Writers of Silicon Valley: Recent Episodes
Patrick Stafford
The future is words. More businesses are investing in high quality UX writers and content strategists. Apple, Uber, Shopify, Spotify, Amazon...the list goes on. "UX Writer" is now one of the hottest jobs in tech - and around the world, too. Why? They realise writers embedded in design crews are the great differentiator. This podcast is all about those writers - who they are, where they come from, what they do...and why the work they do is so important. You've heard all about the stories of building computers in garages. Now it's time for the writers to stand up - and take their place.
Get 20% off workshops and courses at UX Content Collective. For content designers who want to upgrade their thinking, check out Advanced UX Content for Product.
Jenny Williams is one of the most experienced content designers in the world. And now she's written a novel about a content designer.
Jenny's worked at places like Microsoft and Google, where's worked on AI products. She could already see that the technology was exciting, terrifying, and likely to change far more than the products being built with it - including the role of content designers themselves.
Then she left tech and wrote House of Liars: a novel about writers brought to a remote island to compete for a publishing prize.
At the centre of the story is Anna, a former content designer with a complicated history with AI - and, in Jenny's words, a "warped or twisted" version of herself.
Jenny joins me to talk about turning her experience in content design and AI into fiction, why the best product writing requires the writer to disappear, and what we lose when content designers stop writing words and become overseers of systems that write them.
What we talked about:
✅ How working on Microsoft's AI ethics team inspired House of Liars✅ Why the book began as a memoir and became a novel about a content designer confronting AI ✅ Why content design turned out to be the perfect job for the story's protagonist ✅ How AI has become an ethical litmus test for writers, designers, and technologists ✅ What it felt like to discover that Jenny's first novel had been used to train AI without her permission ✅ Why Jenny left tech as content design shifted from writing words to overseeing systems that write them ✅ Whether UX practitioners can challenge harmful AI decisions without putting their careers at risk
Where to find "House of Liars":
- Website
- Jenny's Newsletter
Get 20% off workshops and courses at UX Content Collective. For content designers who want to upgrade their thinking, check out Advanced UX Content for Product.
Get 25% off courses, workshops, and bundles at UX Content Collective! Ends May 29.
IT'S A "BEST OF" SERIES!
We're digging back into the archives and resurfacing some of the best episodes of the Writers of Silicon Valley podcast i the conversations that have held up, and in some cases gotten more relevant since they first aired.
This one's with Chelsea Larsson. She currently leads content design at Anthropic, but when this conversation happened she was at Expedia.
We got into the future of content design, UX writing, how AI is reshaping the work, and why content designers shouldn't cling to old definitions. And maybe…why content designers should learn Python?
Worth a second listen if you caught it the first time, and a good place to start if you didn't.
Things we discuss during this episode:
- Generative artificial intelligence
- Information Architecture for the Web
- Open AI, ChatGPT, Gemini
- Python
Chelsea and her stuff:
- Chelsea on LinkedIn
- Smallish Book (newsletter)
🎧 Start listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Get 20% off workshops and courses at UX Content Collective. For content designers who want to upgrade their thinking, check out Advanced UX Content for Product.
Oleksii Tkachenko has worked across software engineering, UX, and content design, which makes him unusually well-positioned to talk about what's happening in content design right now.
In this episode, we talk about the growing identity crisis inside content design: the pressure to become more technical, the race to automate workflows, and the uncomfortable question sitting underneath all of it...what parts of the craft are actually worth keeping?
We explore why so much AI discourse online feels detached from reality, why many companies still don't know what they want from content designers, and why the profession risks redefining itself around tools instead of outcomes.
Enjoy!
What we talked about:
✅ Why LinkedIn creates a distorted picture of AI adoption ✅ The three different types of companies hiring content designers right now ✅ Why "AI curiosity" means different things at different organizations ✅ The danger of optimizing for output instead of product quality ✅ The tension between craft, speed, and automation ✅ Why content designers are becoming the "context bearers" for AI systems ✅ The risk of redefining content design around tools instead of outcomes ✅ Why some people are quietly mourning the old version of the profession ✅ The similarities between today's AI shift and the rise of UX writing years ago
Where to find Adedayo:
- Website
Get 20% off workshops and courses at UX Content Collective. For content designers who want to upgrade their thinking, check out Advanced UX Content for Product.
🎧 Start listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, subscribe on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Get 20% off workshops and courses at UX Content Collective. For content designers who want to upgrade their thinking, check out Advanced UX Content for Product.
Adedayo Agarau is a poet, a Stanford Wallace Stegner Fellow, and a content designer who has worked on AI search at Google and on Grok at XAI. He came to content design through web writing, a Nigerian fintech startup, a browser company, and an MFA at Iowa - not the path anyone would have predicted, and exactly the kind of path that produces someone worth listening to.
We talk about what it actually means to design for a large language model: how personality gets built, why guide rails are a writing problem, why the distinction between an ideal response and just a response is what separates well-designed AI from the rest...and why content designers are the best ones to do this type of work.
What we talked about:
✅ How Adedayo discovered poetry through a Nigerian social app ✅ What it was like contributing to AI-powered Google Search ✅ Designing voice, tone, and personality for Grok ✅ Why the X algorithm amplifies shock value and what that does to content designers ✅ Why AI hype creates both overclaiming and unhealthy skepticism ✅ What engineers actually want from content designers when building AI systems ✅ The case for treating data as content, not just content as data ✅ Why designing an AI agent is fundamentally the same as writing a character
Where to find Adedayo:
- Website
- Github
Get 20% off workshops and courses at UX Content Collective. For content designers who want to upgrade their thinking, check out Advanced UX Content for Product.
Want to learn how to use AI to build with other content designers? Join the Content Design AI Accelerator. Applications open until January 30.
Why wearable tech will change content design Smart glasses and wearable devices have been "just around the corner" for years. But quietly, that's starting to change.
In this episode, I speak with Carly Gray, a content designer who's spent years working on AR and wearable products, including smart glasses at North and Meta. While much of the industry debates AI and screens, Carly has been designing content for products where there's little or no screen at all.
We talk about what changes when content moves off phones and into the physical world, why wearables raise entirely new design and ethical challenges, and what content designers need to start learning now if they want to stay relevant as new platforms emerge.
What we talked about: ✅ How Carly moved from technical writing into content design for AR and smart glasses ✅ Why smart glasses are different from VR, and why wearability matters more than novelty ✅ Designing content with extreme space constraints (or no screen at all) ✅ Using sound, voice, and companion apps to communicate when text isn't an option ✅ Why "designing for the bystander" is as important as designing for the user ✅ What wearable tech reveals about the future skill set of content designers ✅ Why conversation design and systems thinking matter more in emerging platforms
Where to find Carly: Website: carlygray.ca LinkedIn: Carly Gray Twitter: @carlygray
THANK YOU FOR 50 EPISODES!
This is the 50th episode of Writers of Silicon Valley. Thank you for listening all this time - through my bad editing skills, a three year break, and me saying "absolutely" a lot.
It means so much that you'd tune in once, let alone 50 times. So thank you :)
As an extra 'thank you' I'm offering 35% off Advanced UX Content for Product at UX Content Collective. Use PODCAST35 at checkout :)
Here's to 50 more.
Content design for AI agents Christopher Greer has been creating cool content design resources for years, but his latest is a real accomplishment: a Claude Skill that hooks into Figma and critiques UX writing.
It turns out Chris is quite optimistic about the state of the content design market.
