What makes UX writing like standup? Funny you should ask. A good joke is like writing an effective string: You don’t get a lot of words, timing is everything, and software engineers shouldn’t attempt either without assistance. In this talk, Vivek Sri shares how understanding joke structure can make us better UX writers. Product writing honors audience expectations, a joke subverts them, but both rely on understanding a story in your audience’s mind.

In this session, we will:

• Autopsy a joke or two to uncover the underlying structure and how to use (that is, misuse) audience expectations.
• Learn the Four Attitudes of Comedy and how they can be used to improve every single flow.
• Discuss rhythm, cadence, and the flavor of your product language—unpacking not only the words, but the music.