Talk for Ignite UX Michigan on establishing content as a touchpoint in the user journey and considering user's emotional states in developing our content.

1. Heidi Burkhardt
User Experience Specialist
University of Michigan Library
heidisb@umich.edu | @heidi_sb
Content is a touchpoint.
Let’s write responsively.

3. People

4. The words we choose matter.

5. Use of the word ‘touchpoint’
“A touchpoint is a point of
interaction involving a
specific human need in a
specific time and place.”
-Chris Risdon
http://adaptivepath.org/ideas/un-sucking-the-touchpoint/
1970
1990
2000
Google NGram Data

6. A few seconds (15 to be exact) on libraries
Website. Catalog. Institutional repository. Data
repository. Digital Collections. Research Guides.
Online exhibits. WordPress microsites. Blogs.
Twitter. Facebook. Newsletters. Discovery search
interfaces. 100s of licensed databases. 10,000s
subscription based online journals. Instruction
request system. MiVideo. Course reserves.
Document delivery services. Book request
services. Study spaces. Event spaces. Exhibit
spaces. Service points. Stacks.

7. Touchpoints in User Journey Mapping

8. Find out if the library
has a book you want.
Go get it. Check it out.
Book
Available
Search Results
Hours,
location,
directions
Go to
library
Book
checked
out
Book not
owned
Place hold
Get
notified
Request
through
ILL, etc.
Check out
at desk
Find in the
stacks

9. Policies and general information. About us.
Hours. Events. Support. Help pages. FAQs. Self-
help knowledge base entries. Instructional content.
How-to guides. Interface language and
microcopy. System alerts. Status messages.
Button text. Form labels. Email and text
notifications. Personal support. Email. Chat. Text.
Marketing and outreach. Email newsletters. Social
media. Press releases. Case studies. Editorial.
Articles. Blog posts. Physical. Wayfinding. Signage.
Content + Copy

10. All
The
Feels

11. Empathy

12. Plutchik’s
Wheel of
Emotions

13. Plutchik’s
Wheel of
Emotions

14. Back to
our user
journey

15. What time does the library
close...
Potential emotions:
Interest, anticipation, trust
When you write, be:
Clear, concise
Strategies:
Make the current day’s hours
obvious.
Present complex hours clearly.
?

16. In another path on the journey...have to
place a request
Potential emotions:
Joy, anticipation, optimism
When you write, be:
Affirmative, friendly
Success! We got your
request and will let you
know when it’s ready.

17. ...and when the opposite happens
Potential emotions:
Annoyance, anger, surprise,
confusion
When you write, be:
Gentle, calm, kind, clear,
helpful
We’re sorry.
Something went wrong.
Use the Ask Us link for
help.

18. When approaching new content…
Learning about an
event via social
media
Interest, distraction,
curiosity
Enthusiastic,
engaging, personal
What are
the potential
user goals?
What might
their
emotions
be?
What does
your writing
need to
convey?

20. Learn up. Read stuff.
Thank you so much.
@heidi_sb | heidisb@umich.edu
All images CCO Public
Domain from Pixabay