We talk about his work at Stripe, what it actually means to design content for AI agents and internal systems - not chatbots for end users, but the infrastructure, context, and governance that sit behind them.
Chris shares how content design skills translate directly into agent design, why context management is now a core capability, and how content designers can scale their influence by working closer to engineering and systems.
What we talked about: ✅ Why content design skills map closely to designing AI agents and systems ✅ Context management, "context rot," and why structure matters more than prompts ✅ How content designers can scale influence through internal tools and governance ✅ Working as a content designer inside an engineering-led company like Stripe ✅ What Chris learned building and open-sourcing a Claude skill for UX writing critique ✅ Why GitHub and version control are becoming practical skills for content designers ✅ The risks AI poses to junior roles, and the strategic work that won't disappear ✅ Why qualitative judgment, taste, and human evaluation still matter
Where to find Chris: * LinkedIn * Chris's blog * Chris's Claude Skill
👉 Get up to 35% off everything at UX Content Collective until December 16!
It's the end of the year, which means it's time for a little reflection.
I've picked 5 clips from the most popular episodes of the year.
Have a wonderful end of the year / holiday season, and I'll see you all in 2026.
Any suggestions, interview ideas? Hit me up at patrick@uxcontent.com.
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Buy Margo's book, "Good Job", at her website
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
👉 Sign up to our UX writing newsletters
How to ace your design interview Interviews are horrible. No one likes them. But does it have to be that way?
Margo Stern's new book, Good Job, takes on design interviews - both for candidates and for the people creating the interview process. She goes into great detail about how to actually ace a design interview, and for hiring managers, how to design an interview process that treats people like human beings.
We delve into all sorts of great discussions about interviews. How to ace them, what they get wrong, and what companies need to do to make the interview process better for designers.
Enjoy!
What we talked about: ✅ Why interviewing is a separate skill from doing the job ✅ How candidates can prepare through self‑reflection, rehearsal, and storytelling ✅ Why the STAR method works (and why most people use it badly) ✅ The real reason case studies fall flat and how to make yours a story, not a status report ✅ How to research a company without crossing the line into oversharing ✅ The advantages extroverts have in interviews and how introverts can level the field ✅ How candidates can show genuine interest without being performative ✅ How to read red flags in interview processes (ghosting, unclear expectations, chaotic loops) ✅ The danger of applying to too many jobs and why "less, but better" works for both sides ✅ The key questions both candidates and interviewers should ask
Where to find Margo: 📖 Margo's website Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
👉 Sign up to our UX writing newsletters
Ditto 2.0 is here, and wants you to rethink product content Five years ago, Ditto launched as one of the first tools built specifically for managing product copy at scale. Now? It’s powering content systems for some of the biggest design teams in tech and it just relaunched with a major update.
In this episode, I catch up with co-founders Jess and Jo about what they’ve learned since founding Ditto, what it's like to rebuild a product from the ground up, and why strong content systems are more essential than ever especially in the age of AI.
Learn what these founders are hearing from the heads of design teams about content, why systems thinking is more important than ever, and why they're optimistic about the future of content design.
What we talked about: ✅ How Ditto’s vision has changed (and stayed the same) ✅ Why rebuilding the product from scratch was the right call ✅ What they’ve learned from working with dozens of enterprise teams ✅ How to support content systems in companies with messy, legacy infrastructure ✅ What sales has taught them about communicating the value of content ✅ How AI is shaping expectations—and where it actually adds value ✅ Why more content designers should think like founders
Where to find Ditto: 📖 Ditto
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
Should content designers care about "vibe coding"? AI prototyping has taken the design world by storm. Replit, Cursor, Lovable, Figma Make...all of them are certainly very cool. But do they actually change the way we design? And if they do, should we even care?
David Hamilton joins me to talk about it.
What we talked about: ✅ Designing content for cars across screens, systems, and contexts ✅ The stakes of language in safety-critical interfaces ✅ Why consistency across app and vehicle language really matters ✅ How content designers can shape AI systems ✅ What “vibe coding” is and why content still plays a key role ✅ Why the last 5% of polish is the new differentiator ✅ The importance of taste, trust, and systems thinking
Where to find David: 📖 LinkedIn
📖 David's Substack
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
👉 Check out the Content Design Salary Survey
When words make or break the player experience Most content designers work in apps, websites, and services. But what happens when your product is a massive open-world RPG or a competitive shooter?
In this episode, I talk with Ben Moran, a UX writer who’s worked on AAA video games, about the unique challenges of designing language for games. From menu systems and HUD elements to skill trees and settings, we explore how content design in games is a constant balancing act between immersion and usability.
We also talk about the differences between “content design” in the gaming industry (quests, story content) versus UX writing for UI, and why game studios are missing opportunities when they don’t bring dedicated UX writers onto their teams.
What we talked about: ✅ How Ben transitioned from product design and copywriting into UX writing for games ✅ The difference between content design for quests and UX writing for UI ✅ Immersion vs. usability: why both matter, and how to find the balance ✅ Deciding when to name things in a game (and when not to) ✅ Making complex systems like skill trees, armor upgrades, and settings feel approachable ✅ Why players will tolerate complexity in gameplay, but not in basic navigation ✅ The missed opportunity when studios don’t hire UX writers ✅ Lessons from games that can inspire innovation in digital products
Where to find Ben: 📖 LinkedIn
📖 Ben's article on UX writing in video games
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
👉 Check out the Content Design Salary Survey
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is available for preorder. Order and get 25% off, plus 30% off another course or workshop.
👉 Get 25% off all courses and workshops at UX Content Collective
Navigate AI with clarity, not panic There’s a lot of noise about AI right now. It’s going to replace us. It’s going to revolutionize everything. It’s the best thing since sliced bread or the beginning of the end.
In this episode, Andrew Stein, a content design leader and thoughtful skeptic, helps us cut through the noise. We talk about what AI actually means for content professionals, how to spot the hype, and what it looks like to respond with nuance instead of fear.
This isn’t an AI doomscroll. It’s a clear-eyed look at the choices ahead of us—and why content designers are uniquely positioned to ask the right questions.
What we talked about: ✅ Why skepticism is a healthy response to AI ✅ What content design still does better than AI (by a long shot) ✅ The pressure to “prove your value” in the age of automation ✅ How to have thoughtful conversations about AI at work ✅ Why embracing complexity is part of the job now ✅ The difference between curiosity and panic ✅ Where content strategy still shines no matter the tools ✅ Why being critical of tech isn’t being anti-tech
Where to find Andrew: 📖 LinkedIn
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is available for preorder. Order and get 25% off, plus 30% off another course or workshop.
👉 Get 25% off all courses and workshops at UX Content Collective
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 ATTEND OUR MAJOR COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT ON MAY 6. REGISTER HERE. 👉 Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective with PODCAST20.
Staying hopeful, getting hired, and embracing the hustle The job market for content designers hasn’t been easy—and it’s even harder when you're trying to break into the field for the first time. But if there’s anyone who knows how to stay resilient through the process, it’s Casey Webb.
In this episode, Casey shares her journey from marketing to UX content design—navigating layoffs, contracts, full-time roles, and everything in between. She talks candidly about building confidence, managing rejection, and why being coachable has been her secret weapon in landing roles at companies like Wells Fargo, Warner Bros. Discovery, eBay, and Indeed.
If you’re job searching right now, or just feeling uncertain about your next move, this episode is for you.
