) gives them access to airline officials in case they have any concerns or want an alternative arrangement e.g. cancellations, and refunds.

Updated Solution

Based on the feedback received on my initial solution, I made the following changes:

• I changed the primary button copy from “View flight details” to “New flight details” to give users a clearer indication of what comes next upon tapping it.
• I made the body text more concise to make it easier for users to grab key information.
• I highlighted the updated departure time to draw the user’s attention to it and reduce panic.

Thanks to Shannon Colón for the helpful feedback.

And, that’s a wrap for Day 1. What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on my approach.