Designing with words since 2006
I can’t stand writing in the third person.
But I do adore finding the right words — the ones richly resonant of just the right energy and meaning, but just as natural as if they just rolled off your mother’s tongue. The ones that direct you in clear, plain language; the ones that give you a much-needed tip in just the right moment; and the ones that inspire human beings to action.
And I love planning out those words beforehand just as much. Deciding what the right message, the right words, and the right progression are before we start mixing and matching the words themselves. Or doing it backwards, letting the right words find themselves in a scratchpad packed with hundreds of scrapped strings.
And I love working through the details of flows and filters, components and interactions, with my more traditional design partners.
In other words, I think of content strategist, content designer, and UX writer not as titles or roles, but as skillsets. And I’m both passionate and skilled at all three.
To me, everything is an atom, a seed. Mixed and matched the right way — well that’s when things explode. Or just quietly, calmly grow into a forest.
And yes, I can also “engineer” a prompt. I still call it “writing” though.
Professionally speaking
As of 2023, I’m a staff content designer at Google. Specifically, Google Ads. I drive — and support — efforts that shape the entire product, on topics ranging from AI to IA, onboarding to verification.
I’ve been designing with words since 2006. I’m a proud former member of the amazing teams at Webflow, InVision, and LinkedIn.
My first love is content design systems. But I’m rapidly falling for information architecture (IA) and have always had a fondness for structured content, especially the content modeling and ecosystem mapping stages. And I’m really down to talk product strategy.
But don’t get me wrong: I’m still as in love with the craft side of writing as I was when colleagues called me a “copywriter.” And I still enjoy a day spent in the weeds of line edits.
I just find it’s a lot more fun when you combine style with substance.
Enough about me, though
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