What we talked about: ✅ How Casey transitioned from marketing into content design ✅ The ups and downs of job hunting over the last few years ✅ Why the expectations for content designers have changed ✅ The importance of business impact and strategic thinking in portfolios ✅ How to deal with contradictory interview feedback ✅ Why the “one yes” mindset can help you push through ✅ Tips for preparing for interviews and asking smart questions ✅ Why reaching out and building a network really works ✅ How to show up with humility and curiosity—on and off paper ✅ Staying grounded when the job search gets tough
Where to find Casey: 📖 LinkedIn
👉 ATTEND OUR MAJOR COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT ON MAY 6. REGISTER HERE. 👉 Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective with PODCAST20.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Get 25% off courses and workshops through April 6, 2025 at UX Content Collective.
👉 Check out Victor’s Substack, Footbridge
👉 Victor's piece on content design that sparked this conversation
Rethinking influence, resentment, and the future of content design It’s easy (and often correct) to blame external factors for why content design doesn’t get the respect it deserves. But what if some of our biggest challenges are ones we’ve created ourselves?
In this episode, Victor Beigelman, a longtime content designer at Meta, joins us for a candid conversation about how content designers might be getting in their own way. From clinging too tightly to writing as a core identity to unintentionally acting like the “language police,” Victor lays out a case for humility, adaptability, and product thinking as paths forward.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your content career, questioned your influence, or wondered what’s next for the discipline - this one’s for you.
What we talked about: ✅ How acting like the “language police” hurts your credibility ✅ Why content design isn’t always seen as essential and how to change that ✅ What it means to be a “full-stack content designer” ✅ How to work more strategically with product and design partners ✅ Why style guide debates don’t move the needle ✅ How to build influence through collaboration not control ✅ Where content designers can lead in AI, AR/VR, and new interfaces ✅ The role of humility in building long-term impact
Where to find Tom: 📖 LinkedIn 📖 Substack – Footbridge
Enjoying the podcast? 👉 Leave a review and share this episode with your network!
👉 Get 25% off courses and workshops through April 6, 2025 at UX Content Collective.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout.
👉 Check out "Articulating Design Decisions"
Mastering the art of defending your designs As a content designer, you’ve probably been asked, "Why did you use that word?" or "Why does this need to change?" Defending design decisions can be tough. Especially when feedback comes from stakeholders who might not fully understand content strategy.
In this episode, Tom Greever, author of "Articulating Design Decisions", shares his framework for explaining and defending design choices with confidence. We talk about how to avoid common pitfalls, navigate stakeholder relationships, and build influence through persuasion, not confrontation.
If you’ve ever struggled with defending your work or felt sidelined in design discussions, this episode will give you the tools to communicate your decisions clearly and build credibility.
What we talked about: ✅ Why content designers struggle with defending decisions more than visual designers ✅ How to explain design choices without getting defensive ✅ How to anticipate stakeholder objections and respond effectively ✅ The role of confidence, persuasion, and relationship-building in design ✅ How to handle feedback that feels personal (without losing confidence) ✅ How to influence without authority and earn a place in strategic conversations ✅ Why writing things down is the best way to clarify your own thinking
Where to find Tom: 📖 LinkedIn 📖 Website 📖 Book: "Articulating Design Decisions"
Enjoying the podcast? 👉 Leave a review and share this episode with your network!
Get 20% off UX Content Collective courses with code PODCAST20.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout. The rise of UX writing in India UX writing is still a young discipline in India, but it’s growing—fast. In this episode, Sidika Sehgal shares what’s happening on the ground: the demand for UX writers, why hiring is so challenging, and how localization is reshaping product experiences in one of the world’s most diverse markets.
Sidika, a content designer at Rubrik, has seen the industry evolve over the past few years. She explains why tech investment in India is booming, what’s still holding UX writing back, and why the lack of senior UX writers is creating an uphill battle for many in the field.
From the challenges of hiring UX writers in India to the unique role language and localization play in product design, this conversation dives deep into the realities of being a UX writer in an emerging market.
What we talked about: ✅ The rise of UX writing in India and why the field is growing fast ✅ How India’s tech industry is shifting from outsourcing to full-scale product teams ✅ The biggest challenges for hiring UX writers in India ✅ Why UX writing salaries are finally catching up to product design salaries ✅ The role of localization—why Indian products often use a mix of English + regional languages ✅ The unique UX challenges in India, from smartphone adoption to non-intuitive UI patterns ✅ How UX writers in India are figuring things out without senior mentors ✅ The lack of specialization—why India doesn’t yet have growth writers, conversation designers, or accessibility specialists ✅ Why companies need to hire for potential, not just experience ✅ The future of UX writing in India—what’s needed for it to grow
Where to find Sidika: 📖 Sidika’s article on UX Writing in India 📖 Sidika on LinkedIn 📖 UX Content Collective – Courses & Workshops
Enjoying the podcast? 👉 Leave a review and share this episode with your network!
Get 20% off UX Content Collective courses with code PODCAST20.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout. From layoff to leadership: How Cara Lam rebuilt her career Getting laid off is tough—but for content designers on work visas, it can feel like everything is on the line. When Cara Lam lost her job at Instagram during the wave of tech layoffs, she had just 60 days to figure out her next move or leave the country.
What followed was a relentless job search, rejections, and a journey of self-discovery. In this episode, Cara shares how she bounced back, the lessons she learned from her time at Meta, Venmo, NBC Universal, and Silicon Valley Bank, and why content designers need to embrace strategy, research, and resilience to stand out in today’s job market.
If you've ever struggled with layoffs, job hunting, or making your content career more sustainable, this conversation is packed with real talk, tactical advice, and industry insights you won’t want to miss.
What we talked about: ✅ How Cara moved across Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the US—and stumbled into content design ✅ What it’s really like working at Instagram/Meta as a content designer ✅ The hackathon project that could have changed Instagram Stories forever ✅ How financial UX writing is different from other industries—and why it matters ✅ What it feels like to get laid off at a big tech company ✅ Job hunting after a layoff—how to survive endless rejections ✅ The power of referrals, LinkedIn outreach, and strategic networking ✅ How contract work helped Cara get back into the industry ✅ Interviewing like a pro—portfolio tips that helped her land a job ✅ Why every content designer should think like a business strategist
Notable quotes: 💬 "Your job can be taken away, but your skills and passion can’t." — Cara Lam 💬 "If you want to get hired, show that you understand how content affects business outcomes." — Cara Lam
Where to find Cara: 🔗 LinkedIn 📸 Instagram: @thecaraadventures
Enjoying the podcast? 👉 Leave a review and share this episode with your network!
Get 20% off UX Content Collective courses with code PODCAST20.
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20.
Burnout isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a reality for many of us working in UX and tech. The long hours, the shifting priorities, the constant pressure to prove our value… it all adds up. And if you’re not careful, it can take a serious toll.
Yvonne Xiao has been there. She’s worked at companies like Microsoft and Uber, navigating the highs and lows of content design in fast-paced environments. But instead of letting burnout define her career, she’s figured out how to manage it—by setting boundaries, redefining success, and embracing a more sustainable approach to work.
In this episode, we talk about how to recognize burnout before it’s too late, the mistakes we all make when trying to "push through," and why setting boundaries isn’t just about saying no—it’s about knowing your worth.
If you’ve ever felt drained by your work or wondered how to make content design (or any job in tech) actually sustainable, this one’s for you.
