讓我們將焦點放在使用劇本技巧提升顯微鏡上。 (Let’s put the spotlight on elevating microcopy with playwriting techniques.)

“Anything you put in a play — any speech — has got to do one of two things: either define character or push the action of the play along.” — Edward Albee, Playwright

“您在劇本中所做的任何事情-任何講話-都必須做以下兩件事之一：定義角色或推動劇本的動作。” —劇作家愛德華·阿爾比

I first encountered Edward Albee’s words as a college freshman in my undergraduate Intro to Playwriting course. I was no stranger to creative writing, but that class was my first dive into writing for the stage. And now, as I make my first leap into UX as a new graduate, I realize Albee’s words still apply.

在我的大學戲劇寫作入門課程中，我第一次遇到愛德華·阿爾比(Edward Albee)的話是一名大學新生。 我對創意寫作并不陌生，但是那堂課是我第一次涉足舞臺寫作。 現在，當我作為一名新畢業生首次進入UX時，我意識到Albee的話仍然適用。

劇作家以行動來表達自己的話，UX作家也以行動來表達-改變的是他們的舞臺。 (Playwrights pen words for action, and so do UX writers — what changes is their stage.)

Playwrights write a scripted narrative, and that narrative stays contained in specific snippets of time — performances. By following stage directions and director cues, actors trace actions across a constructed world, but the story wraps when the curtain falls. And when it lifts, they play it again.

劇作家寫了一段腳本化的敘事，這種敘事停留在特定的時間片段中- 表演 。 通過遵循舞臺指示和導演提示，演員可以在一個已構建的世界中跟蹤動作，但是當幕布落下時，故事會自動結束。 當它升起時，他們會再次播放。

Now let’s view the theater as a staged interface. The UX writers (playwrights) provide the copy (syntax and stage directions) to move users (characters) through product actions (plot). Plays are conversational. Transactional. And these interacting motives drive a production until the curtain drops.

現在，讓我們將劇院視為分階段的界面。 UX編寫器(編劇)提供副本(語法和階段說明)以通過產品操作(情節)移動用戶(角色)。 戲劇是對話式的。 交易性的。 這些相互作用的動機推動了生產，直到帷幕落下。

Playwrights tinker with syntax, prompts, and rich text to indicate how their characters should engage with their world, and each other. Italicized words in an argument beg more emphasis. Parenthesized adverbs clue actors to speak lines in the appropriate tone. Plays are scripted moments — but spoken lines only land with proper context.

劇作家使用語法，提示和富文本進行修改，以指示其角色應如何與自己的世界以及彼此互動。 爭論中的斜體字更加突出。 帶括號的副詞會提示演員以適當的語調說話。 戲劇是刻板的時刻，但口語只有在適當的背景下才能著陸。

Sound familiar? Strip away the costumes and curtains. You’re looking at a model for effective UX.

聽起來有點熟？ 脫掉服裝和窗簾。 您正在尋找有效UX的模型。

UX編寫者也編寫腳本時刻。 (UX writers script moments, too.)

Our words move users through a series of scenes to reach a definitive end. Our stage cues come as meaningful word choice, deliberate tone.

我們的話語將用戶引導到一系列場景中，以達到最終目標。 我們的舞臺提示來自有意義的單詞選擇，刻意的語調。

Then, for context, the design kicks in. Specific typography and visual cues nudge users in the right direction. As UX writers, we can’t script their thoughts, but we can work with our design and development teams to guide their story.

然后，從上下文出發，開始進行設計。特定的字體和視覺提示會向正確的方向推動用戶。 作為UX編寫者，我們無法編寫他們的想法，但我們可以與我們的設計和開發團隊合作來指導他們的故事。

With parallels between playwriting and UX sketched out, we can take a closer look at the Edward Albee quote I pulled before.

勾勒出劇本和UX之間的相似之處后，我們可以仔細看看我之前提到的Edward Albee報價。

Albee breaks successful language into two theatrical drives.

Albee將成功的語言分為兩個戲劇驅動器。

An effective playwright uses words to:

一個有效的編劇使用以下詞語：

1. Define character.

1. 定義角色。

2. Push action.

2.推動動作。

When we look at a user’s engagement with a UI, the same framework holds, just with a slight shift of phrase.

