UX copywriting always matters. Obvs.
But in a mental health app young people might visit when in crisis, getting the messaging and user journey just right can mean saving a life.
[Deep breaths.]
With our young users always on my mind and heart, I take the responsibility and potential impact of UX copywriting for the Soluna app seriously – which is why I personally wrote or edited every UX copy flow in the app prior to launch. Whether a user logged in looking for a laugh or looking for a lifeline, the copy and flows needed to anticipate and accommodate the best- and worst-case scenarios.
[Inhale. Exhale.]
Fortunately, I’m not the only one on my team who obsesses over UX copy to promote safety, brand-building, and a general passion for solving problems with words. None of Soluna’s UX flows would strike such a beautiful balance of form and function without the talent of my team’s two literary legends: Editorial Director Sara Crolick (former COO of studio BE) and Editorial Manager Makeda Brown (published author and advocate of 1M4).
Here’s what a few high-stakes UX copy flows look like in practice, all written to solve business challenges and/or safeguard the app for our users:
• Safety tab resources: Some users in crisis need immediate support. Other users have ongoing niche mental health needs (including disordered eating, substance use, LGBTQ+ challenges, and food or housing insecurity). I worked with the Product and Design teams to revamp the Safety tab so that no matter how urgent or specific their need, users would be able to find support quickly and feel encouraged to ask for help.
• Live coaching: One of Soluna’s standout features, 1:1 FREE live coaching, seems almost too good to be true — and in fact, users didn’t think it was true. That’s why I teamed up with the Design team — to solution a flow that clarified Soluna's no-cost coaching and removed account sign-up obstacles. For bonus points, we customized the UX flow for users under different contracts, developing a variety of eligibility criteria checks to ensure that every user journey made sense within the framework of the primary coaching flow.
• PHQ-4: The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) is an ultra-brief screener that leverages a four-point Likert scale to identify symptoms of anxiety and depression. Working closely with the Clinical and Design teams to ensure compliance and safeguarding of this survey, I also infused the tone with warmth to reassure users and avoid diagnosis.