What we talked about:
- How Yvonne transitioned from film school to content design
- The early signs of burnout and how to recognize them in yourself
- The biggest mistakes content designers make when trying to manage burnout
- Why setting boundaries is hard—but necessary—for long-term career success
- How imposter syndrome fuels burnout (and how to reframe it)
- The importance of community, mentorship, and knowing you’re not alone
- How to build a career in UX without letting it consume your identity
Notable Quotes:
“Your self-worth isn’t tied to your job. You’re so much more than the work you do.” “The cringe factor is real, but you just have to post it. Nobody’s going to remember it tomorrow.” “Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s layers of ignoring your own needs until it’s too late.”
Where to Find Dave:
- YouTube
- TikTok
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20.
Content design has some growing up to do. Whether it's the things we talk about at conferences, or even the aspects of our job that we think are important (but really aren't), we need to see some change.
Dave Connis, Lead Content Designer at OutSystems, has embraced systems thinking and he wants you to as well. Go beyond the deliverables we're used to (tone, style guides, etc) and start thinking about how to connect the elements of your product in a bigger picture.
Dave brings a refreshing, no-nonsense approach to content design. From his experience working with developers to his cutting-edge ideas about content ecosystems, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and (yes) spicy takes. If you’re tired of surface-level debates about microcopy and want to get into the heart of what makes content design impactful, this one’s for you.
What we talked about:
- Why content designers need to stop sweating the small stuff (looking at you, Oxford comma)
- How systems thinking can revolutionize content design
- The overlooked value of string files and content architecture
- Why tone isn’t everything — and what actually drives user success
- How to think about the “jobs” your content is doing
- The intersection of technical writing and UX writing: what each discipline can learn from the other
- Why content design needs to push for industry-wide innovation
Notable Quotes:
“Stop arguing about sentence case and start building better systems.” — Dave Connis “Tone isn’t the goal. Getting the user to their goal is.” — Dave Connis “Every piece of content in your UI has a job. Figure out what it is.” — Dave Connis
Where to Find Dave:
- LinkedIn: Dave Connis
- Website
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
We're proud to announce Maring's new course at UX Content Collective: Fundamentals of Support Content. Get it now for 25% off!
If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by terrible help center content, you’re not alone. Most of it sucks.
But why?
That’s why I’m excited to share this conversation with Maring Eberlein. Maring is a support content expert with a deep understanding of what makes help centers effective — and what makes them fail. She’s worked with companies large and small, transforming their support content from "just get it done" projects into real strategic assets.
We get into everything from why so much support content is subpar to how companies can stop playing catch-up and start building better self-serve experiences for their users. If you’ve ever wondered how support teams, content designers, and technical writers can work together more effectively, this episode is for you.
What we talked about:
- Why most support content sucks — and how to make it better
- The difference between support content and technical writing
- Why support content should be an asset, not an afterthought
- How to "train" your users to find answers on their own
- What companies get wrong about chatbots and AI-driven support
- The rise of structured content and why support teams should embrace it
- Practical ways support teams and content teams can work together
Notable quotes:
- “Support content isn’t a cost — it’s an asset. But most companies don’t realize that until it’s too late.”
- "Users don’t want to watch a 4-minute video when 3 clear steps would do the job."
- "If your help center looks like a mess, it tells me your product might be too."
Where to find Maring:
- Fundamentals of Support Content course
- Maring's website
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Canva is a true (Aussie) tech success story, and the content design practice there is no small reason why.
One of the people leading that practice is Sally, Head of Content Design at Canva.
Sally and I dive into how Canva has built one of the strongest content design practices in the world, why leadership is about more than managing people, and what content designers need to do to grow their careers. We also discuss why content design in Australia often feels a few steps behind the global stage and what Canva is doing to set an example.
This was such an honest and motivating conversation, and I think it’ll resonate with anyone working in content or design, especially those navigating fast-paced environments.
Timestamps:
(0.52) Content design at Canva (4.28) Sally's work experience and history (8.30) Growing Canva's content design team (10.44) How Canva content designers approach AI (13.20) How Sally helps lead and develop her team (23.00) How leaders should prioritize (26.20) What Sally looks for when hiring (29.20) How to navigate change as a leader (32.50) Sally's biggest leadership challenges (38.15) The importance of culture and values (43.30) Psychological safety in teams (48.20) What the industry needs to change
What we talked about:
- How Sally helped build a 30-person content design team at Canva
- Why content drives the first impression users have of Canva
- The four pillars of growth for content designers at Canva
- Balancing leadership with staying connected to the craft
- How Sally helps content designers focus on impact, not volume
- The emotional side of change and why people feel loss more than gain
- Why diversity in hiring goes beyond skills to mindset and adaptability
- Navigating the challenges of a fast-growing company culture
Notable Quotes:
- “Content drives the first impression of Canva. We have a lot of responsibility to make sure that’s a good one.” — Sally
- “There’s no such thing as time management, only choice management.” — Sally
- (AI): “If we focus too much on the loss, we’ll never realize the gains.” — Sally
Where to Find Sally:
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
A few weeks ago I made a post on LinkedIn that caused a little bit of a stir. I said that content designers need to do more in considering how content supports the greater product ecosystem...and why that lack of curiosity might be holding them back.
In essence, I was asking: which is more important - product or content?
I got a lot of great responses, but Scott Kubie's was one that stood out to me. His view was that my assessment of the situation was a little upside down, and that we should talk about it.
So I did.
Scott and I agree that content designers need to think bigger, but we're coming at this from slightly different directions. This episode, we hash it out. I hope you enjoy it - it was a productive, pleasant, and deep conversation that really left me with a better understanding of Scott's position.
What we talked about:
- Why Scott thinks content people are “playing small” — and what they can do about it
- What "content" actually is
- The real role of content in a product
- The difference between interface copy and content that truly drives value
- Why structured content and content operations are the future
- Scott’s candid thoughts on how to navigate industry challenges and thrive
- The content "death star":
Notable quotes:
- “Content is what people are there for… not just the words on the screen.”
- “There’s a massive opportunity available to any product manager who wants to pick it up and run with it, which is to start thinking about your content ecosystem.”
Resources Mentioned:
- Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines
Where to find Scott:
- Scott's website
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Having trouble letting go? Deiadora Blanche (Airbnb, Coursera) can help.
In this episode, we dive deep into the idea of ego detachment — letting go of personal attachment to the work we do. Deiadora shares her journey from business consulting to content strategy, and how she’s learned to balance personal growth with professional success.
We also chat about thinking like a CEO, even when you’re not in leadership, and how content professionals can create their own success by setting metrics and driving results. Plus, Deiadora shares some incredible insights about AI content strategy — why we need to engage with it, not fear it.
If you’re curious about how to stay grounded in your work, navigate high-pressure environments, or just want to hear some practical advice on building a successful content strategy career, this episode is a must-listen.
What we talked about:
- Deiadora’s path from business consulting to content design
- Why detaching from your ego can make you a better content designer
- How to set metrics for your team and think like a CEO
- Using mindfulness to step back and make better decisions
- How content professionals can lead without a formal title
- Practical tips for using AI in content strategy
- Why letting go of attachment to outcomes helps you succeed
Notable quotes:
- “Stop being so attached to the work—it's not about you. It’s about what the user needs.”
- “When you step away and detach from the ego, you can make better decisions.”
- “Thinking like a CEO is essential, even when you’re an individual contributor. Own the work, don’t wait for direction.”
Where to find Deiadora:
- Deadorable Life
- The Quantum CEO Podcast
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Vidhika Bansal might win the award for the most positive Twitter timeline. Just reading her tweets makes your entire day better.
