Why Copywriters Should Steal the Product Design Mindset

Copy is often treated as filler instead of an integral part of the user experience. But words, like product features, need a purpose. Copy should simplify complex ideas, guide users, and inspire action. If a sentence isn't helpful, it's clutter.

Have I triggered your writer’s block yet? Don’t worry. Instead of staring at a blinking cursor, let’s learn about product design best practices.

Product designers approach iteration, user feedback, and problem-solving systematically. It's not about building a flawless prototype, but about testing, refining, and optimizing. When you adopt this mindset, you can overcome creative blocks and make your words count.

So, without further ado, here’s a breakdown of how to do it.

1. The Product Design Mindset: Solving Problems, Not Just Creating Assets

Product designers do more than create beautiful interfaces. They solve problems. Likewise, the most artful sentence won’t do much if it doesn’t enhance the user experience. In other words, sometimes you need to “kill your darlings”.

Instead, think of copy as a dynamic tool to drive engagement. That’s why feedback on messaging is as important as feedback on prototypes.   

Image you’re writing microcopy for a fintech app’s onboarding flow. You write a clever, playful line: “Ready to level up your savings? Let’s roll?” 

It sounds fun, but during user testing, some users are confused about what “level” up and “let’s roll” means in this context. The message doesn’t guide them effectively.

A more direct alternative like “Start saving smarter today” might not be as witty, but it improves clarity and drives engagement.

Just like a product designer iterates on a UI element based on user feedback, a copywriter should refine messaging. Copy isn't just about style. It's about solving problems.

2. The Sprint Process: Writing Like a Product Team

Jake Knapp's Sprint offers one of the most valuable lessons copywriters can learn from product designers. The book outlines a five-day process for testing and refining ideas. The core principle? Don’t aim for perfection. Iterate quickly based on real user feedback.

Here's how to write like a product team:

• Draft fast, test early. Create multiple versions and test them instead of obsessing over the final draft.

• Prototype copy. Try different messaging approaches in landing pages, ads, and email to see what resonates.

• Use A/B testing. Test headlines, CTAs, and email subject lines in real-world scenarios to optimize performance.

Say you're writing a tagline for a sustainable investing platform. Here’s how you apply the Sprint mindset:

1. You brainstorm three tagline variations in a single session:

   • Invest with impact.

   • Grow your wealth, protect the planet.

   • Smart investing for a sustainable future.

2. You test these variations by using them in different contexts, such as a website header, a social media ad, or an email subject line.

3. You run paid ads with different taglines to measure click-through rates. The results show that "Grow your wealth, protect the planet." performs best with your target audience.

You didn't spend weeks refining a single tagline. You iterated to come up with a message that resonates, just like a product designer.

3. Rapid Prototyping for Copy: Writing in Context

Product designers create wireframes and prototypes to test layouts before development. You can do the same if you draft content in a real design framework.

How to prototype copy effectively:

• Write directly in design tools like Figma or Miro to see how text fits into the layout.

• Don't write long, standalone documents. Put the copy in context as soon as you can.

• Test microcopy, error messages, and tooltips in beta versions of a product before launch.

For example, you're working on onboarding copy for a new budgeting app. You write directly in Figma, placing text into UI components. Here’s what happens:

1. You notice that the original CTA "Take control of your finances today!" gets cut off on mobile screens. You change it to "Start budgeting today." to fit better.

2. During usability testing, users find the default error message "Invalid entry" unhelpful. You tweak it to "Enter a number between $10 and $10,000" for clarity.

By treating copy like a design element, you ensure it enhances the user experience from the start.

4. Iteration: The Secret to High-Performing Copy

The best-performing copy is optimized over time. Just like product designers rely on user testing and feedback loops, you should continuously refine your work based on data.

How to Gather Insights for Copy Optimization:

• Heatmaps and scroll tracking (e.g., Hotjar) reveal where users drop off on a page.

• User surveys and feedback forms highlight unclear messaging.

• Click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates show which copy drives action.

Now you're writing the landing page for a green investment platform. The hero section headline reads:

"Invest in a better future."

At launch, the page gets decent traffic. But Hotjar heatmaps show users don't scroll past the hero. You A/B test it against a different headline:

"Grow your wealth while protecting the planet."

After a few weeks, CTR goes up by 20%, indicating the new copy resonates better.

Moreover, a user survey revealed some visitors didn’t fully understand how the platform worked. You refine the sub-headline to:

"Sustainable investing made simple. Start with just $50."

Continually optimizing copy ensures it’s well written and effective.

5. The Power of Teamwork: Collaborating Like a Product Designer

To create seamless experiences, product designers collaborate with developers, marketers, and UX researchers. Copywriters should do the same.

Tips for Effective Cross-Team Collaboration:

• Participate in product design sprints to align messaging with UX.

• Work with UX researchers to understand user pain points.

• Set up a shared content system so design and copy work together

Image you're working on the onboarding flow for a green bank. You join a product design sprint instead of writing copy alone. Here’s how it goes:

1. Collaborating with UX researchers:

   • Research reveals that new users hesitate to switch banks due to fee uncertainty.

   • You changed the onboarding copy to address this:

     "No hidden fees. Just easy, impact-driven banking."

2. Working with designers:

   • The UI is cluttered with a long paragraph about sustainable banking.

   • You break it into a concise value proposition section with bullet points.

3. Setting up a shared content system:

   • To avoid versioning issues, you store copy in Figma to ensure designers always use the latest text.

Embed yourself in the design process, and you can create copy that works with the product experience, not against it.

Final Thoughts

Iteration is the key to good copy. The days of crafting one, "final" version of a webpage or email are over. By embracing rapid prototyping, user testing, and collaboration, copywriters can create effective messaging.

Start thinking like a product designer. This week, A/B test one piece of copy, collaborate with a designer early, or gather feedback on your messaging. The more you iterate, the more powerful your copy will become.