Creating content for the Verizon Design System
Leading content strategy and UX writing for the new Verizon Design System.
The challenge
Verizon had multiple design resources of varying ages, some created and maintained by teams, others by agency partners. Designers and content strategists relied on varying PDFs, Sketch files and intranet pages to follow brand guidelines. However, they were often relying on different versions. Teams spent time searching multiple guidelines and duplicating effort recreating components to try to create consistent experiences.
The solution
The Verizon Design System team was created to create a unified source of truth for digital design. As the lead UX writer, I was responsible for writing all of the documentation, from contextual content examples to illustrate brand style and best practices to guidance on UX writing.
Verizon Design System documentation
I was responsible for competitive research, nomenclature development and all UX writing. I worked closely with UX and visual designers to get feedback as I drafted content: What is true for the brand? What is unnecessary? What is the clearest hierarchy of information?
Writing Documentation for components
I researched and wrote design system documentation including instructions on setting up the library, fundamentals establishing the grid, spacing, typography, color, iconography and guidelines on 28 components.
Creating UX writing guidelines
With +125 designers in the Verizon Consumer Group and 12 UX writers, not all projects had dedicated UX writers. Designers and other stakeholders were often on their own to create content, with mixed results. I created UX writing guidelines for the design system to help everyone work with content.
The guidelines summarized UX writing best practices, high-level concepts like brand voice and tone, and offered specific guidance for Verizon digital experiences.
Training designers on UX writing
The UX writing guidelines were released while teams were working remotely due to Covid lockdowns. All the planned, in-person, small-group training sessions were cancelled. But, the design teams in India created a virtual series, which provided a great opportunity to hold a session on UX writing for all interested designers.
During the 90-minute event, I walked designers through UX writing concepts, guidelines and examples specific to Verizon, and took questions from some of the 125+ Verizon designers in both the United States and India who attended.
View the UX Writing at Verizon presentation.
UX writing consultation
Besides writing documentation and creating guidelines, I reviewed content for design teams using the system to create new experiences. The projects ranged from a legally-required app interstitial that engineering need to release at midnight to research stimuli gauging interest in future Verizon product offerings.
Making App Permissions Understandable
When the California Consumer Privacy Act became law, customers who downloaded the app needed to understand their data permissions. I received an urgent email asking if I could make the copy “radically more customer-friendly.” The team was releasing the update that night.
I rewrote the copy to make it as simple as possible, focusing on removing technical terminology and jargon as much as possible. I also made customer choice radically clear instead of minimizing it in a link.
Clarifying content for research and user testing
I would also consult in the very early stages of experience development — long before components or UX copy were needed. A team shared their customer-benefit concept cards with me and needed same-day feedback. I provided on-the-fly content strategy best practices and prior user testing observations.
Appropriate content would ensure accurate testing. Inconsistent, unclear or generic stimuli content would negatively impact testing.
A draft concept card covered with feedback and revision suggestions.
Improving the content of the Network Value research stimuli was well received!
The results
In its first year, the design system was adopted by more than 250 designers and engineers across five teams at Verizon to drive product consistency and efficiency for teams co-located in the United States and India.