Writers of Silicon Valley

The final episode

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?

UX writing in the fintech industry, and how to get out of the customer's way - Yael Ben-David, UX writer at Fundbox

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.

How can we make the content design industry...better? - UX Writer, consultant, and archeologist Jane Ruffino

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.

Connecting the internal and external product experience - Andrea Drugay, Slack

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!  

How software will help UX writers democratize the design process - Jasper Platz, CEO of Strings

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!    

How Figma's Principal UX Writer (Chris Baty) is helping build design software that UX writers love

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!    

What we learned at the Button Conference, with Yael Ben-David, Vicki Siolos, and Duaa Osman

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    

From technical to UX writing, working at Apple, and UX writing for electric trucks - Christie Fremon (Rivian)

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: LinkedIn Twitter 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  

Going global: UX writing and content strategy outside the United States, with Mario Ferrer

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: LinkedIn Twitter If you like this podcast, please leave a review!  

Think bigger: how UX writers can embrace content strategy, with Kristina Halvorson

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 

What UX writing and content strategy get wrong (and how to get better), with Scott Kubie

“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 

Ditto: the two Stanford grads creating UX writing software

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

12 essential pieces of UX writing wisdom

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 

Accessibility and diversity in UX writing, with Google's Shayla Byrd

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!

How to be a successful UX writer at Netflix (and anywhere), with Ben Barone-Nugent

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.

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Writers of Silicon Valley

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