{"id":663837,"date":"2018-09-12T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2018-09-12T16:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&p=663837"},"modified":"2020-06-02T17:37:02","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T00:37:02","slug":"writing-for-impact-five-tips-for-simpler-user-research-writing","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/articles\/writing-for-impact-five-tips-for-simpler-user-research-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing for impact: Five tips for simpler user research writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dylan Romero (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Different

Note: This article was originally published on September 12, 2018, on Medium<\/p><\/div>\n

How to write user research reports people actually want to read<\/h2>\n
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I could\u2019ve titled this \u201cHow to Eschew Obfuscation in UR Writing\u201d and achieved the same meaning, but would it add any value? How many people would get lost trying to flip to the right page in their mental dictionary to define \u201ceschew\u201d and \u201cobfuscation\u201d?<\/p>\n

Likewise, you probably know what \u201cUR\u201d means \u2014 you\u2019re reading an article about user research, after all. But for writers, designers, or those who accidentally click-stumbled here, \u201cUR\u201d isn\u2019t so obvious. A Bing search for \u201cUR acronym meaning\u201d returns this:<\/p>\n

\"Images<\/p>\n

To really eschew all that pesky obfuscation, it\u2019s much simpler to be simple.\u00a0The same can be said for most everything below the title \u2014 and not just in research writing. Without further ado, here are five tips for writing simple, impactful study results, with the UR (not the ancient city) to back them up.<\/p>\n

1. Write for scanning<\/strong><\/h3>\n

People don\u2019t read. This is especially true when it comes to the web, where\u00a0skimming content instead of reading<\/a> is most prevalent. Your target audience isn\u2019t reading study results for the plot and great character development; they\u2019re searching for insights to help improve a product or fortify a hypothesis they have about their customers.<\/p>\n

So write for the PM who\u2019s wading through a sea of studies at 10:30 at night, trying to find accessibility recommendations for their spec. Assist them in their hunt for keywords, patterns, and clear, actionable recommendations.<\/p>\n

Speaking of keywords\u2026<\/p>\n

2. Create searchable content<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Writing for scanning becomes even more important in the context of search results. People need to be able to find your report in your company\u2019s internal database. As Jakob Nielsen of Nielsen Norman Group\u00a0notes<\/a>: \u201cJust because employees are using an internal company information space doesn\u2019t mean they change their main information-seeking behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n

A list of search results amplifies scanning behavior as people attempt to pick out what\u2019s relevant to them. To capitalize on this habit, help make sure the right results appear on the screen in the first place. Try:<\/p>\n