*Scenario The user entered the wrong email address to sign in to their account.
Challenge Tell the user to enter the right email.
Constraints 40 characters max*
Remember that time you had difficulty logging into your account on a mobile app or website because your email address seem to be incorrect? You may also recall seeing a brief message on your screen that reads something like “incorrect email or password.”
We have all been there and most times, we found ourselves in that situation because we typed in our login details absentmindedly or in a haste. Encountering this kind of error message can be frustrating, especially when urgently need to access our account. It even gets worse when it’s a platform that doesn’t offer much help on how to navigate that situation.
Today’s challenge requires me to intervene in such a situation and provide a microcopy that would help a user solve that problem. Let’s get started…
To write my microcopy, I would take a cue from Kinneret Yifrah in her book titled “Microcopy The Complete Guide.” According to the writer, you can write the perfect error message in 2 steps and they are;
Where do they come from: the homepage of the app Feelings: bother, annoyance Where do they go from here: they can create a new account, try again with the correct password or close the window How do we help: guide them towards the solution, quickly and seamlessly.
Straightforward: Chiamaka needs a direct explanation of why she can’t log into her bank app.
Helpful: She needs a useful message that will help her navigate the current situation.
Human: To err is human. Chiamaka shouldn’t be blamed for the error, but assisted. A human and natural voice should make her feel better, not worse.
Simple: Anxiety and frustration can make us feel pressured and disoriented. A simple and clear solution should be provided. Not necessarily a good time for jokes.
I would experiment with 5 microcopies among 10 selected people. Look at them below;
