The Designer You Hire Should Know How to Write, Here’s Why

When most people think about hiring a designer, they imagine someone who knows their way around colours, layouts, typography, and software tools like Figma or Adobe. Writing? That usually doesn’t even cross their mind after all, isn’t writing something you’d expect from a copywriter, not a designer?

But here’s the truth: a designer who can write is a completely different level of valuable. They don’t just make things look good; they make them make sense. And in design, clarity is everything.

When Design Looks Great But Fails to Speak

We’ve all come across websites or apps that look stunning at first glance, gorgeous colours, smooth animations, trendy fonts. But then you pause for a second because you’re confused about what to do next. The button doesn’t explain itself, the navigation feels vague, or the headline is too clever for its own good.

This is where writing becomes the secret weapon. Design sets the stage, but words guide the user. If the two aren’t working together, the whole experience falls apart.

Think of a “Sign Up” button. Now imagine if it just said “Continue.” Continue to what? Continue where? A tiny change in words transforms confusion into clarity. That’s writing doing the heavy lifting inside design.

Why Writing is a Design Skill, Not Just a Bonus

A lot of people treat writing as something separate from design but in reality, they’re deeply connected. Good design communicates. And communication happens through both visuals and words.

If a designer can write, they don’t just design around placeholder text (“Lorem ipsum”). They design around real meaning. They think about tone, about whether a line feels welcoming or robotic, about whether instructions feel human or stiff.

Take forms, for example. Imagine you’re filling out a signup form and it says:

“Submit Information.” vs. “Create My Account.”

Both are fine, but one feels transactional, the other feels personal. The difference is in the writing, and a designer who understands this is already improving the experience.

How Writing Shapes the User Experience

Writing isn’t just about long paragraphs or articles it’s everywhere in design. Microcopy (the tiny bits of text you see on buttons, error messages, and tooltips) can make or break how a user feels.

Picture this:
You type the wrong password. The message pops up:

“Error 303: Authentication Failed.”
That’s technical. Cold. Almost scolding.

Now imagine it says:

“Oops! That password doesn’t look right. Try again.”
Suddenly, you feel guided, not blamed. The difference is in tone.

And here’s the kicker: it’s often the designer who decides how that message looks and feels on the interface. If they can’t write, they’ll just drop in something generic, and the experience will suffer.

My Journey with Writing and Design

When I started designing, I came from a writing background. At first, I thought the two were separate, I’d write articles on one side, and design interfaces on the other but the more I worked, the more I realized how naturally the two fit together.

Whenever I designed without thinking about words, I’d end up with something that looked “clean” but felt… empty. But when I brought in my writing brain, suddenly the screens made more sense. I wasn’t just placing shapes and text boxes; I was telling a story.

For example, when I worked on app designs, I’d notice how easy it was for a user to get lost if the labels weren’t clear. A single word tweak could turn confusion into flow. That’s when it hit me: design without writing is like a map without directions. Pretty, but not useful.

Real-World Proof: Where Writing Meets Design

If you look at brands that are loved for their design Airbnb, Slack, Notion you’ll notice something: their words are just as carefully crafted as their visuals.

Airbnb doesn’t just say “Book a room.” It says, “Find a place to stay.” Friendly, and warm.

Slack doesn’t just say “Send a message.” It says things like “You’re all caught up!” which makes the user feel good, not just informed.

Notion makes even complex instructions feel simple because their writing is structured, direct, and approachable.

None of that happens by accident. It happens when designers and writers work together or when the designer can think like a writer themselves.

The Future of Design Needs Writers

Here’s the reality: tools like AI can help anyone put shapes and colours on a screen but writing real, thoughtful, empathetic writing is what will set apart great design from average design in the future.

Clients, especially, should look for designers who understand this because a designer who can write will not just hand you a pretty interface; they’ll hand you an experience that speaks directly to your users.

And as for me, I’m still learning how to balance the two every day. Writing has taught me to slow down, to think about meaning before visuals, and to remember that design is always, always about communication.