IFTTT Product Content Strategy & UX Writing
Bringing families together with kid-friendly UX
CLIENT
Kinzoo
PROJECT
Launch MVP version of a new kid-friendly messaging app
TEAM
I partnered with the design team at MetaLab, an interface design agency based in in Vancouver, Canada.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
UX Writing & Product Content Strategy
Kinzoo is an upcoming messaging app for families. The app allows kids and grownups to communicate in a safe, kid-friendly space. Users include young children, and adults such as parents and grandparents.
What we did:
User research and usability testing
Microcopy for 100+ individual UI screens
Tone of Voice Guidelines
Microcopy Pattern Library
OUR PROCESS
Building for kids ages 1-99
Project challenges
One of the challenges with Kinzoo is that some of the flows are fairly complex, more so than the average messaging or social media app.
For example, in order for a kid to connect with another kid, two sets of grown-ups need to approve the connection.
Solving with real users
We knew that in order to nail the microcopy and Hi-Fi designs, we had to get in front of real users. We sourced parents with children of all ages to use two versions of our prototype.
After user testing, we found that this approach worked better than more minimal copy. When it comes to kids, parents want to be informed — and they don’t mind reading a bit more copy.
Writing kid-friendly MICROcopy
Another challenge was making the app easy to understand for kids of all ages. That meant researching reading levels for different age groups, and user testing with kids.
To solve for this, we stuck to short, simple words and phrases and relied heavily on iconography — with copy and design working closely together.
Kids are great at understanding shapes and smiley faces, so that’s what we gave them!
FINAL DELIVERABLES
Brand Voice & Microcopy Pattern Library
The IFTTT profile is automatically generated and read-only, meaning that users can’t edit their information.
Most importantly, there’s a new feature allowing users to submit a support ticket to request changes in their profile.
The old copy: report a problem
The new copy: request a change
The difference is subtle but significant, and better aligns with the new IFTTT brand voice.
Request a change is a more accurate way to describe the action and feels less alarming.
The client loved this, and I did too.