Pat Duarte

I'm a developer, UX specialist and writer. Keep on reading to find out about work me!

See my work

About Me

I'm a teacher

I'm a certified English teacher and taught English as a foreign language for over 10 years.

I'm a developer

I've got a degree in computer science and worked both for companies and independently.

I'm a UX writer

I started out as a technical writer and ended up writing all kinds of product-related materials.

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I'm versatile.

My specialty is UX writing, but I also have a wide range of skills from all my work experience.

I'm a team player and a fan of process. I was a member of an agile team for years. I've designed, coded, and tested. And, of course, I've written.

Sharing

Communication is key! I've been a presenter and workshop moderator in several conferences as well as independently.

Editing

I'm a ruthless editor.

Talk through your product

UX writing is all about using your product's voice to help users achieve their goals. My experience goes from defining a product's voice to writing that single phrase in a UI that helps build your user's trust and loyalty.

Find me on Upwork

UX Writing

Brand identity

Defining your brand's personality is essential for your users form a personal connection with it. And to describe a personality you use words.

Content style guide

Once you know your brand's personality, you need guidelines for your written content. That's what a content style guide is.

Website

You want the texts in your website to be clear and engaging. Be careful not to oversell it! Make good use of the visual space.

Help docs

Reference material should be straightforward and helpful. It's something your users will come back to when they need help.

UI

In user interfaces every word counts because you can't use many. Be concise, clear, useful, and stick to your voice. All in just a few words.

More

Other examples of UX writing I've done include support email templates, scripts for videos, onboarding material, and blog articles.

My skills

What I've learned along my journey

I was a teacher before becoming a part of the world of software. I got my degree in computer science and worked as a developer before my first technical writing job over 10 years ago. For over 6 years I was as part of an agile team building a UX product. That's when I started shifting to UX writing.

What I've learned during this time are not only the technical skills but also the many skills necessary to become a well-rounded professional. You got that right. I'm not calling them soft skills!

  • Writing

  • UX

  • Coding

  • Agile methodologies

  • Teaching

Sample Work

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Title

Use the title to reflect the purpose of the tutorial.

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Purpose

Have a single purpose for each topic.

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Structure and hierarchy

In a tutorial, define primary and secondary steps. Name the main steps.

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Tooltips

Most of the time you don't see them. Don't forget to be consistent.

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Error message

Title, explanation, and call for action in a language the user can understand.

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Use of visual space

You need the right number of words for the available space. Not too few, not too many.

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Clarity and simplicity

Be straightforward and use simple language.

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Frontloading

Start with the most important bit of information.

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Buttons

Calls for action with the fewest words possible.

14

Countries visited

47

Uke songs

19

Amigurumis

2500

Cups of coffee