But Vidhika's talents go far beyond nice social media posts. Her intense interest and focus on human behaviour and user research make her one of the most thoughtful and fascinating people in UX. She's spoken at conferences like Button and Confab, led teams at organizations like Intuit, and has one of the most human-centered approaches to UX that I know of.
Vidhika shares her journey from studying pre-med to finding her passion for human-centered design, explaining how her love for poetry and small details fuels her content strategy work today. She talks about the intersection of behavioral psychology, content design, and the profound impact of well-crafted UX writing on user confidence and trust.
Whether you're a content designer, UX writer, or simply curious about how the little things in digital products can make all the difference, this episode dives deep into the art of designing for the human experience.
We talk about:
- Vidhika’s unexpected journey from pre-med to UX design
- The power of small details in building user confidence
- Balancing efficiency and humanity in content design
- How poetry and emotional storytelling influence Vidhika’s UX work
- The importance of content in high-stress user situations
- Designing with edge cases in mind: why the small problems matter most
- The evolving role of content designers in shaping user experiences
- Why internal tools and processes are just as exciting as customer-facing products
Connect with Vidhika:
- https://vidhika.carrd.co/
- Vidhika on LinkedIn
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Larry Swanson might be one of the most knowledgeable and friendly people in content design and content strategy. Every time you speak to him, he’s full of joy and passion about the craft.
Not just that - he’s probably one of the most intelligent people in the industry when it comes to the technical aspects of content. He calls himself a “content architect”, but that’s really too short a description of his capabilities. Whether he’s talking about information architecture, content modeling, or content and AI, Larry has just an unthinkable amount of knowledge and depth when it comes to how content is created and structured within a product experience.
So that’s why I had him on the podcast today. We discuss:
- Larry’s history in content
- His thoughts on the skills content designers need to succeed
- Knowledge graphs - what the hell are they, and why are they important?
- Information architecture
- Much, much more…
Connect with Kyra:
- Larry Swanson on LinkedIn
- Knowledge Graph Insights
- Content Strategy Insights
- Content + AI
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Get US $100 off your ticket for the upcoming Button Conference! Use UXCC100 at checkout!
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
I know, I know. A lot of AI. But I swear, the conversation in this one is really worth listening to.
For so many organizations, the use of AI is dictated by the CEO, or head of product, etc. Rarely do content designers take the effort or initiative to actually develop an idea of how AI should be integrated.
That's why this interview with Kyra Lee from UserTesting was so fascinating to me. Kyra and her colleagues have taken the initiative to create a "playbook" about how AI should be approached in their design philosophy.
We talk about that, plus...
- Why Kyra's interest moved from working in law to UX
- How UX writers and content designers can take part in quality research
- What Kyra has learned about testing content with users
- Why not ALL of your content actually needs to be in the user interface
- An approach to AI for user research that maintains a human touch...
As always, let me know your thoughts: patrick@uxcontent.com.
(Also, yes...audio is a bit off today. Again. Please be patient as I fix some ongoing issues!)
Connect with Kyra:
- Kyra Lee on LinkedIn
- Rolling with Kyra
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Getting into content design is hard enough, but contracting roles are a different struggle altogether. While they can be lucrative (potentially depending where you live) they're also difficult to crack.
But they're also a necessary struggle to understand - often the way to start a content design career is to begin with some contracting roles.
Today's guest is a content design contracting queen. Alliteration!
Slater Katz has worked as content designer for Netflix, Chime, Verizon, Fitbit, and more. Not only can I vouch for her content design skills (she's worked with us at UXCC for a bit) but she's unique in that she understands how business goals and design goals intersect - a rare skill.
And she understands personal branding better than anyone in the biz, in my opinion.
In this interview we discuss content design contracting, how to improve your personal brand, what makes a great contractor stand out, and why asking questions when you start isn't a sign of weakness - it's a strenght.
Connect with Slater:
- Slater Katz on LinkedIn
- The UX Gal
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Ah, English degrees. So often the target of snide comments and "there but for..." looks. I don't think there's another academic pursuit that's used as a metaphor for uselessness quite as much. Maybe basket weaving.
And yet, as content designers know, English majors can become one of technology's secret weapons.
Speaking of secret weapons...
Today's guest might be one of the most impressive people in content design.
Sammie Spector is the content design lead at Condé Nast, where she looks after brands including Vogue, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Glamour, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Pitchfork, Wired, and Bon Appétit. And she's one of the most impressive people I know. She has an incredible work ethic. Not only does she hold down a demanding job, she grades students and teaches workshops for UX Content Collective, and oh...she was an English major too.
Which is exactly what we talk about today. How English majors can stop feeling helpless, and start thinking about their careers. But we don't stop there. We cover:
- Why content design has a pipeline problem, and how to fix it
- What it's like working at a publishing company versus a traditional "tech" company
- Why English majors should start thinking early about how to adapt their skills to tech
- What content design can learn from software engineering to fix our graduate shortage
Sammie's wisdom should be heard by everyone in the industry. Send this to your friendly neighbourhood English grad, and give them a smile: it's gonna be okay.
Connect with Sammie:
- Sammie Spector on LinkedIn
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
There's an interesting path opening up in content design: working on the actual language models underpinning this explosion of new features we're seeing.
This is a new and fairly anxiety-inducing area. But as content designers, it's important that we engage and help build any type of new technology that involves content - or it's going to outpace us.
This is why I spoke with Ben Barone-Nugent from Google for today's podcast. He's on the Gemini team, and we spoke about his work in moving from traditional "content design" into the content (and conversation) design for an chat-based LLM experience.
This is an important chat for many reasons, but here's a big one: it's important that we see a future for how content designers can be involved in this type of work. We talk about that, and:
- How content designers can work on language models
- The path from content design to conversation design to AI
- What LLMs are good at, bad at, and what we don't know yet
- The future of content design as creating content at scale
- Much, much more!
A quick note: apologies for my audio quality this month. I accidentally used my laptop microphone instead of my big fancy one. Don't hate me!
Ben on LinkedIn:
- Ben Barone-Nugent on LinkedIn
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Ron Yakar made a bit of noise last month when he wrote a post on LinkedIn discussing how he created an AI tool to help scale UX writing at Monday.com.
There was lots of debate.
"This is cool."
"This is scary."
"Why don't you hire more content designers?"
And everything in between. So, I wanted to get Ron on the podcast to discuss it. Not only because it's an interesting piece of craft, but also because it's a vision of where things are heading. So far we've been so focused on using LLMs through prompts, but Ron's tool is an example of what happens when content designers and UX writers think about meshing AI and content operations together.
We talk about Ron's background, his approach to AI, the tool itself, his process in using AI and determining when and where to use human intervention, and more.
I know I always say it. But you can't miss this one.
Connect with Ron:
- Ron Yakar on LinkedIn
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Listen on:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Many content designers want to be leaders. But how can they get there? Do they make great design leaders in general...and what will they struggle with when they get there?
In today's episode I speak with Aladrian Goods, design manager at Intuit. We talk about her road to content design, her struggles and successes in leadership, and why content designers make great leaders - in general, not just for our discipline.
If you want to be a leader, are a leader already, or work with leaders - then this episode is for you.
Anna and Arnaud:
- Aladrian Goods on LinkedIn
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
Last year the UX Content Collective published an extensive piece about content designers in China, written by Anna Potapova and Arnaud Frattini. The piece surveyed several people working in China, and revealed an amazing amount of insight into a place many people don't know anything about.
