UI/UX
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.
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.
0 of 7 lessons done · proved by a submitted hackathon project
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.
0 of 5 done
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.
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.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 hereDo each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.
0 of 5 done
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.
0 of 5 done
Answer the quick check to finish this lesson.