UI/UX - lesson 6 | HackIndia Skills

Key point

One job per line

Good UI copy tells the user what this thing is, what just happened, or what to do next. It should reduce thinking, not decorate the screen.

Where copy matters

In a hackathon app, recruiters and judges scan fast. They should not need you standing next to the laptop to explain every button.

Focus on high-impact places: screen titles, form labels, button text, empty states, error messages, confirmation messages, and navigation labels.

Your to-do

Write useful buttons

Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.

Start with a verb: Save, Pay, Join, Upload, Book, Create.
Say the result, not the component: Use “Create team” instead of “Submit”.
Match the user’s goal: Use “Pay ₹199” instead of “Continue” when payment is next.
Keep primary button copy to 2 to 4 words when possible.
Use the same label for the same action across all screens.

0 of 5 done

Common mistake

Do not blame users

Bad error copy sounds like a scolding: “Invalid input” or “You entered wrong data”. Good error copy explains the problem and the fix.

If your app can detect the issue, say exactly what is missing. If it cannot, give a safe next step.

Example

Before and after

Here is a simple copy pass for a student project submission form. Notice how every line helps the user move forward.

Screen title
Before: Details
After: Submit your project

Label
Before: Link
After: Public GitHub repository link

Helper text
Before: Enter valid link
After: Paste a public repo URL, like https://github.com/name/project

Primary button
Before: Submit
After: Submit project

Error
Before: Invalid URL
After: Use a public GitHub link that starts with https://github.com/

Empty state
Before: No data
After: No projects submitted yet. Submit your first project to get feedback.

Tip

Use AI carefully

You can ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to rewrite UI copy. Give it your screen goal, user type, and current text.

Check that the output is short, clear, and true. AI often makes copy sound too formal or promises something your app does not do.

Prompt:
Rewrite this UI copy for a college hackathon project app.
User: student builder in India.
Goal: submit a project for review.
Tone: clear, short, friendly, not salesy.
Keep button labels under 4 words.

Current copy:
Title: Details
Button: Continue
Error: Invalid
Empty state: Nothing here

Your to-do

Copy checklist

Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.

Replace “Submit”, “Next”, and “Continue” when a clearer action exists.
Make every error answer two questions: what went wrong, and how do I fix it?
Use normal words your college friends would understand.
Remove extra words like “kindly”, “please note”, “successfully done”, and “dear user”.
Read the screen aloud once to catch awkward or confusing text.

0 of 5 done

Your to-do

Do this now

Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.

Open three main screens or flows in your project.
List every title, label, button, empty state, and error message.
Rewrite unclear buttons with action plus result, like “Create team”.
Rewrite errors so they explain the fix, not just the failure.
Commit the copy changes to your public repository.

0 of 5 done

Write clear UI copy

One job per line

Where copy matters

Write useful buttons

Do not blame users

Before and after

Use AI carefully

Copy checklist

Do this now

Quick check