do the work where it will live

I’m terrible at judging how much space I have for any project. Ask me to guesstimate how much dirt I can fit in the back of my truck and I’ll be wildly over.

Similarly, as me to write copy for a new home page. The first draft will be 2-3x longer than it has to be.

The single best advice I ever got about writing copy is to write it where it will live. The words on the page are as important as the design of the page.

A website is either pretty enough or ugly enough to look at longer. Anything in between is a pass.

A website isn’t just about copy. Same with product screens. It’s about copy that fits and flows and is pleasing at first glance. The overall aesthetic matters.

That’s why doing the work where it will live matters. Like filling my truck with dirt, it’s too easy to design too much or write too much.

When you write (or design, or build) with restrictions and boxes it forces clarity and concision. Do the work where it will live and the work will shine so much more.

Peter

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