This document outlines four truths about interactive copywriting and design from the perspective of Chris Pitre. The truths are: 1) Copywriters should collaborate with designers to continually redefine the user experience. 2) Copy is a form of design and should be considered alongside things like wireframes and process flow. 3) Humans, not search engines, are most important, so the copy should be written to be read by people. 4) Copywriters are often wrongly excluded from the design process even though copy and design are interdependent. The key is consistent collaboration between copywriters and designers.

1. Truths about
Interactive
Copywriting
& Design
from the perspective of @chrispitre
1

2. Truth 1:
Copywriters do it
with designers.
2

3. It = redefine the user
experience ... over and
over again
3

4. What does that mean?
4

5. Copy and design can change the
way sites and apps are used from
one day to the next.
5

6. A product won’t die.
6

7. A site won’t go stale.
7

8. “Yeah right,” you think.
8

9. One question changed it all...
9

10. 10

11. What if we changed the
question?
11

12. What do you want?
12

13. The use would change.
13

14. Change what people see,
change what people do
14

15. The future of the
design-copy partnership
is change management.
15

16. Truth 2:
Copy is design.
16

17. Wireframes help me, too!
17

18. Copy should be tamed
along with process flow.
18

19. Word limits are our
friends.
19

20. If you can’t say it
briefly, why say it at all?
20

21. Words are like
embellishments...with a
purpose.
21

22. Ok, maybe that’s unfair?
22

23. It’s ok to remove
embellishments that lose
(or don’t serve) a purpose.
23

24. Truth 3:
Humans, not search
engines, make or break
you.
24

25. If you write for
Google, visitors won’t
stay long. Promise.
25

26. “I came for you.You
weren’t there. So, I left”
26

27. Write to be read.
Design to be seen.
27

28. Truth 4:
Copywriters are
wrongly excluded
from design.
28

29. “Just send me the copy”
29

30. Huh?!!
30

31. Copy is not
independent of design.
Or vice versa.
31

32. Content goals should
include design AND copy.
32

33. Have a copy strategy
congruent with design.
33

34. Truths.
Collect all 4!
34

35. Copywriters do it with
designers.
35

36. Copy is design.
36

37. Humans, not search
engines, make or break
you.
37

38. Copywriters are
wrongly excluded from
design.
38

39. Consistent collaboration
between copywriters &
designers means better
interactive.
39

40. Better interactive
means happier clients.
40

41. Happier clients mean
more $$$.
41

42. More $$$ means
higher ticket price for
DesignCamp 2010.
42

43. Just kidding.
43

44. Questions?
Twitter: @chrispitre
chris@whiteboardlabs.com
chrisjpitre@gmail.com
www.whiteboardlabs.com
44