Today, Anna (Aliexpress) and Arnaud (Alibaba Group) join me on the podcast to talk about their survey, what it's like to work in China, and what we all can learn from the type of fast-paced business practices we see there.
Given how important China has become to the world economy...perhaps there are a few things we can learn.
Anna and Arnaud:
- Anna Potapova on LinkedIn
- Arnaud Frattini on LinkedIn
Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.
The Writers of Silicon Valley podcast is back! Listen to the first new episode with Chelsea Larsson, Senior Design Director at Expedia. We discuss the future of content design, UX writing, how AI is impacting everything, and why content designers shouldn’t hang on to old definitions.
And maybe…why content designers should learn Python?
I’m really excited to bring the podcast back, and really excited for you to listen.
Things we discuss during this episode:
- Generative artificial intelligence
- Information Architecture for the Web
- Open AI, ChatGPT, Gemini
- Python
Chelsea and her stuff:
- Chelsea on LinkedIn
- Smallish Book (newsletter)
Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.
The Interface—a podcast by content designers, for content designers The Interface is a monthly, can’t-miss group chat for everything happening in content design and UX writing. The Interface has industry updates, deep conversations, and other helpful resources.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-interface/id1634546118 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IKlWOjHbVJpNbKEs6mNdF Online: https://uxcontent.com/the-interface-podcast/
Yael Ben-David is one the most thoughtful UX writers in the industry. She’s written numerous blogs and has spoken at several conferences on how to make sure UX writers and content designers prove the value of their work.
Today, we take a look at some of the regulations surrounding the fintech industry which make writing for it so difficult. Plus, we explore the ultimate question: how do you get out of the customer’s way?
Jane Ruffino is one of the most experienced UX writers in the industry, with an extensive work history. She also teaches a UX writing course and consults to companies on their UX copy.
But what makes Jane even more interesting is her studies - she’s currently pursuing a PhD in digital acheology. In this episode we talk about how she bridges that world with the world of content design, and the discussion may surprise you.
Andrea Drugay has one of the most experienced resumes in the content design industry. Now she works at Slack, one of the most coveted roles in all of design.
In this episode, we talk about Andrea’s background, what makes Slack’s copy so special - but most importantly, how to make sure UX writers and content designers bridge the experience that’s outside the product, and the experience inside the product as well.
Last month, I spoke wth Chris Baty from Figma - and we talked about how Figma is helping UX writers enter the design process. This month we continue that conversation with the creator of a copy management system. Jasper Platz is NOT a UX writer or content designer. He says that straight up. However, he quickly discovered a love for content design when building other products.
So much so, that he decided UX writers need software of their own to manage the copy process.
We talk about that in this episode, but we also talk about:
- How software can democratize design for UX writers
- What would product managers look like if they came from design?
- Why is content design getting so much attention?
…and more. This was a great chat, so I hope you enjoy it!
—————————-
Get 20% off courses at the UX Writers Collective! Just use the code PODCAST20. UX Writing Fundamentals The Microcopy Course Chatbot Writing & Design Content Research & Testing Marketing Writing for UX Writers If you like this podcast, please leave a review!
One of the biggest challenges for UX writers is figuring out how to embed themselves within the design process. Tools like Figma are making that easier. After all, being able to edit a design without any specific software makes it harder not to give writers access. Which means it’s easier for us to do our job.
Chris Baty is the Principal UX Writer at Figma, and was previously the head of UX writing at Dropbox. He’s also the founder of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). He’s a busy guy. He’s also an exceptional champion for all types of writers everywhere. Including content designers.
In this episode we talk about him joining Figma, the work he’s doing there to make Figma an exceptional tool for UX writers and content designers, and what it’s like working as a team of one.
And so much more.
Get 20% off courses at the UX Writers Collective! Just use the code PODCAST20. UX Writing Fundamentals The Microcopy Course Chatbot Writing & Design Content Research & Testing CX Writing for Marketing If you like this podcast, please leave a review!
Originally, the UX writing and content strategy community was meant to descend on Seattle for the Button conference. That didn’t happen (obviously). What happened instead was even better. It’s crazy that digital conferences haven’t been a thing until now, but COVID really thrust this one upon us. Today, I’m speaking with some fantastic UX writers and content strategists: Duaa Osman from Google, Yael Ben-David from Fundbox, and Vicki Siolos from Kickstarter.
The one thing we have in common? We all attended Button back in late October, probably the first major conference that’s completely dedicated to UX writing and product content strategy.
I don’t want to get into detail, but if you missed the conference, let this serve as a reason to invest in the Button on-demand access pass, which is available now. Seriously, it’s worth the money. Enjoy the episode and find out why.
If you did attend Button, well, let this serve as a great reminder of the good times we had - and the great things we learned.
—————————-
The UX Writers Collective is holding a holiday sale! Get 20% off ALL courses through Dec 31! Just use these codes: UX Writing Fundamentals FUN2020 to save $180 The Microcopy Course MICRO2020 to save $45 Chatbot Writing & Design CHAT2020 to save $110 Content Research & Testing TESTING2020 to save $110 CX Writing for Marketing CX2020 to save $85 If you like this podcast, please leave a review!
If you want an anecdote about Steve Jobs and UX writing, then this episode is for you. But that's just the beginning. Christie Fremon is probably one of the most experienced UX writers in the industry. She started as a technical writer, working through companies like Yahoo and Cloud.com in the 2000s, before moving to Apple as a UI writer on iTunes, and then at Google.
Now, she's writing for electric vehicles.
Weird, right? Except UX writing for the digital aspects of owning an electric car are actually pretty complex...and that's exactly what we talk about in this episode.
That, and:
- Moving from technical writing to UX writing
- What's the difference between the two?
- What does it take to succeed as a UX writer at Apple?
- What does the UX writing industry need more of?
- How others can make the leap from technical to UX writing
- UX writing for vehicles
- And a pretty cool Steve Jobs anecdote...
This episode is jam packed. with so much great information from one of the most experienced UX writers around.
Check out Christie:
- On LinkedIn
- On Twitter
- Her book recommendation: Designing for Cognitive Bias
If you like this podcast, please leave a review! Listeners get 20% off all courses, including the UX Writing Fundamentals Course, at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”.
- UX Writing Fundamentals
- Content Research and Testing
- Chatbot Writing and Design
- CX Writing
When I named this podcast, I chose to focus the title on “Silicon Valley”. Why? I don’t even live there. It comes down to bias. Today’s episode is about breaking that bias. Mario Ferrer was a senior UX writer at King Games, now he’s a senior UX writer at Skyscanner. He’s also one of the cofounders of the UX Writers Meetup in Barcelona - and he’s perfectly placed to help us understand the UX writing community outside the United States.
Why do we focus so much on Silicon Valley? For a good reason - much of the activity happens there. But not all the activity. UX writing and content strategy is a global industry, and so we need to understand what’s happening outside of that sphere, as much as we do what’s inside it.
Mario and I talk about his life as a UX writer in games, but we also focus on what it means to work outside of that tech-centric bubble.
What does it mean for your work?
Your career?
Your life choices?
I’m in the same situation as Mario, so we got along great. I hope you’ll enjoy what we have to say.
Check out:
- Mario’s website
- Mario on LinkedIn
- Mario on Twitter
Writers of Silicon Valley is on:
If you like this podcast, please leave a review! Listeners get 20% off all courses, including the UX Writing Fundamentals Course, at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”.