當我們查看用戶與UI的互動時，相同的框架仍然適用，只是短語稍有變化。

When writing successful microcopy, we want it to:

編寫成功的顯微鏡時 ，我們希望它：

1. Define and maintain a brand voice.

1.定義并維護品牌聲音。

2. Prompt user action.

2.提示用戶采取行動。

We have limited space to communicate with users, so keeping our copy clear, concise, and conversational is key. Our UI should be intuitive. Our microcopy should support that mission, as if we’re stepping into the user’s mind and responding to their inner monologue.

我們與用戶交流的空間有限，因此保持副本清晰，簡潔和對話性是關鍵。 我們的用戶界面應該直觀 。 我們的顯微鏡應該支持該任務，就像我們要深入用戶的頭腦并回應他們的內心獨白一樣。

Basically, we’re looking to stage a user-interface dialogue.

基本上，我們希望進行用戶界面 對話 。

這看起來像什么？ (What would this look like in action?)

讓我們通過在舞臺上實時拍攝顯微照片來增強我們的顯微照片。 (Let’s strengthen our microcopy by picturing it onstage, in real time.)

Here’s a quick scene between a fictional patron and coffee shop employee. Patron wants to post a job on the shop bulletin. Employee is the individual overseeing the project:

這是一個虛構的顧客和咖啡店員工之間的快速場景。 顧客想要在商店公告上發布工作。 員工是監督項目的個人：

Patron stands facing a bulletin board decorated with flyers. They hold a homemade flyer of their own. Employee, wearing a branded apron, approaches.

顧客站立面對飾有傳單的布告欄。 他們擁有自己的自制傳單。 身穿名牌圍裙的員工走近。

Employee: Hey, you look a little lost. Can I help you?

員工：嘿，你看起來有些迷茫。 我可以幫你嗎？

Patron: Uh, yeah. How do people get jobs up there?

顧客：是的。 人們如何在那找到工作？

Employee: Customers run their flyers by me.

員工：客戶由我經營傳單。

Patron: How do you decide what to post?

顧客：您如何決定發布什么？

Employee: If they’re appropriate, we tack ’em up.

員工：如果合適的話，我們會提出建議。

Patron: Oh, neat. Can I throw one on?

顧客：哦，整潔。 我可以穿一個嗎？

Employee: Depends. What’s the job?

員工：視情況而定。 做什么工作

Patron: I’m looking for a freelance copy editor.

顧客：我正在尋找自由撰稿人。

Employee: Part-time?

員工：兼職？

Patron: Yep.

顧客：是的。

Employee looks over Patron’s printout.

員工查看Patron的打印輸出。

Employee: Looks good. Pop it under the freelance section.

員工：看起來不錯。 將其放到自由職業者部分下。

Notice how, in this mini scene, Employee approaches Patron to learn their needs. When writing for UX, we typically fuse this step into our copy to anticipate them instead. Now let’s transpose their conversation into a verbal UI exchange, with Patron as User and Employee as Interface:

請注意，在這個小型場景中， 員工如何與Patron一起學習他們的需求。 在編寫UX時，我們通常將此步驟融合到我們的副本中以代替預期 。 現在，讓我們將他們的對話轉換成口頭UI交換，以Patron作為User ，Employee作為Interface：

User navigates to a web bulletin where they can post or search for jobs. When given a choice between buttons “Post”or “Search,” they click “Post.”

用戶導航到網絡公告，他們可以在其中發布或搜索職位。 當在按鈕“發布”或“搜索”之間選擇時，他們單擊“發布”。

Interface: Here to hire? Let’s get to work. What position are you looking to fill?

接口：在這里租？ 讓我們開始工作。 您想填補什么職位？

User: Freelance copy editor.

用戶：自由復制編輯器。

Interface: Is this position full or part-time?

界面：該職位是全職還是兼職？

User: Part-time.

用戶：兼職。

Interface: How would you describe this job to applicants?

界面：您如何向求職者描述這份工作？

User: We’re looking for a savvy freelance editor to tackle our biweekly public health beat.

用戶：我們正在尋找一位精明的自由編輯來解決我們每兩周一次的公共衛生問題。

Interface: Great. Here are some suggested tags to get more eyes on your posting.

