Episode 69: Leading content design and a look at the job market In today's episode, my guest Rachel McConnell and I chat about content design careers in general and, more specifically, getting into leadership. Rachel shares her thoughts on what skills are needed to manage both content design and design teams successfully. We also talk about her current approach to finding her next leadership role. Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis: nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com https://www.linkedin.c...
Nov 07, 2024•38 min
Episode 68: Getting into Content Design and UX writing + Generalists vs Specialists In today's episode, Andrew Stein shares his journey into the field from a background in copywriting. He also dives into what helped him figure out writing for UX before the job was really popular, plus tips on doing good work as a solo UX writer dedicated to a large team. *** Learning outcomes: - Transitioning into content design - How is UX writing different from copywriting (if at all) - Generalist vs specialis...
Sep 25, 2024•42 min
Episode 67: Don't let Content Design gaslight you In today's episode, the brilliant Sara Wachter-Boettcher shares parts of her Lead with Tempo talk in a discussion with me about all things lifting the weight of content design off our shoulders . How can we stop overidentifying with work? How do we set clear boundaries? And what can we do to take a step away from how we ideally want content design to work vs the reality of it? This and more is discussed in this heartfelt hour of conversation. Con...
Sep 11, 2024•54 min
Episode 66: Get unstuck: Growing content design beyond the trivial (online and at work) How many times should we really debate our title, serial commas, or the future of AI on social media? My guest Bill Kurland and I believe it's probably time to move on from some of the most evergreen content design and UX writing topics - both online and when talking about what we do at work. Why? Because they may be more harmful to us than we think and may even be contributing to feelings of burnout, frustra...
Aug 23, 2024•41 min
Episode 65: Content design and UX writing tactics that move the needle What are some content design and UX writing tactics and processes that actually move the needle for solo writers or smaller teams? In this episode, I share some of my top tactics that I like to bring into my day-to-day work to help with change management, workload management, and general content design improvements. Especially valuable for solo-UX writers and smaller teams. Learning outcomes: - What you can already learn duri...
Jul 02, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Episode 64: Working in a Growth team In today's episode, my guest Senior Product Designer Ademar Rodrigues and I talk about all things working with growth. We chat about how growth teams are different from other types of design teams, how content design works in a growth setting, and what some of the challenges and opportunities are. ---Learning outcomes: What's a growth team? How is it set up? The day to day of a growth team Content design in a growth team Challenges, opportunities, fun bits --...
May 02, 2024•25 min
Episode 63: Can UX Writers manage other designers? In today's episode, I speak with Shannon Leahy (Adobe) about her path into Content Design and becoming a UX Design Manager. Shannon shares how she got her first UX Writing title and what helped her become a successful product design manager. Learning outcomes: From copywriting to UX Writing Becoming a UX Writing manager Becoming a product design manager Leadership in Content Design Connect with guest, Shannon Leahy: Linkedin: https://www.linkedi...
Mar 12, 2024•35 min
In today's episode, we have a casual conversation about content design. Iara shares how she started out and we chat about what we love about our jobs. We talk about storytelling as a content designer and framing problems, as well as how to deal with challenging situations and picking our battles. Learning outcomes: Coming into UX writing from Psychology The career trajectory of a content designer in Europe Day to day of the job Storytelling and framing content design problems Connect with the gu...
Mar 04, 2024•29 min
Episode 61: My UX Writing and Content Design focus areas this year I'm focusing on 5 main areas this year in my role as a content design lead. I'm sharing them here along with how I came up with them and why. Read my article on the topic: https://medium.com/p/f6cc9983e4dc Learning outcomes: How to focus your craft and leadership skills What I'm focusing on this year How I view AI What I think about team dynamics How being a content design lead is different from other lead roles Connect with host...
Jan 12, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Episode 60: How to be creative when the world is on fire Well, I feel like this episode needs no introduction. The world is...strange right now. And as creatives, we tend to put ourselves out there a lot. It can be difficult to produce good work when everything around us seems to be falling apart. Listen in to this open conversation between my friend Anders and me as we try to make sense of it all. 100% authentic, 25% controversial. Learning outcomes: What is creativity? Tips for being creative ...
