Design & UXBeginner 1 to 2 hours

Rewrite Error Messages

Rewrite 10 technical error messages into user-friendly, actionable copy.

The Scenario

A banking app shows error messages like "Error 403: Unauthorized," "Transaction failed: timeout exception," and "Invalid input: field cannot be null." Users call the support centre in a panic.

The Brief

Rewrite 10 technical error messages into plain language that tells users (1) what happened, (2) why it happened, and (3) what to do next.

Deliverables

  • A table of 10 errors: Original Technical Message → Rewritten User-Friendly Message → Rationale
  • Three tone principles for error messages at this company (e.g., "be honest, not alarming")
  • One error where the best UX is to prevent it entirely rather than show a message, with your prevention design

Submission Guidance

"Something went wrong" is not a good error message either. It tells the user nothing. Good errors are specific: "Your payment could not be processed. Your card was not charged. Try again or use a different card."

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