界面：很棒。 以下是一些建議的標簽，可讓您更多地關注您的帖子。

The scene would continue in a similar manner until User’s job posting is complete. Written out as a conversation, it can get pretty wordy, even if our scene’s language does establish character and prompt action per Albee’s advice. Our job as UX writers is to determine this path of user activity and work with designers to make these verbal exchanges more intuitive.

場景將以類似的方式繼續，直到完成用戶的職位發布為止。 以對話形式編寫，即使我們場景的語言確實根據Albee的建議確定了角色并Swift采取了行動，它也會變得很羅word。 我們作為UX編寫者的工作是確定用戶活動的路徑，并與設計師合作，使這些口頭交流更加直觀。

We can take this playwriting exercise, for instance, and integrate some of its dialogue into the UI design of a fictional job site with:

例如，我們可以進行此劇本寫作練習，并將其一些對話集成到一個虛構的工作網站的UI設計中，該腳本具有以下功能：

• Input fields. Instead of verbally asking User, “What position are you looking to fill?” we could use Job Title as the placeholder text in an input field. Same goes for Job Description. This consolidates multiple lines of dialogue into one intuitive step.

  輸入字段。 與其口頭詢問用戶，“您要填補哪個職位？” 我們可以使用“職務”作為輸入字段中的占位符文本。 職位描述也是如此 。 這將多行對話整合為一個直觀的步驟。

• Selectable tags. Below User’s inputted job description, we can provide a horizontal scroll of additional tags they can activate by clicking.

  可選標簽。 在用戶輸入的職位描述下方，我們可以提供可以單擊的其他標簽的水平滾動。

But while we do want concise copy, we shouldn’t let efficiency overpower our brand voice. Indeed.com’s job posting form opts for a Job Title label with no placeholder text. This approach aligns with the company’s practical tone — their primary goal is to provide a functional hiring platform.

但是，盡管我們確實希望簡明扼要，但我們不應該讓效率壓倒我們的品牌聲音。 的確，Indeed.com的職位發布表單選擇了沒有占位符文本的職位標簽。 這種方法與公司的實用語氣吻合-他們的主要目標是提供一個實用的招聘平臺。

Indeed’s job description section follows suit. Notice how they add a succinct line below their field title to prompt appropriate user input.

確實，“職位描述”部分也是如此。 請注意，他們如何在字段標題下添加簡潔的行以提示適當的用戶輸入。

But if our fictional job site is known for a friendlier tone, maybe we’d use label text like Indeed’s and include placeholder text in the actual field, too.

但是，如果我們的虛構工作網站以友善的語調而聞名，也許我們會使用如確實的標簽文本，并在實際字段中加入占位符文本。

我們可以呼吁劇本創作，使我們的作品更具對話性。 (We can call on playwriting to make our copy more conversational.)

For example, placeholder text in this job description field could read: Jobs with detailed descriptions get more views. Reach more potential applicants by adding yours. Incorporating brand voice into placeholder text encourages stronger user-product dialogue without compromising other design aspects.

例如，此工作描述字段中的占位符文本可能顯示為： 具有詳細描述的工作將獲得更多視圖。 通過添加您的公司來吸引更多潛在申請人。 將品牌聲音整合到占位符文本中可鼓勵更強大的用戶與產品對話，而不會影響其他設計方面。

現在，我們可以看到劇作家和UX作家之間的聯系。 兩者都使用語言來創建和定義體驗。 (Now, we can see how playwrights and UX writers are linked. Both use language to create and define experiences.)

While I won’t be writing UX plays, I can expand on elements of successful playwriting to map out user interactions and streamline my copy to best facilitate those exchanges.

雖然我不會編寫UX劇本，但我可以擴展成功劇本編寫的要素，以規劃用戶交互并簡化副本，以最好地促進這些交流。

To this end, as UX writers, we might view ourselves as techy pseudo-playwrights: Microcopy makes our lines, and all the web’s a stage.

為此，作為UX編寫者，我們可能會將自己視為高手的偽編劇：微觀制勝了我們的命脈，整個網絡都是一個舞臺。

Have a UX story of your own? Send your ideas our way. More writers and fresh perspectives can only make PatternFly’s Medium publication stronger.

有自己的UX故事嗎？ 用我們的方式發送您的想法 。 更多的作家和嶄新的觀點只能使PatternFly的Medium出版物更強大。