Writing for Mobile Users

AI can write faster, but can it write accessibly? Reading latest posts on LinkedIn, I started noticing the same language patterns appearing again and again. Many different authors, many different topics, with yet surprisingly similar phrases and sentence structures that don't necessarily make the text more accessible and easier to understand. Don't get me wrong - sometimes I also use AI tools, especially to find the information faster with its help, but I work on checking and rewriting the results that it prepares for me. Here are a few examples of common AI-generated constructions: ➡️ "Here's the thing..." - Start with the main message, readers shouldn't have to wait for the information. ➡️ "Let's dive in." - Begin with content - every sentence should help readers understand something new. ➡️ "The truth is..." - Present the fact directly. ➡️ "It's not about X. It's about Y." - Avoid making readers process an unnecessary comparison. ➡️ "One thing is clear..." - If an idea is clear, let the content demonstrate it instead of announcing it. ➡️ "Whether you're a business owner, developer, designer or marketer..." - Mention the audience only when it changes the meaning. ➡️ "In today's fast-paced world..." - Remove generic context. ➡️ "Read that again." - Accessible writing should be understandable the first time. These expressions increase cognitive load because readers have to process additional words before reaching the actual information. This matters for everyone, but especially for people with cognitive disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, people reading in a second language, or anyone quickly scanning content on a mobile device: https://lnkd.in/euzbbysX Research has consistently shown that plain language improves comprehension, reduces mental effort, and helps a much wider audience understand information. Plain language is recommended by the W3C in its guidance on making content easier to read and understand: https://lnkd.in/dHrWx65y AI can produce much clearer content if we prompt it appropriately, here are some examples: 1️⃣ Prompt for articles Write in plain language, put the key message first. Use short paragraphs, active voice and concrete vocabulary. Remove filler phrases, rhetorical questions and unnecessary transitions. Every sentence should add new information. 2️⃣ Prompt for social media Rewrite this post to maximise readability. Eliminate clichés, reduce cognitive load and make it easy to understand when read quickly on a mobile phone. 3️⃣ Prompt for any text Prioritise clarity over style - if a sentence does not improve understanding, remove it. Accessible writing is becoming just as important as accessible design. The next step in prompt engineering is not asking AI to sound more human, but asking it to communicate more clearly. #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #PlainLanguage #Accessibility #WebAccessibility #InclusiveDesign #UXWriting #ContentDesign #AIWriting

80% of your customers see your A+ content on a phone. Most A+ designs are built for desktop. This is why they're losing conversions. A design that looks great on your monitor looks like a wall of text on a phone. Tiny icons become invisible. Multi-line text becomes unreadable. Color contrast that works on a big screen disappears. On mobile, a single image should communicate one clear idea. Not three. Not two. One. Old approach: • Icon size: Medium (30x30px) • Font size for body: 12pt • Line spacing: Default (tight) • Elements per image: 3-4 separate ideas New approach: • Icon size: Large (minimum 60x60px) • Font size for body: 16pt minimum • Line spacing: 1.5X (breathing room) • One message per image If you have five selling points, you need five images. Why? On a 5-inch screen, anything competing for attention creates cognitive load. The customer has to choose what to focus on. If they have to choose, they scroll. Visual consistency matters even more on mobile: • Use the same headline font/style across all images (consistency = brand trust) • Keep icon style uniform (all line-style icons, or all filled—not mixed) • Single color palette (when a phone screen is smaller, color complexity becomes visual noise) Remember, before publishing A+ content: 1. Test on mobile first. Open on your phone. Can you read the headline from 6 inches away? 2. One message per image. If you're tempted to include two ideas, make it two images. 3. Font sizes: Minimum 14pt for any readable text (8-12pt becomes illegible on mobile) 4. Icon sizes: 60x60px minimum. Anything smaller gets lost. 5. Line spacing: Never auto. Set to 1.5X minimum. A+ content designed for mobile automatically works on desktop. The reverse isn't true. #Amazon #ecommerce #digitalmarketing #PPC #digitaladvertising