- UX Writing Fundamentals
- Content Research and Testing
- Chatbot Writing and Design
- CX Writing
First thing’s first: listeners to the podcast can get 15% of tickets to Button! Use the code “UXWC” at checkout to get 15% off: www.buttonconf.com. Kristina Halvorson is the CEO and founder of Brain Traffic, the coauthor of Content Strategy for the Web, the founder of Confab Events, and the host of The Content Strategy Podcast.
Her seminal article, The Discipline of Content Strategy, was published in 2008 by A List Apart, the world’s most popular online magazine for web professionals.
Needless to say, she knows her stuff.
This month Kristina will launch Button - Brain Traffic’s first conference dedicated to product content strategy. In this chat, we talk about Button, why UX writers should be excited about it…but also, we pick up on something Scott Kubie and I discussed: what is the future of UX writing?
Kristina makes the point that UX writers shouldn’t necessarily stay UX writers forever. They need to embrace content strategy if they want to move forward in their careers.
And we talk about how to do just that. I hope you enjoy our talk!
Check out:
- Button (Get 15% off with UXWC15!)
- Kristina on Twitter
- Contentstrategy.com
Writers of Silicon Valley is on:
If you like this podcast, please leave a review!
So many of the conversations on this podcast have been focused on the relationships between UX writing and content strategy. My guest today wants to help clear that up a little bit.
Scott Kubie is one of the most well-regarded voices in content strategy. Currently a free agent on contract at Mailchimp, Scott's worked previously as the Lead Content Strategist at Brain Traffic (alongside content strategy expert Kristina Halvorson). Before that, he worked as a content strategist and interface writer at Wolfram Research and a mobile app startup.
To put it bluntly, Scott and I talk about some things that really annoy us about UX content and content strategy in this episode.
But, we also talk about how we think things can improve. So stick around - the future looks good.
Check out:
- Scott's book, Writing for Designers
- His newsletter, UX writing events
- Scott on Twitter
- Scott on LinkedIn
If you like this podcast, please leave a review! Listeners get 20% off all courses, including the UX Writing Fundamentals Course, at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”.
- UX Writing Fundamentals
- Content Research and Testing
- Chatbot Writing and Design
- CX Writing
“Text might be its own vertical in the product stack.” I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed by people so young. I’m 33, so I’m allowed to say that now.
For a while, guests on the podcast have asked me: is there a way to manage our copy end-to-end? For a long time, the best answer I’ve had to give is something like Airtable. But now, Jessica Ouyang and Jolena Ma have created Ditto - and it’s the answer to a lot of prayers.
In this episode, I speak with Jessica and Jolena about their product Ditto, what it means for UX writers and content strategists, how they developed the product, what it’s like going through the Y Combinator process, and where they want to take it.
If you’ve been on the search for a way to manage your copy within a full system, this interview is for you.
If you want to get a briefing on what might be the most important tool to hit UX writing and content strategists in some time, this interview is for you.
If you want to hear from two talented product managers about what they feel are some of the biggest trends in UX writing and content strategy?
I think you get it.
Enjoy.
- Ditto (dittowords.com)
- The Dash newsletter (Sign up here)
I hope you enjoy the podcast, and as always, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the content! It helps others find the pod.
Listeners get 20% off all courses, including the UX Writing Fundamentals Course, at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”.
- UX Writing Fundamentals
- Content Research and Testing
- Chatbot Writing and Design
- CX Writing
Please donate to these national organisations in the United States advocating for racial justice:
- The Bail Project
- National Bail Fund Network
- Act Blue (Donation split between 39 community bail funds)
- Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- NAACP Legal Defence Fund
- ACLU
- LGBTQ Freedom Fund
It's been just over a year since I started Writers of Silicon Valley. In that time I've interviewed 12 expert UX writers and content strategists from around the world. They've worked at companies like Google, Spotify, Facebook, Netflix, Uber, and more. And I've tried to share as much wisdom as I can from these interviews - but listening to 12 episodes can take up a huge amount of time.
So, today I'm doing something a little special. I've gone through the past year's worth of episodes and I've combined what I think are among the 12 best pieces of advice for UX writers, both beginner and veteran alike.
My aim here is to give you practical tools that you can take away, and put into your everyday work.
Plus, I know that more people are finding the podcast every day - and it can be a slog to go back through a podcast history! So I'm helping you out - maybe you'll hear something you like and then find that episode and listen to it in full.
Either way, I hope this episode gives you something useful.
The wisdom comes from:
- Roy West
- Sophie Tahran
- Kathryn Strauss
- Hillary Black
- Annie Adams
- Ryan Farrell
- Angela Gorden
- Tamara Hilmes
- Gordon Macrae
- Andy Welfle / Michael J Metts
- Ben Barone-Nugent
- Shayla Byrd
Looking to upskill? The UX Writers Collective offers the world's leading training in UX writing and content strategy - from expert UX writers who have worked at companies like Google, Amazon, Intuit, MYOB, and more.
Listeners to the podcast get 20% off ANY course. Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout:
- UX Writing Fundamentals
- Content Research and Testing
- Chatbot Writing and Design
- CX Writing for Marketing Engagement
Ever wondered what it’s like to work at Google? Sure you have. In today’s episode, I speak with Shayla Byrd, a UX writer at Google, about what it’s like there - and so much more. This might be one of the most illuminating conversations I’ve had in a long time. Shayla has an extensive history, ranging from poetry to journalism.
Shayla Byrd is a New York-based writer who works at Google as a content strategist and UX writer. Before working in tech, she used her words to tell stories (People, InStyle, VIBE, and The Source magazines) and sell things online (macys.com, armstrong agency).
Now she uses her words to help people all around the world understand and engage with cool tech.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Accessibility and diversity in UX writing
- What it’s like to work as a Google UX writer
- How UX writers can make sure their copy is truly accessible
This conversation truly opened my eyes. I hope you enjoy it.
Shayla mentioned this book:
- Articulating Design Decisions
Listeners get 20% off all courses, including the UX Writing Fundamentals Course, at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”.
- UX Writing Fundamentals
- Content Research and Testing
- Chatbot Writing and Design
- CX Writing
Early Bird tickets for the UX Writing + Content Design Summit are now on sale! Buy now and save $100. Don’t miss out! Visit www.uxwcdsummit.com ————————————————————————-
Streaming media is the big war right now in tech. Apple wants a piece, Amazon wants it, Disney is hitting out in a big way. But Netflix was there first, and so I was fascinated to have this conversation with Ben Barone-Nugent about the design challenges there. Specifically, the design challenges associated with words and language.
Ben Barone-Nugent has been everywhere. Facebook, Whatsapp, creative agencies like R/GA. He even hails from my own home town of Melbourne, Australia. Instant bonding. Lovely.
In this conversation, we cover: what’s it like to work at Netflix? How do you succeed as a UX writer there? What are the specific design challenges you have when it comes to using words in an app like Netflix? And what is A/B testing like there?
————————————————————————-
I hope you enjoy the podcast, and as always, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the content! It helps others find the pod. Listeners get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”. Check it out!
There have been a few books on UX writing published, all of them very good, but I think this one might take the cake.
Andy Welfle and Michael J Metts have written "Writing is Designing". I think it advances the conversation as it approaches writing as a design tool, and builds on the great work that has already been published by other UX writers.
Listen to our conversation and you'll see why.
A few things:
-
Buy Writing is Designing from Rosenfeld Media
-
Andy and Michael are hosting a launch event in San Francisco on January 27. You should go.
-
Follow Andy and Michael on Twitter.
