GUIDE 2024

What Does a Google UX Writer Do?

A Google UX writer works to draft content that compliments the design and enhances the user’s experience by writing a copy that assists users in completing their tasks.  

According to Google Careers, UX writers at Google use their words to acclaim the app design, so it results in a delightful customer experience. These words by UX writers help customers to fulfill their goals.  

UX writers at google work collaboratively with teams of designers, content strategists, writers, product managers, and researchers. Not just writing, UX writers also determine users’ expectations, behaviors, and attitudes on how they interact with products. This research data assist the teams in designing a product that is user-centered and delivers value to the users. A UX writer also drafts business app texts that appear on the screen. This text acts as a communication channel between the actual product and the product consumer.

UX Life at google is all user-centered as a UX writer job description by Google said: “Focus on the user and all else will follow.” Hence, the UX writing’s focus in Google is clear, let’s now dive into the work responsibilities of a UX writer.   

If you’re interested in learning more about the Google UX role via video, then watch below. Otherwise, skip ahead.

 

Google UX Writer Role and Responsibilities

Google UX writer responsibilities

UX writers at Google work on content tone to energize product descriptions across various touchpoints and platforms. They work along with teams to ensure an effective language that mirrors the unified Google brand voice.

According to Google’s philosophy, they also offer equal employment opportunities to job seekers with relevant industry experience.

Emily Luthra, a UX writer at Google, advises newer UX writers to draft relatable content that is readable, has a positive tone, and is engaging for the readers. Emily also advises other writers to learn the basics of information architecture and UX design to become expert UX writers.

Here are some of the duties and responsibilities of a UX writer at Google.

Write User Interface Text

A UX writer at Google is responsible to write user interface copy that eases a user to navigate easily. UX writers at Google have exemplary writing and editing skills. They are assigned to write instructions, on-board messages, error messages, and promo texts of a user experience product.

UX writing is the text that appears on google apps so you can navigate and use it easily. UX writers write this text in user-centered techniques. 

Drive Vision

UX writers at Google drive more vision for the content and language of a product through their skills. Not just the product’s content but are also expected to do effective and user-focused product writing and subject matter domains.

UX writers design a strategy along with proper practices and principles. So, we can wrap up this point with the saying that UX writers at Google drive the vision to text, enhance the user experience, and design cohesive product narratives.

Manage Projects

At Google, UX writers manage the projects from time to time. For example, check if a separate project is needed or not, and then work on it till it is implemented, UX writers are responsible for managing everything.

They also identify new opportunities to work and focus on projects on priorities. Management is not solely for projects, but also to manage the stakeholders’ duties.

Collaborate with Designers

As elaborated earlier, UX writing is a collaborative skill. UX writers communicate properly with the UX team, researchers, content strategists, and product managers to convey their opinion regarding a product.

UX writers tend to influence and incorporate feedback into their work and manage cross-functional projects from stakeholders and experts.

Provide Leadership

UX writers at Google are responsible to provide informed user insights along with leadership and guidance to junior writers. They are also accountable to guide and educate the members from other teams about user-centered design methods throughout the product development process.  

A UX writer is liable to drive cohesive product narratives that consumers love and appreciate. Hence, this involves proper communication between workers, insightful guidance, and leadership qualities to obtain human-centered user experiences.

These are some of the job responsibilities of a UX writer extracted from Google Careers. Although the job duties are not just limited to these, these are the major tasks a UX writer at Google encounters daily.

Looking to master all these UX writing skills so you can professionally carry out the responsibilities? Our UX writing course provides detailed knowledge on the UX writer role, and guide you how you can become one. Check out the course contents to know more in detail:

Preferred Qualifications for a Google UX Writer?

Google appoints a perfect fit only after deep scanning of the candidate’s skillset and abilities. Keep in mind that, Google has different criteria for minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications. According to a job post of UX writers on Google Careers, here are the qualifications they prefer for a UX writer:

  1. A familiarity with online tech products and technology, that includes mobile and web UI UX tools (e.g. Figma and Adobe XD)
  2. Know-how of user experience research principles and rules, and awareness of approaches to using data into product design for better user experience and project insights
  3. Leadership, influential, and collaboration skills along with productive communication skills to work along with product management, design, engineering teams
  4. Hands-on experience in the development of complex documentation and information architecture. Familiarization with location is also necessary.
  5. The minimum threshold (certain years) of experience in the relevant industry
  6. Ability to conduct user interviews and communicate with subject matter experts

Candidates seeking UX writing jobs at Google should work on building this skillset to land their dream UX writing jobs at Google.

Google has a minimum qualification criterion, like a bachelor’s degree in communications, English, or journalism along with a live portfolio of UX-focused writing samples. There are other essential details like experience in specific areas and projects, that you can check on Google Career’s official website.

Google UX Writer Salary

Salary for a UX writer ranges from $72-169k per year according to Glassdoor with an average annual salary of approximately $109k in New York, USA

How do I Become a UX Writer at Google?

Google hires employees irrespective of their race, color, sex, disabilities, religion, culture, and location.  It is a place of equal opportunities as Google Career says, “Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workspace”. The candidate selection is completely based on skills, qualifications, and experience.

If you’re looking to join Google as a UX writer, then improve your technical writing skill set, qualifications, and expertise.

Google also provides you a chance to choose a preferred working location from a provided list of cities and states in your job application.

The jobs at google are not remote, the requirements are only individual candidates and there are no slots for agencies. 

This is what the UX hiring process at Google looks like:

Google UX hiring process

To apply, you need to upload the following on the application form:

  1. Resume
  2. Contact Details
  3. Higher Education details
  4. Work Experience
  5. Your Preferred Working Locations
  6. Cover letter

You can submit up to 3 applications each month. There are some other essential details that you might need to attach. Refer to Google Careers for more information.

Summary

UX writers at Google use their language skills to draft insightful, and intuitive products that help users fulfill their needs. The focus is on building a user-centered product through complex research on users’ emotions, attitudes, and behaviors about how they perceive a product.

UX writers at Google collaborate closely with the content strategy team, UX design team, engineering and product management, and researchers team. That’s how they ensure to deliver value to the customers and create industry-leading products.

A UX writer is responsible to create intuitive interface texts, driving vision into the content they write, and managing multiple projects. They also collaborate with the UX team to ensure the correct pathway to developing a user-centered product and provide leadership to junior writers to inform product strategy, solve complex challenges and educate them on the roles of UX writing.

Google prefers to hire candidates with at least a few years of equivalent practical experience, along with experience in developing information architectures and complex product documentation.  They also prefer the know-how of online technology and tools, while a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, and relevant field is a must-have requirement.

Google is an equal opportunity workplace and hires candidates completely based on qualifications, skills, and expertise. The hiring procedure does not involve preferences from race, religion, color, and language. So, if you’re looking to apply to UX design-related jobs at Google, focus on improving your skills, qualifications, and experience.

 


If you are new to UX writing and are looking to break-in, we recommend taking our UX Writing Certification Course, where you will learn the fundamentals of being a UX writer, how to dominate UX writer interviews, and how to stand out as a UX writing candidate.