Part 9 · 1 chapters · ~9 min
Content Design and Microcopy
Words as part of the interface: writing for the task, buttons that say what happens, exact money language about state, time and cost, tone by moment, strings that survive translation with ICU plurals, and content as part of the design system, with copy for every state of a transfer.
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The words are interface
| state of a transfer | title | body |
|---|---|---|
| submitted, awaiting the bank | Pending | We have sent your transfer to the bank. Most arrive within 10 minutes. We will notify you. |
| confirmed | Sent | ₦15,000 is on its way to Ada Okafor (GTBank ••6789). Reference TRF-81723. |
| failed before debit | Transfer failed | No money left your account. The recipient's bank did not respond. Try again. |
| failed after debit | Refund on the way | The transfer did not complete. ₦15,000 will be back in your account within 24 hours. |
| unknown (timeout) | Checking with the bank | We are confirming whether this transfer went through. Do not send it again. We will update you within 30 minutes. |
code
// strings as whole messages with placeholders and plurals (ICU)
{
"transfer.sent.body": "{amount} is on its way to {name} ({bank} ••{last4}). Reference {ref}.",
"transfers.count": "{n, plural, =0 {No transfers yet} one {# transfer} other {# transfers}}",
"limit.remaining": "You can send up to {limit} today. You have {remaining} left."
}the unknown state
The hardest copy in fintech is for the case where the system genuinely does not know yet. Saying so honestly, and telling the user not to retry, prevents duplicate transfers better than any button-disabling code.
CONTENT DESIGN AND MICROCOPY
the words are interface: clarity, tone, money language, and copy that survives translation
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for the task
Write for the task: front-load the important word ("Transfer failed" before the explanation), use the user's words rather than internal ones ("money you owe", not "outstanding principal exposure"), and keep one idea per sentence. Plain language is faster for everyone, including experts.