How to be creative when the world is on fire

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.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/  [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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 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/  [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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 in strange times Mindfulness practice for creatives Creative communities and how they can help you Claiming your time off Why you need to be authentic How to survive as creative freelancers Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] Connect with guest, Anders Tallvik: https://anders-creative.com/ https://anders-creative.com/podcasts --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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 document IA Why IA impacts other content design efforts Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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 Designer? Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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? The future of SEO What does Poetry and UX Writing have in common? How Social media can inform your tone and voice Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] Connect with the guest, Dan Porder: --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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 companies Documenting your work Cross-team collaboration Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] Connect with the guest, Anjana Menon:Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnjiMenon Everything else: bento.me/anjimenon --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message

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 get started as a freelancer What to look for when scaling your business Negotiating with clients Pricing for freelance writing and content design Connect with host, Nicole Michaelis:  nicoletells.com // Contentrookiepod.com  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoletells/  [email protected] Connect with the guest, Jenn Marie:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcknight/ Website: https://www.whoisjennmarie.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/contentrookie/message