-
The UX Writers Collective and San Francisco UX Writers Meetup are hosting a conference: The UX Writing and Content Design Summit 2020. Check it out and propose your talk!
-
As always, listeners get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course and the Content Testing & Research course at the UX Writers Collective with the code "PODCAST20".
Are you looking for a job as a UX writer in 2020? Then no hyperbole: you need to listen to this podcast.
Gordon MacRae is an instructional designer, product manager, UX writer, and more.
He started the UX Writing Jobs newsletter in 2018 to collate all the opportunities for UX writers around the world, and he's learned more along the way about the market than just about anyone else.
After all, you don't talk with hiring managers and read job ads every month without understanding a thing or two about the UX writing job market.
In this podcast, we talk about everything to do with hiring UX writers in 2020, and getting hired. We talk about:
- What skills you need
- The trends in UX Writing job descriptions
- What managers are looking for
- What to avoid
- How the standards are rising for good UX writers
- How to stand out to hiring managers
- And so, so much more
Seriously, this discussion is gold for anyone who's looking for a job. We talk about the trends you need to know in order to get hired in 2020.
Even if you're happy in your current role, you should listen to understand what the market is doing. After all, who knows what 2020 will bring.
What better way to start the year?
I hope you enjoy the podcast, and as always, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the content! It helps others find the pod. Listeners get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course and the Content Research and Testing course at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”. Check it out!
Spotify! Do you use it? Probably. Remember when we owned CDs? Crazy. Actually, you know what’s crazy? Paying for stuff I don’t have in my hands. I’m 32, so I still want to read that lyrics sheet damn it.
No, streaming is better. And Tamara Hilmes is one of the people making it better. She’s a UX Writing Manager at Spotify, and she and I spent some time talking about her background, what makes working at Spotify so great, and the skills she needs to succeed at a major company there - and how to succeed as a UX writer, specifically.
Her experience is impressive. Foursquare, Vimeo, and she’s written a ton about UX writing in general.
Say hi to Tamara on Linkedin.
Many thanks to the team at Spotify for featuring Writers of Silicon Valley on their Events page!
I hope you enjoy the podcast, and as always, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the content! It helps others find the pod. Listeners get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course and the Content Research and Testing course at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”. Check it out!
Dropbox is one of those fascinating companies. Steve Jobs wanted to buy it at one point. Now it's huge. HUGE. With that growth comes a need for UX writing, and that's why Angela Gorden is here today.
Angela Gorden is all about making big ideas easy to absorb. Currently a UX writer and manager at Dropbox, she studied design thinking at Stanford University and creative writing at the University of Iowa. Angela blogs about product, design, and writing on Medium.
Angela is a big thinker in the UX writing community, and today we talk about how UX writing works at Dropbox - particularly in such a large team.
If you want to learn how UX writing works in a team, this is the pod for you!
As always, listeners to this podcast get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course at www.uxwriterscollective.com.
Resources mentioned in the show:
- On Writing Well
- San Francisco UX Writers Meetup
- Daily UX Writing
- UX Writer Jobs
- UX Writing Fundamentals at UX Writers Collective
- UX Writer Salary Survey
Say “hi” @angiegorden or reach out on LinkedIn.
I'm on twitter @pdstafford.
Yep, I get it. You signed up to listen to other UX writers, not me. In that case I say, skip! Delete! Burn! Destroy your phone, even.
Last week I gave a presentation to Content Melbourne, at General Assembly. I spoke about how journalism skills can help you as a UX writer.
It’s just a piece of bonus content, so I hope you enjoy it.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
-
Elements of Style
-
Strategic Writing for UX
We spend so much time and effort thinking about UX writing that’s “delightful” we often miss the point: form over function. Good UX writing should be…pretty boring, actually.
That’s what i discuss in today’s episode with Ryan Farrell. Ryan is a content strategist at GoodRx, but you might very well know him as the creator of the Daily UX Writing Challenge. As of the time this episode went live, the free course had over 2200 students. That’s crazy. Crazy good.
In today’s episode, we talk about the newsletter, why Ryan created it, the skills we think are underrated in the UX writing community, and whether Neil Armstrong should have been told “good job” by his onboard computer when landing on the moon.
Stuff we mentioned:
- The Daily UX Writing Challenge
- The Elements of Fucking Style
Find Ryan online:
Enjoy wherever you get your podcasts:
- Apple Podcasts
- Google Podcasts
- Spotify
- Stitcher
I hope you enjoy the podcast, and as always, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the content! It helps others find the pod. Listeners get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course at the UX Writers Collective. Use the code “PODCAST20”. Check it out!
I am terrible at fashion.
Well, maybe not too terrible. I can dress myself. I look nice on occasion. But I definitely don’t know the ins and outs, let alone from a UX writing context.
That’s why I enjoyed my conversation with Annie Adams so much. At the time we spoke. Annie was working as a UX writer in the fashion industry (she’s still a UX writer, just in a different industry now). Our conversation covered so much - best practices for testing copy, the nuances of the fashion industry, and much more.
You’ll just have to listen to find that all out.
Enjoy!
Yo, chatbots.
They’re all the rage, but are they actually going to be a necessary tool for UX writers and content strategists in the future? How essential are they to your arsenal? If they are, what skills do you need to learn?
That’s the crux of today’s interview with Hillary Black, VP of Strategy & Conversation Design at Black Ops. Her company has created multiple chatbots for clients in the insurance, finance, and retail industries. She brings a wealth of knowledge to the podcast about what UX writers need to know about this exciting field.
Hillary has actually published a fantastic ebook about how to create chatbots, and Writers of Silicon Valley listeners get a free download! Use the code “Podcast” at Gumroad to download your copy.
I hope you enjoy the podcast, and as always, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the content! It helps others find the pod. Stuff we mentioned:
- Hillary’s ebook on Gumroad
- Chatbot Conversation Design Club on Facebook
Find Hillary online:
Kathryn Strauss is currently a Senior UX Writer at Square, but her background extends far beyond that with roles at Wells Fargo, US Bank, WebEx, Glassdoor and Weebly.
It would take hours to speak about everything she’s done at those roles, so I tried to keep our conversation high level. We spoke about how writers can participate in UX research, the future of the industry, and the types of skills it takes to be a really, really good UX Writer and Content Strategist.
Stuff we mentioned:
- The San Francisco UX Writers Meetup
- Microcopy: The Complete Guide
- John Saito on Medium
Working remotely is something most people dream of. For Sophie Tahran at Invision, it's a lifestyle. I spoke to her about what it's like to work for a fully remote company, how her time at Lyft impacted her design sensibilities, and what it's like to work for one of the biggest software companies in UX.
We also spoke about what it's like to create governance and style guidelines for an entire company. If UX writing governance and guidelines is your thing - then this interview is for you.
Writers of Silicon Valley is hosted by Patrick Stafford, senior digital copywriter at MYOB. He's the co-founder and chief marketing officer at the UX Writers Collective. WOSC listeners can get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course by using the code "podcast20" at www.uxwriterscollective.com
Welcome to Writers of Silicon Valley! This podcast interviews UX writers and content strategists about their craft. This first episode features Roy West, design director of UX Writing at Uber. We speak about his history at Uber, Google and even at Next during the early 1990s.
Writers of Silicon Valley is hosted by Patrick Stafford, senior digital copywriter at MYOB. He's the co-founder and chief marketing officer at the UX Writers Collective. WOSC listeners can get 20% off the UX Writing Fundamentals course by using the code "podcast20" at www.uxwriterscollective.com