Writers of Silicon Valley

How to survive burnout in tech and UX (Yvonne Xiao) Jan 29, 2025

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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:

Forget tone - embrace systems thinking (Dave Connis) Jan 16, 2025

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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:

Why your support content sucks (Maring Eberlein) Dec 11, 2024

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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:

Leading content design at Canva (Sally Bagshaw) Nov 20, 2024

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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:

LinkedIn

Product vs content (Scott Kubie) Nov 06, 2024

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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:

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Stop taking content work personally (Deiadora Blanche) Oct 23, 2024

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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:

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The power of small moments in UX (Vidhika Bansal) Oct 01, 2024

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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:

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Knowledge graphs (Larry Swanson) Sep 11, 2024

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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:

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Content for AI products (Kyra Lee, UserTesting) Aug 23, 2024

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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:

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How to crack content design contracting (Slater Katz) Aug 06, 2024

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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 strength.

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From english major to content design lead: advice for grads Jul 17, 2024

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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

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Inside Gemini: How a Google content designer helps build AI Jul 02, 2024

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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

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Using AI to scale UX writing at Monday.com, with Ron Yakar Jun 13, 2024

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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

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Why content designers make great leaders, feat. Aladrian Goods (Intuit) May 30, 2024

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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

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Content design in China (Anna Potapova & Arnaud Frattini) May 16, 2024

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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:

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Why (and how) content designers need to change - and fast! (Chelsea Larsson) May 02, 2024

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:

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Introducing: The Interface by UX Content Collective Jul 15, 2022

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/

UX writing in the fintech industry (Yael Ben-David) Jul 21, 2021

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?

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

How can we make the content design industry...better? (Jane Ruffino) Jul 21, 2021

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.

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Connecting the internal and external product experience (Andrea Drugay) Jul 21, 2021

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.

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

How software will help UX writers democratize the design process (Jasper Platz) Mar 23, 2021

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!

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Figma's first UX Writer (Chris Baty) Feb 08, 2021

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.

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Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout. If you like this podcast, please leave a review!

What we learned at the 2020 Button Conference Dec 08, 2020

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.

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From technical to UX writing (Christie Fremon) Nov 25, 2020

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 outside the United States (Mario Ferrer) Oct 27, 2020

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:

Writers of Silicon Valley is on:

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How UX writers can embrace content strategy (Kristina Halvorson) Oct 10, 2020

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:

Writers of Silicon Valley is on:

If you like this podcast, please leave a review!

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 14. What UX writing and content strategy get wrong (and how to get better), with Scott Kubie Sep 20, 2020

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:

If you like this podcast, please leave a review!

Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 13. Ditto: the two Stanford grads creating UX writing software Aug 05, 2020

“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.

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- 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”.

BONUS: 12 essential pieces of UX writing wisdom Jun 21, 2020

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

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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:

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Listeners get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 12. Accessibility and diversity in UX writing, with Google's Shayla Byrd May 06, 2020

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 courses and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 11. How to be a successful UX writer at Netflix (and anywhere), with Ben Barone-Nugent Mar 03, 2020

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

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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?

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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 podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 10. The essential book on UX Writing, with Andy Welfle and Michael J Metts Jan 22, 2020

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: 1. Buy Writing is Designing from Rosenfeld Media

2. Andy and Michael are hosting a launch event in San Francisco on January 27. You should go.

3. Follow Andy and Michael on Twitter.

4. 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!

Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 9. How to get hired as a UX writer in 2020, with Gordon MacRea Jan 05, 2020

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 podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 8. UX Writing at Spotify, with Tamara Hilmes Nov 26, 2019

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 podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 7. How does UX writing work at Dropbox? (Angela Gorden) Sep 04, 2019

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.

BONUS: Be a better UX writer, think like a journalist Aug 05, 2019

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

Ep. 6. Good UX writing is boring, with Ryan Farrell Jul 20, 2019

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:

Find Ryan online:

Twitter

Enjoy wherever you get your podcasts:

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 podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 5. UX writing in the fashion industry, with Annie Adams May 26, 2019

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!

Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 4. How to create chatbots that people actually use, with Hillary Black Apr 20, 2019

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:

Twitter

Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 3. Kathryn Strauss, Senior UX Writer - Square Apr 06, 2019

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:

Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 2. Sophie Tahran, UX Writer - Invision Mar 23, 2019

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.

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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.

Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

Ep. 1. Roy West, Design Director UX Writing - Uber Mar 10, 2019

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.

Listeners get 20% off podcasts and workshops at UX Content Collective! Just use PODCAST20 at checkout.

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