💡4 strategies for optimizing text content for better readability For most products, written language makes up about 95% of the content — which means making text readable is vital if you want to offer a great user experience. 1️⃣ Content layout & structure ✔ Use headings (H1, H2, and H3) to create individual sections and guide readers through them. ✔ Write short sentences: Aim for 15-20 words per sentence. ✔ Use bullet points & numbered lists: Bullet lists both help improve scannability and highlight key points. ✔ Add callouts/quotes: Use them to emphasize critical information. 2️⃣ Optimal character count per line Too long lines make it difficult to track lines, causing fatigue and reducing comprehension.  Too short lines force frequent line breaks, disrupting reading flow and causing frustration. ✔ 40-60 characters per line (CPL), including spaces, is generally ideal. ✔ Shorter lines (20-40 CPL) are preferable for mobile devices and narrow screens. ✔ Longer lines (75-100 CPL) can work for wide displays but may reduce readability. 3️⃣ Content flow  ✔ Use inverted pyramid style: Place the most important information at the top to maximize the chance users will see it.  ✔ Utilise common content scanning patterns (F-shape, Z-shape, Spotted): https://lnkd.in/dnAQ3aqF  ✔ First sentences of paragraphs should summarize the main point or create context. ✔ Ensure smooth transitions between sections and ideas. Individual sections should always feel like parts of a whole rather than a collection of individual pieces of information.  ✔ Write short paragraphs: Limit paragraphs to 3-4 sentences to prevent overwhelming readers. ✔ Break up text with relevant visuals. Paired with a good layout structure, it will help you avoid walls of text 4️⃣ Font & formatting ✔ Choose readable fonts: Choose sans-serif fonts for body text. Fonts like Open Sans or Roboto are easier to read on screens. ✔ Use 16px or larger for body text to improve legibility ✔ Align type to the baseline grid (i.e., 8px) ✔ Choose line height proportional to type size. Use 1.5x line spacing for web content to give text room to breathe. ✔ Keep paragraph spacing in the range between .75x and 1.25x of the type size. 🛠️ Tools to Improve Readability ✔ Hemingway Editor Check for complexity and highlight long sentences. https://hemingwayapp.com/ ✔ Readability Score Checkers Aim for a Flesch-Kincaid score that suits your audience (8th grade or lower for general audiences). https://lnkd.in/dzQijnYw 🖼️ Line length and text readability by Google (Material Design) #UI #uidesign #productdesign #design #uxdesign

✍️ Golden Rules For UX Writing. With practical guidelines on how to avoid confusion and help people understand better ↓ ✅ Always write with respect, for people as smart as you. ✅ Write mobile-first: short, plain language, bite-sized chunks. ✅ Decide what to say, then find the shortest way to say it. 🚫 Avoid long buttons: use 2–4 words, max. 25 characters. 🚫 Avoid long links: at least 8 chars, max. 8 words (55 chars). ✅ Use sentence case by default, Title Case only for headings. ✅ Use progress anchors for long forms: “Next: Payment details”. 🚫 Don’t use placeholders as replacement for labels or hints. 🚫 Don’t hide critical details or guidelines behind a tooltip. 🚫 Don’t hide frequently used filters/nav behind a button. ✅ Front-load keywords in headings and text summary. ✅ Make people hunt for destructive buttons to avoid mistakes. ✅ Leave room for translation. Expect your text to grow by 40%. 🚫 Avoid more than 20 words/sentence, 50 words/paragraph. 🚫 Never mix 2+ type treatments (color, bold, indents, italic). Good writing is an incredible opportunity. Not only to help people get work done faster and with confidence, but also to build a strong and lasting relationships. To be charming when users get started. To help without a fuss when things go wrong. To show respect and sincerity, but also understanding and care when it’s needed. One little technique that has helped me is to imagine a real person speaking to the customer before I choose words to communicate something to them. I think about how they speak — from voice and tone to speed and intonation. How casual or formal they are dressed. What their personality is. And, most importantly, what traits, values, beliefs and principles they uphold. A product then needs to match that personality, and adapt tone based on user’s context. Once we have it, we write down all the questions users might have. We re-arrange them in order of importance and severity. We decide what to say, and find the shortest way to say it. And then we test, by reading out a piece of content loud. And if it doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t read right either. ✤ Content Design in Design Systems Atlassian: https://lnkd.in/eGpzQqm4 Amplitude: https://lnkd.in/eaB85T7n 👍 DHL: https://lnkd.in/eF494fkT 👍 Duolingo: https://lnkd.in/egCSX9At Girlguiding: https://lnkd.in/eZ8zMyC3 👍 Gov.uk: https://lnkd.in/ekRadXad Intuit: https://lnkd.in/eGyBUrZ2 👍 JSTOR: https://lnkd.in/eAnyrtcu 👍 MetLife: https://lnkd.in/evVE8sqf Progressive’s: https://lnkd.in/evx_8bzY 👍 Shopify: https://lnkd.in/eAKgEHNW Skrill: https://lnkd.in/e2HGTq4q 👍 Zendesk: https://lnkd.in/euxijT5m 👍 Wise: https://lnkd.in/eWk-Mvf9 ✤ Books – Strategic Writing for UX, by Torrey Podmajersky – Content Design, by Sarah Winters – Nicely Said, by Nicole Fenton, Kate Kiefer Lee – Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley – Conversational Design by Erika Hall – Writing Is Designing, by Michael Metts, Andy Welfle ✏️ [continues in the comments ↓ ] #ux #writing