Nov 15, 2023•56 min
Episode 59: Get started with information architecture Information architecture can elevate lots of content design and UX writing efforts. But how do you get started on it and how do you manage the many stakeholders that need to be involved when working on IA? In this episode I share my experience working with IA and what has worked well for me (and what hasn't) Learning outcomes: What is Information Architecture? What is taxonomy? How to lead IA projects and collaborate with others How to docume...
Oct 19, 2023•24 min
Episode 58: Am I crazy or am I just context-switching? Context switching is one of the leading causes of overwhelm and burnout among content designers and UX writers. But why is it like that and what can you do to help yourself (and others)? In today's episode, I share my best tips for tackling the context overwhelm and managing up! Learning outcomes: What is context switching? Why are UX Writers and Content Designers context-switching more? How to mitigate it Hang in there! Connect with host, N...
Sep 20, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Episode 57: Why I no longer believe in Content Design v 2.0 A while ago I wrote an article for UX Collective on the above topic. It went viral and started a major debate. In this episode, I talk a little bit more about my points from the article and how we can save Content Design. Link to article: https://medium.com/p/e71aeb5f060c Learning outcomes: Why is Content Design struggling? How can we help Junior UX Writers? What can leaders do to help? What can you do to be a more successful Content De...
Aug 31, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Episode 56: How poetry, search intent, and social media can make you a better Content Designer In today's episode, guest Dan Porder from IKEA and I dive into SEO for Content Designers and talk about a couple of other things that are valuable informants for Content Design decisions and strategies. Guaranteed to spark inspiration and give you some new impulses for your UX Writing and writing practice as a whole Learning outcomes: What is SEO/search intent? How can you use SEO for Content Design? T...
Jul 03, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Episode 55: Getting promoted as a UX Writer In today's episode, my wonderful guest Anjana Menon and I talk all things promotions. How do you get from entry level all the way up? What do the different levels even mean, and why are titles all over the place, especially in Tech? Learn how Anjana tackled her promotion at Spotify and what you can do in your day-to-day work to aid future promotion plans. Learning outcomes: Titles: What they mean The process behind promotions How levels vary between co...
Jun 15, 2023•25 min
Episode 54: Freelance writing is hard but worth it In today's episode, freelance writer and business owner Jenn shares how she started out freelancing and eventually, scaled her business. She doesn't sugarcoat the effort, talks about hustle culture and pricing, and shares what she believes it takes to make it as a freelance writer in the long run. We also dive into how AI is changing the market for writers and what we can do to stand out. Learning outcomes: Freelance writing day-to-day How to ge...
Apr 18, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Episode 53: (Content) Design that includes all My guest, Content Accessibility Consultant Lizzie Cass-Maran, and I talk about all things accessibility and how to make sure your Content Design practice is set up to include everyone. Lizzie also talks about her background, how and why she became a consultant, and what her day-to-day as an accessibility consultant looks like. Learning outcomes: What is accessibility? Why is it important? How to improve accessibility Working on accessibility day-to-...
Apr 04, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Episode 52: Upskilling as a UX Writer and going into leadership Let's take the pressure out of learning. In today's episode, I talk about how I upskilled for a new position. I share ideas for upskilling as a Content Designer, but also talk about all the learning opportunities outside of work that can be valuable to your day-to-day work. No matter if you want to get a promotion, become a leader, or are curious about working in a different field, this episode might help you. Learning outcomes: Lea...
Mar 02, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Episode 51: UX Writing at IKEA and why an AI probably won't steal your job In today's episode, Bilgi Karan (UX Manager at IKEA) talks all things AI, ChatGPT included. While you shouldn't be too worried about an AI stealing your job, he shares some things we can all expect to happen with AI-powered writing in the next few years. Plus, he shares how he hired the first-ever UX Writer at IKEA in Sweden. Learning outcomes: The development of AI for writing The future of ChatGPT and other writing-rela...
