Copywriters are responsible for generating the language and text, or copy, that is used in a particular piece of design, or even across the whole of a client’s written communications.
This copy might be used on the packaging for a food product, as the slogan for a brand, company or service or it might even be the entire text for a client publication, such as an annual report: anywhere there is text, there is copywriting.
Usually working in collaboration with a creative director or lead designer, the challenge for copywriters is to continuously formulate fresh and original creative ideas through language whilst meeting the needs of the client and its brand. The careful use of language can give a brand – whether it is a company, product or service – its own unique tone of voice and it is the copywriter’s job to create, manage and police this tone of voice.
Jayne Workman is a copywriter who has worked as head of writing for design group Elmwood, after entering the industry with a degree in English and French and some initial experience in advertising copywriting. ‘It’s often a circuitous and undefined route for writers coming into design. I don’t have a design degree, for instance, but I always wanted to write, although I wasn’t really aware of the role of writing for design,’ she says.
Workman tried writing in various different areas, including advertising and public relations, before finding a post in design. Where advertising copy is often quite conceptual and generally very short, Workman says that the output of a design copywriter is very varied: ‘everything from a sausage pack to an annual report’.
‘My role is often quite broad. I will be involved in the strategic discussions with clients as well as the creative implementation as a wordsmith. We spend a lot of time interviewing clients and their staff and that’s where, almost like a journalist, you discover little stories which you can then bring to life. This prevents your copy from just being a cosmetic lick of paint.’
There are no formal copywriting qualifications at higher education level, although studies in advertising, communications, marketing, media or English (and languages generally) can be helpful.
In recent years there has been a rise in awareness and appreciation of the power of writing in design, but copywriting is still not always listed as a core function in the design process, so Workman suggests that aspirational copywriters contact design agencies directly to seek work or placements. ‘Generate your own material from your own briefs if you haven’t got any experience and try and get a placement if possible. If you’re bright and creative most consultancies won’t want to let you go,’ she says.
D&AD has also introduced a Writing for Design category in its Student Awards, bringing it into line with the charity’s professional awards programme and offering student writers a chance to have their work reviewed by professionals.