cashflo
UX writing for B2B accounting software
Empty states for first-time use
CONCEPT
Design encouraging empty spaces for an accounting software to guide users through the product's user flows. Design UX copy for a "first-use" empty state for new users on the software to begin tasks as part of the onboarding process.
GOAL
Demonstrate UX writing abilities for a B2B experience geared towards small business, freelancers, etc.
ROLE
Sole UX writer, designer
PRE-DESIGN
UNDERSTANDING USERS
I found that businesses often don't have enough time for accounting,
they may feel that keeping track of finances is too complicated (and there is a lot of room to make mistakes), and that the term, "emotional accounting" is used to describe the state of having financial outcomes influenced by the emotional state of the individual and shows that different feelings can lead to different financial choices.
Knowing this, I designed three copy elements in this empty state:
Heading: What users would see in a "typical" state of the page.
Body: Supporting details and encouragement to get started/what to expect.
CTA button: Written to inform users of the next step in the user-flow.
These will be written in a way to address and alleviate these different user-points to create an overall seamless experience through a process that might otherwise be stress-inducing.
USER PERSONA (supplemental)
Based on the research, I created a user persona that shows different characteristics of a potential user. By using this as reference, I am able to keep user goals and pain-points in mind while creating the copy.
.png)
VOICE CHART
Prior to writing, I created a voice chart to outline how the brand principles should be conveyed through the experience. This chart would be used as a resource of reference throughout the iteration process.
.png)
COPY DESIGN
HEADING
I wrote three iterations of the heading copy.
"No invoices yet!"
"Your invoices will be here."
"Your invoices will be displayed here."
After analyzing the copy goals and the referring back to the voice chart, I chose "No invoices yet!" as the heading copy. It is concise, gave users a sense that action needed to be taken to transition from an empty state to "typical" state. It was clear that invoices will be shown in that page as they move onto the next steps.
The other two iterations were clear about the typical state, but didn't give the same sense of action needing to be taken. Though they might've been as effective, I went with the more concise iteration.
BODY
I also wrote three iterations of the body copy.
"Cashflo makes it easy to quickly organize, create, and send invoices."
"Creating, organizing, and sending invoices is quick and easy.
We’ll guide you through each step!"
"We’ve made creating, organizing, and sending invoices quick and easy for you."
The third iteration best met the design goals while staying conversational and concise. It also gives the message that the process is easy enough for the user and they won't have to rely for help (as the second iteration states). There is a sense of encouragement and independence for the user that they can go through the process easily. It is welcoming, references how easy it is, and that it won't be time consuming.
CTA BUTTON
"Start new invoice"
The goal for the CTA was to be as specific and clear as possible on what the button would lead to. Instead of "Start now" and having the user assume where they will be taken to, it is clear that the next step is to create a new invoice.
FINAL DESIGN
As the sole designer, I was able to design a low fidelity wireframe to give a visual aid on what the copy would look like on the accounting software. I included a graphic illustration to aid the narrative. The color choices were thought out using color psychology to evoke feelings of hope and growth (green) and optimism (orange).
UX writer notes
I came up with this concept because there are so many B2B platforms that need UX writing to create more humanizing experiences. Having to do my taxes every year isn't a fun experience, but navigating through Turbotax this year was "seamless" from a UX perspective. I wanted that same feeling to be reflected in my design for Cashflo, knowing how small business and freelancers often struggle with managing financial information.
As this was a personal portfolio project, all of the product design and research was also done by myself before the design process. While I enjoy these extra steps, I'm am enthusiastic about collaborative opportunities to be able to work cross-functionally to learn from one another to design valuable user experiences.