Feb 05, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Episode 50! I had other plans for the special 50th episode anniversary of Content Rookie but here we are. I was just laid off and am sharing what that feels like, what’s I’m doing and how you can help people that are going through layoffs. Hi@nicoletells.com
Jan 28, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Episode 49: What's the ROI of UX Writing? In today's episode, guest Yael Ben-David and I dive into the ROI of UX Writing, why it's important to spend time with business stakeholders, and how you can make the value of UX writing clear to those around you. We also speak about the process of writing a book and Yael share's how her background in journalism and microbiology inspired her to become a Content Designer. Learning outcomes: Writing a book The ROI of UX Writing Collaborating with business s...
Jan 16, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Episode 48: How to lead content design and stay sane while juggling different design philosophies In this episode, guest Chelsea Larsson shares how she went from being a content design IC to becoming a content design leader. She dives into how she scaled leadership from a medium-sized team to over 60 people. Plus, she talks about what she learned when going from a research-driven design process to a more accelerated one. Learning outcomes: From IC to management Scaling content design Leadership ...
Dec 21, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Episode 47: Writing is designing and Figma ain't that great Tag along as guest Michael Metts and I talk about his book 'Writing is designing' as well as a bunch of other things, such as Figma for UX writers or why you sometimes just need to claim the 'content designer' title to move up the career ladder. Learning outcomes: How 'Writing is designing' came to be Workshops on content design with Michael and Andy Why Figma for writers is overrated How you sometimes just need to claim that UX writing...
Nov 02, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Episode 46: Misfit? This is why you're great at content. In today's uber-exciting episode of Content Rookie, a punk and a hippie talk all things counterculture--and why it makes us better content designers. We discuss 10 counterculture approaches that work like a charm when you're working in content design, UX writing or copywriting. Long episode! 100% worth a listen. Learning outcomes: What countercultures and content design have in common Counterculture ways of looking at things in tech From p...
Oct 06, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Episode 45: You're underestimating the importance of SEO for UX writing In today's episode, guest Kat from TheKatCopy and I talk about all things SEO for UX content. SEO is more than a content marketing tactic and can be a great way to inform your product work - from information flow to search habits. Why it's often overlooked, how to best use it in content design and how to get into it (quickly!) are the main topics. Learning outcomes: Why SEO is important for UX writing What SEO is How to get ...
Sep 20, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Episode 44: Running a successful project with a UX writer, designer and researcher In today's episode, guest Jack Garfinkel shares all about a successful pilot project they were part of which introduced content design at their current place of work (Scope). We also talk about accessibility challenges and how to ensure an inclusive hiring process that makes space for diversity. A lot of good stuff to learn here! Learning outcomes: What makes a design project successful How do writers, designers a...
Aug 29, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Episode 43: How to explain what you do as a designer or writer In today's episode, my guest Anders and I get a little philosophical. With both freelancing and in-house experience under our belt, we've both noticed one challenge that never seems to get any easier to solve: how to best describe what we do to clients or employers. No matter if it's about choosing a title or understanding a brief, going broad or niching down can make or break a career. Here are our thoughts on understanding what we ...
Aug 17, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Episode 42: Get over your tone and voice guidelines Tone and voice guidelines, as well as any other writing style guidance, are a big topic among writers of all sorts. However, ensuring guidelines make sense in the long run, are inclusive, and are maintained properly is one of the biggest challenges in the field - not just for UX writers. In today's episode, I share my take on creating writing guidance for companies and teams and what has to change (IMO) to make sure It stays relevant. Learning ...
Jul 05, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Episode 41: Junior UX writers! This one is for you. Today's guest has had quite a journey: from working in advertisement in Nigeria to freelancing and finally landing a job as a Junior UX writer in Europe. Ifi shares what courses and resources helped him switch careers, why there aren't enough junior content design positions, and what the industry needs to improve to attract diverse talent. Learning outcomes: Day2day of a Junior UX writer Landing your first job in UX writing Building a content d...
Mar 30, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Episode 40: Freelancing as a content designer or UX writer Running your own business as a content designer/UX writer is certainly empowering, but more complex than freelancing in most other writing disciplines. In this episode, I dive into what it takes to get started as a freelance content designer, what to look out for, how to set boundaries, what to charge, plus I share some of the things I've learned freelancing in content design over the years. Enjoy! Learning outcomes: How does freelancing...
Mar 04, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 40