After writing 900+ posts on LinkedIn, I finally cracked the code. Not the algorithm code. Not the engagement bait code. But the real cheat code that makes people stop, read, and remember what you say. And here’s the truth: Most people don’t have a content problem. They have a communication problem. They try to sound smart. Use complex words. Write like a college essay. But on LinkedIn? That kills your message. Let me save you the 900 post journey and give you the real cheat code  1. Write like you're texting 1 person Not a crowd. Not the whole industry. Just ONE human. The confused client. The curious reader. The younger version of you. This instantly makes your tone natural, relatable, and real.  2. Keep your language simple Big words ≠ big impact. Clear > clever. If a 13-year-old can’t understand it, rewrite it. 3. Make your post mobile-friendly – Use short paragraphs – Add line breaks – Avoid chunky blocks of text Because people are scrolling at traffic lights and coffee lines  not reading like it’s a book. 4. Stay under 1000 characters (800–1000 is perfect) This keeps your message tight, focused, and scannable. You’ll be surprised how much power lives in brevity. 5. Structure with arrows, lists, and formatting This isn’t a journal. It’s social media. Your reader needs: – A clear structure – Fast takeaways – Visual cues Like this post you're reading right now. 😉 I used to spend hours writing posts that barely got 10 likes. Now? I spend 20 minutes getting real engagement, DMs, and conversations. Why? Because I stopped trying to “sound professional”… …and started trying to be understood. That’s the cheat code. That’s the real game. And the best part? Anyone can use it. You don’t need 900 posts. You just need to start writing like you care about the person reading it. What’s one mistake you’ve made (or still make) when writing LinkedIn posts?

Have you ever viewed your posts on a mobile screen? I did. And I changed how I write. 57% users scroll through LinkedIn on their phones. 8 /10 people engaging with your post do it from a small screen. The two images are of the same post. 📌 Image 1 - Mobile view 📌 Image 2 - Desktop view You can tell the difference good formatting makes by comparing both pictures. Now I optimize my posts for both and this is how I do it…. 1. Use the first 3 lines strategically (users only see the first 140 characters before “see more”) ⤷ Hook (to grab attention, ideally 50 characters) ⤷ Re-hook (to make them curious) ⤷ Foreshadow (to give them a reason to read)) 2. Tiny screen = tiny patience. People won’t paragraphs So I format my posts for quick, effortless reading. 3. Add Subtitles to Videos I uploaded my first 2 videos without subtitles, thinking auto-caption was enough. It wasn’t! ⤷ Because many users scroll with sound off. ⤷ Auto-captions need to be turned on manually 📌 Pro Tip: Optimize your 'LinkedIn Banner' Your profile banner is the first thing people notice.  On mobile, it’s even more prominent. ⤷ Use the right size (1584×396 pixels) ⤷ Make sure your text is readable. NOTE: I've shared the link to an app that helps me preview my posts before uploading. You’ll find it in the comments. Happy posting:)) 🌼P.S.: Have you checked how your posts look on mobile? #fortheloveofwriting #linkedincreator #ghostwriter #linkedInnewsindia

 Stop losing readers to bad typography Long paragraphs. Tiny text Users skim or leave  Centered text kills flow ↳ Weird line breaks ↳ Reading slows ↳ Frustration rises  Perfect your text layout • Headings: Desktop 40–64px | Mobile ~32px • Body: Desktop 16–24px | Mobile min 14px • Line length: Desktop 50–75 chars | Mobile 40–50 • Line height: ~1.5 Small Details, Big Impact • Lighter fonts on dark backgrounds • Letter spacing for uppercase text • Tabular figures in tables 5 minutes tweaking these → huge readability boost Someone here needs this tip today Take 5 minutes Adjust your fonts, lines, and spacing Your users will thank you

One thing I always do before hitting publish - whether for myself or my clients? I preview the post on mobile. Why? Because everyone is on mobile. If your content isn’t built for small screens… there's a good chance that you aren't maximising your results. I recently reviewed dozens of profiles from institutions, NGOs, and associations in the EU bubble, and too many fail this simple but crucial step. Here’s how to fix it: - Captions → keep them scannable. Use short paragraphs and line breaks for easy reading. - Visuals → skip horizontal images. Use square or vertical formats to take up more screen space. - Videos → so vertical! Let them fill the whole screen, and don’t forget an eye-catching thumbnail. People you want to reach are scrolling on mobile - make sure your content is ready for them.

I had to cut 30% of my favourite landing page copy. Not because it was bad. Because it was wordy. I'd spent hours crafting what I thought was the perfect section for a client's LP. It was specific, witty and clear. Every word felt important.  Every sentence had purpose. Then I looked at it on mobile. WALL. OF. TEXT. It was overwhelming to read and jarring to the eye. So I slashed over a third of what I had written initially. → Packed everything into a tighter narrative → Made the sentences shorter → Made every word count Because... We write on desktops. But 80% customers read on mobiles. So... Stop optimizing for your 27-inch monitor. Start optimizing for their 6-inch screen. Here's my $0.02: → Always preview your copy on mobile → Less is more when thumbs are scrolling → If it looks like a wall of text, it probably is What's one piece of copy you need to mobile-optimize today? Follow #OKCreative for more. #copywriting #creativestrategy #writing

I see brands put 750-word collection descriptions above the product grid. On mobile, users have to scroll through a wall of text before seeing a single product. They won't. They'll bounce and find someone else. You need text on collection pages. That part is true. But not all of it above the fold. Split it. 50-100 words at the top. The rest below the product grid. Or use a collapsible "read more" button. Keep the product grid visible. That's what they came for.