OVERVIEW
Content and UX writing for Google's enterprise advertising products
ROLE
Technical Writer Intern
TEAM
UX Writing Lead, Program Technology Manager, Interaction Designer, Software Engineer | Based at Google NYC
TIMELINE
June to August 2021 (12 weeks)
TL;DR
I interned on the Ads Technical Writing and UX Writing team. I had the amazing opportunity to improve the usability of the reporting feature for Google's ads management systems, Campaign Manager 360 and Display & Video 360.
By the end of the summer, I had accomplished the following:
- Improved in-product education of reporting concepts
- Wrote content to provide timely user feedback and context
- Documented new feature launches with cross-functional teams
Due to the nature of the product, the project details and deliverables are under NDA. Contact me for more information!
TERMINOLOGY, TERMINOLOGY, TERMINOLOGY
After interviewing users and researching the product, I found that there’s a complicated, ads-specific vocabulary used in the advertising world. New users didn't feel confident using metrics and dimensions that used unfamiliar terms. Users needed more:
- Context within the product
- Consistent use of terminology or concepts across products
- Clear documentation to research unfamiliar concept
KEEPING CONTENT WITHIN REACH
I collaborated with software engineers and interaction designers to find the solution of adding in-UI tooltips with definitions to help users learn new terms without ever leaving the page. This is how the writing process went:
The biggest challenge was condensing paragraphs of information into copy that would fit on the limited real estate of a tooltip. I leveraged the domain expertise of technical experts and considered the industry aptitude of our users, I drafted 50+ definitions that were explanatory, yet concise.
Through this process, I also learned about translating text to other 20+ languages and creating a design system for content.
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS
Writing is a juggling act –– I also worked on:
- Conducting qualitative interviews and presenting a quality review on the modeled conversions article↗ to stakeholders
- Drafting content for an onboarding flow to a Google Ads feature by researching onboarding flow patterns, studying the critical user journey, and getting feedback from designers
- Supporting three product launches by communicating regularly in a cross-functional team
LEARNINGS
Technical writing is, at its core, education. We are teaching users about our products, beyond just how to use them. I learned that more content isn't always the answer. Often times removing information and being intentional about the placement of content helps with a user's understanding. Placing clear, instructional writing within the user interface itself is an effective and accessible way to provide valuable context.
Finally, I now recognize that researching content patterns and speaking to subject matter experts are two of the most crucial steps in the writing process.