Challenges & Random Microcopy Prompts

from DailyUXWriting.com

Expired Credit Card Wrong Email Address Canceled Flight Alert

Expired Credit Card (Accordion)

Scenario

The user is trying to rent a car using an application but the credit card on file has expired.

Challenge

Write them an error message so that they can correct the problem.

Considerations

The user has is already halfway through the process, and has committed to the reservation. Their goal is to complete the process.

The business (the car rental company) does not want to lose this reservation, especially now that the user has already selected their dates, location, and vehicle. An expired credit card is an obstacle, but not a dead end. Offering clear information and helpful instructions will help the user fix the issue and complete the reservation.

Conversely, making the user feel badly about the expired card or not offering any assistance in how to remedy the problem could cause the user to abandon the reservation.

While the message can note that the user’s credit card is no longer valid and offer clear directions to ‘update’ or ‘add a new payment method’, it is important that the design offer clear cues on how to make that update (the green EDIT) or add a payment method (the green button).

Wrong Email Address

Scenario

The user entered the wrong email address to sign in to their account.

Challenge

Tell the user to enter the right email.

Considerations

Initially, I approached this challenge by considering two interpretations of this scenario:

The user typed in an email address that is not tied to an account.
There was an error in the email address format.

I thought this might merit two different error messages, with the second scenario triggering a more specific message if, for instance, the user omitted an @ symbol. (And this would first need to be discussed with the development team to ensure they could identify these errors.)

However, I realized that the user could then also receive the first scenario message after fixing the email format if that address was not linked to an account. Two potentially different error messages for one field did not seem like a useful solution, so I considered a tooltip for an error in formatting. This option would be dependent on the development team’s ability to identify this kind of error.

I then considered the brand’s voice and tone and moved forward with a less formal brand in mind. While the message could be friendly, it would still need to be clear and informative. The 40 character limit is a bit of a constraint, since there is no room to offer instructions.

Flight Cancellation

Scenario

A traveler is in an airport waiting for the last leg of a flight home when their flight gets abruptly canceled due to bad weather.

Challenge

Write a message from the airline app notifying them of the cancellation and what they need to do next.

Considerations

Users of the app are travelers with the goal of reaching their destination as safely and efficiently as possible. Delays to that goal can be frustrating, and can also have a domino effect, impacting plans and affecting other people who were dependent on the original itinerary.

In addition to bringing in new travelers, the airline is looking to keep current travelers flying with them. Since users of their app have already shown increased engagement with the company, it is in their best interest to do everything they can to ensure the user of the app is satisfied (or even better, very happy!)

It is helpful to also consider the air travel industry itself. According to the FAA, there were approximately 45,000 flights and 2.9 million people flying in and out of US airports daily in 2019. Despite those high numbers, the industry has suffered financially for years. Ensuing higher fares and reduced services have caused travelers to be more fickle, and airlines would benefit from taking every opportunity they can interact and develop relationships with travelers.

In the situation of a canceled flight, the airline should express empathy for the inconvenience of the schedule changes, even if they had no control over the cause of the delay. Additionally, an act of good will can go a long way, whether it is rescheduling a flight (first two mockups below) or simply offering travelers entry to the airline’s lounge (third mockup).

I then considered other teams, specifically the scheduling team of the airline (and possibly the logistics of each airport). In order to write for the options mentioned above, we must first consider the following:

We can only plan for a rescheduled flight if the airline is able to engineer those changes quickly and get that information to the development team.

We can only welcome travelers to the lounge is we have confirmed access to lounges in airports.
These details would need to be worked out before moving forward.