Between the three of us, we've spent almost 40 years working in content so in this episode of Content Rookie, we talk about all things landing a job in content design, growing your career, leading vs IC work, what skills are most useful to hone right now, and how we're handling the constant shift of prios for content and design work.
Learning outcomes:
- Leadership vs individual contributor roles in design and content
- The day to day of content designers
- Applying to jobs in the current climate
- Why generalists are the new specialists
- What skills you might want to learn
- Why we don't believe in bootcamps and courses
- Is content design a craft, an art, or a trade?
***
Connect with Aaron Burgess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronburgess/
Connect with Bill Kurland: https://www.billkurland.com/blog https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-kurland
Connect with the host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com
hi@nicoletells.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
Episode 71: How a content design team works - Meet Miro's content designers
Welcome to a very special episode of Content Rookie with an entire content design team: Rachel, Lene, and Roana from Miro! I'm excited to talk to them about all things content design at Miro.
Learning outcomes:
- How to scale content design to maximize impact
- How work is divided
- What small teams are hiring for
- What it takes to lead a content design team
- Daily rituals, best practices, and processes
Connect with the guests:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-mcconnellme/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/roana-bilia-37751a9a/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lene-bayerlein-7492858b/
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
In this special episode of Content Rookie I talk to my friend Mario Ferrer about how content design has changed over the past decade or so, how we recharge, where we find those special creative moments, how we can make greater impact without compromising our time and values, and what the upsides of AI might be.
Learning outcomes:
Connect with Mario Ferrer:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marioferrer
Connect with Nicole Michaelis:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells
Mentioned:
The Culture Map: https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/ Erin Meyer
Button conference: https://www.buttonevents.com
Lead with Tempo conference:
https://www.leadwithtempo.com
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.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with guest, Rachel McConnell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-mcconnellme/
https://www.leadwithtempo.com/
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 specialist approach
- Thriving as the only UX writer in your team
***
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with guest, Andrew Stein:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdeanstein/
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.
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with guest, Sara Wachter-Boettcher:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraboettcher/
Newsletter: https://www.activevoicehq.com/newsletter
Article mentioned on episode: https://medium.com/nice-work-from-active-voice/hey-designers-theyre-gaslighting-you-e02e5a4d9cff
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, frustration and stagnation.
Connect with guest, Bill Kurland:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-kurland/
https://www.billkurland.com/
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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 during interviews
- Onboarding as a content designer
- Understanding team and org structure
- Documentation
- Office hours, briefs, request boards, slack channels
- QA for content design
- Change- and stakeholder management
- Getting away from a service relationship
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
---Connect with guest, Ademar Rodrigues:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ademarrodrigues/
---Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with guest, Shannon Leahy:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonleahy/
Meetup, RVA Content Strategy: https://www.rvacontentstrategy.com/
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with the guest, Iara:
Linkedin: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/iara-lucena-toes-210485104
Website: https://www.iaracreates.com
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with guest, Anders Tallvik:
https://anders-creative.com/
https://anders-creative.com/podcasts
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with the guest, Dan Porder:
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with the guest, Anjana Menon:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnjiMenon
Everything else: bento.me/anjimenon
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with the guest, Jenn Marie:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcknight/
Website: https://www.whoisjennmarie.com/
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:
Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:
nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/
hi@nicoletells.com
Connect with the guest, Lizzie Cass-Maran:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizzieCassMaran
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizziecassm
