Writers of Silicon Valley
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Our new course, , is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off. Should content designers care about "vibe coding"? AI prototyping has taken the design world by storm. Replit, Cursor, Lovable, Figma Make...all of them are certainly very cool. But do they actually change the way we design? And if they do, should we even care? David Hamilton joins me to talk about it. What we talked about: ✅ Designing content for cars across screens, systems, and contexts ✅ The stakes of language in safety-critical interfaces ✅ Why consistency across app...
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Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Our new course, , is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off. 👉 Check out the When words make or break the player experience Most content designers work in apps, websites, and services. But what happens when your product is a massive open-world RPG or a competitive shooter? In this episode, I talk with Ben Moran, a UX writer who’s worked on AAA video games, about the unique challenges of designing language for games. From menu systems and HUD elements to skill trees and settings, we explore how content design in games is a constant...
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Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Our new course, , is available for preorder. Order and get 25% off, plus 30% off another course or workshop. 👉 Get 25% off all courses and workshops at Navigate AI with clarity, not panic There’s a lot of noise about AI right now. It’s going to replace us. It’s going to revolutionize everything. It’s the best thing since sliced bread or the beginning of the end. In this episode, Andrew Stein, a content design leader and thoughtful skeptic, helps us cut through the noise. We talk about what AI actually means for content...
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Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 ATTEND OUR MAJOR COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT ON MAY 6. . 👉 Get 20% off courses and workshops at with PODCAST20. Staying hopeful, getting hired, and embracing the hustle The job market for content designers hasn’t been easy—and it’s even harder when you're trying to break into the field for the first time. But if there’s anyone who knows how to stay resilient through the process, it’s Casey Webb. In this episode, Casey shares her journey from marketing to UX content design—navigating layoffs, contracts, full-time roles, and...
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Listen on: | Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Get 25% off courses and workshops through April 6, 2025 at . 👉 Check out 👉 Victor's that sparked this conversation Rethinking influence, resentment, and the future of content design It’s easy (and often correct) to blame external factors for why content design doesn’t get the respect it deserves. But what if some of our biggest challenges are ones we’ve created ourselves? In this episode, Victor Beigelman, a longtime content designer at Meta, joins us for a candid conversation about how...
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Listen on: | Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! 👉 Get 20% off courses and workshops at . Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout. 👉 Check out "" Mastering the art of defending your designs As a content designer, you’ve probably been asked, "Why did you use that word?" or "Why does this need to change?" Defending design decisions can be tough. Especially when feedback comes from stakeholders who might not fully understand content strategy. In this episode, Tom Greever, author of "Articulating Design Decisions", shares his framework for explaining and...
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Listen on: | Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! Get 20% off courses and workshops at . Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout. The rise of UX writing in India UX writing is still a young discipline in India, but it’s growing—fast. In this episode, Sidika Sehgal shares what’s happening on the ground: the demand for UX writers, why hiring is so challenging, and how localization is reshaping product experiences in one of the world’s most diverse markets. Sidika, a content designer at Rubrik, has seen the industry evolve over the past few years. She explains why tech...
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Listen on: | Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review! Get 20% off courses and workshops at . Just use the code PODCAST20 at checkout. From layoff to leadership: How Cara Lam rebuilt her career Getting laid off is tough—but for content designers on work visas, it can feel like everything is on the line. When Cara Lam lost her job at Instagram during the wave of tech layoffs, she had just 60 days to figure out her next move or leave the country. What followed was a relentless job search, rejections, and a journey of self-discovery. In this episode, Cara shares how she bounced back,...
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Listen on: | Do you enjoy the podcast? Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20. 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,...
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Listen on: | Do you enjoy the podcast? Get 20% off courses and workshops at UX Content Collective. Just use the code PODCAST20. 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...
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👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
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When words make or break the player experience
Most content designers work in apps, websites, and services. But what happens when your product is a massive open-world RPG or a competitive shooter?
In this episode, I talk with Ben Moran, a UX writer who’s worked on AAA video games, about the unique challenges of designing language for games. From menu systems and HUD elements to skill trees and settings, we explore how content design in games is a constant balancing act between immersion and usability.
We also talk about the differences between “content design” in the gaming industry (quests, story content) versus UX writing for UI, and why game studios are missing opportunities when they don’t bring dedicated UX writers onto their teams.
What we talked about:
âś… How Ben transitioned from product design and copywriting into UX writing for games
âś… The difference between content design for quests and UX writing for UI
âś… Immersion vs. usability: why both matter, and how to find the balance
âś… Deciding when to name things in a game (and when not to)
âś… Making complex systems like skill trees, armor upgrades, and settings feel approachable
âś… Why players will tolerate complexity in gameplay, but not in basic navigation
✅ The missed opportunity when studios don’t hire UX writers
âś… Lessons from games that can inspire innovation in digital products
Where to find Ben:
đź“– LinkedIn
đź“– Ben's article on UX writing in video games
Do you enjoy the podcast? Please leave a review!
👉 Our new course, Advanced UX Content for Product, is out! Use PODCAST20 to get 20% off.
👉 Check out the Content Design Salary Survey