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, the lessons she learned from her time at Meta, Venmo, NBC Universal, and Silicon Valley Bank, and why content designers need to embrace strategy, research, and resilience to stand out in today’s job market.
If you've ever struggled with layoffs, job hunting, or making your content career more sustainable, this conversation is packed with real talk, tactical advice, and industry insights you won’t want to miss.
What we talked about:✅ How Cara moved across Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the US—and stumbled into content design ✅ What it’s really like working at Instagram/Meta as a content designer ✅ The hackathon project that could have changed Instagram Stories forever ✅ How financial UX writing is different from other industries—and why it matters ✅ What it feels like to get laid off at a big tech company ✅ Job hunting after a layoff—how to survive endless rejections ✅ The power of referrals, LinkedIn outreach, and strategic networking ✅ How contract work helped Cara get back into the industry ✅ Interviewing like a pro—portfolio tips that helped her land a job ✅ Why every content designer should think like a business strategist
Notable quotes:💬 "Your job can be taken away, but your skills and passion can’t." — Cara Lam 💬 "If you want to get hired, show that you understand how content affects business outcomes." — Cara Lam
Where to find Cara:🔗 LinkedIn 📸 Instagram: @thecaraadventures
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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, she’s figured out how to manage it—by setting boundaries, redefining success, and embracing a more sustainable approach to work.
In this episode, we talk about how to recognize burnout before it’s too late, the mistakes we all make when trying to "push through," and why setting boundaries isn’t just about saying no—it’s about knowing your worth.
If you’ve ever felt drained by your work or wondered how to make content design (or any job in tech) actually sustainable, this one’s for you.
What we talked about:
Notable Quotes:
“Your self-worth isn’t tied to your job. You’re so much more than the work you do.” “The cringe factor is real, but you just have to post it. Nobody’s going to remember it tomorrow.” “Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s layers of ignoring your own needs until it’s too late.”
Where to Find Dave:
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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 a bigger picture.
Dave brings a refreshing, no-nonsense approach to content design. From his experience working with developers to his cutting-edge ideas about content ecosystems, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and (yes) spicy takes. If you’re tired of surface-level debates about microcopy and want to get into the heart of what makes content design impactful, this one’s for you.
What we talked about:
Notable Quotes:
“Stop arguing about sentence case and start building better systems.” — Dave Connis “Tone isn’t the goal. Getting the user to their goal is.” — Dave Connis “Every piece of content in your UI has a job. Figure out what it is.” — Dave Connis
Where to Find Dave:
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We're proud to announce Maring's new course at UX Content Collective: Fundamentals of Support Content. Get it now for 25% off!
If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by terrible help center content, you’re not alone. Most of it sucks.
But why?
That’s why I’m excited to share this conversation with Maring Eberlein. Maring is a support content expert with a deep understanding of what makes help centers effective — and what makes them fail. She’s worked with companies large and small, transforming their support content from "just get it done" projects into real strategic assets.
We get into everything from why so much support content is subpar to how companies can stop playing catch-up and start building better self-serve experiences for their users. If you’ve ever wondered how support teams, content designers, and technical writers can work together more effectively, this episode is for you.
What we talked about:
Notable quotes:
Where to find Maring:
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Canva is a true (Aussie) tech success story, and the content design practice there is no small reason why.
One of the people leading that practice is Sally, Head of Content Design at Canva.
Sally and I dive into how Canva has built one of the strongest content design practices in the world, why leadership is about more than managing people, and what content designers need to do to grow their careers. We also discuss why content design in Australia often feels a few steps behind the global stage and what Canva is doing to set an example.
This was such an honest and motivating conversation, and I think it’ll resonate with anyone working in content or design, especially those navigating fast-paced environments.
Timestamps:
(0.52) Content design at Canva (4.28) Sally's work experience and history (8.30) Growing Canva's content design team (10.44) How Canva content designers approach AI (13.20) How Sally helps lead and develop her team (23.00) How leaders should prioritize (26.20) What Sally looks for when hiring (29.20) How to navigate change as a leader (32.50) Sally's biggest leadership challenges (38.15) The importance of culture and values (43.30) Psychological safety in teams (48.20) What the industry needs to change
What we talked about:
Notable Quotes:
Where to Find Sally:
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A few weeks ago I made a post on LinkedIn that caused a little bit of a stir. I said that content designers need to do more in considering how content supports the greater product ecosystem...and why that lack of curiosity might be holding them back.
In essence, I was asking: which is more important - product or content?
I got a lot of great responses, but Scott Kubie's was one that stood out to me. His view was that my assessment of the situation was a little upside down, and that we should talk about it.
So I did.
Scott and I agree that content designers need to think bigger, but we're coming at this from slightly different directions. This episode, we hash it out. I hope you enjoy it - it was a productive, pleasant, and deep conversation that really left me with a better understanding of Scott's position.
What we talked about:
Notable quotes:
Resources Mentioned:
Where to find Scott:
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Having trouble letting go? Deiadora Blanche (Airbnb, Coursera) can help.
In this episode, we dive deep into the idea of ego detachment — letting go of personal attachment to the work we do. Deiadora shares her journey from business consulting to content strategy, and how she’s learned to balance personal growth with professional success.
We also chat about thinking like a CEO, even when you’re not in leadership, and how content professionals can create their own success by setting metrics and driving results. Plus, Deiadora shares some incredible insights about AI content strategy — why we need to engage with it, not fear it.
If you’re curious about how to stay grounded in your work, navigate high-pressure environments, or just want to hear some practical advice on building a successful content strategy career, this episode is a must-listen.
What we talked about:
Notable quotes:
Where to find Deiadora:
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Vidhika Bansal might win the award for the most positive Twitter timeline. Just reading her tweets makes your entire day better.
But Vidhika's talents go far beyond nice social media posts. Her intense interest and focus on human behaviour and user research make her one of the most thoughtful and fascinating people in UX. She's spoken at conferences like Button and Confab, led teams at organizations like Intuit, and has one of the most human-centered approaches to UX that I know of.
Vidhika shares her journey from studying pre-med to finding her passion for human-centered design, explaining how her love for poetry and small details fuels her content strategy work today. She talks about the intersection of behavioral psychology, content design, and the profound impact of well-crafted UX writing on user confidence and trust.
Whether you're a content designer, UX writer, or simply curious about how the little things in digital products can make all the difference, this episode dives deep into the art of designing for the human experience.
We talk about:
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Larry Swanson might be one of the most knowledgeable and friendly people in content design and content strategy. Every time you speak to him, he’s full of joy and passion about the craft.
Not just that - he’s probably one of the most intelligent people in the industry when it comes to the technical aspects of content. He calls himself a “content architect”, but that’s really too short a description of his capabilities. Whether he’s talking about information architecture, content modeling, or content and AI, Larry has just an unthinkable amount of knowledge and depth when it comes to how content is created and structured within a product experience.
So that’s why I had him on the podcast today. We discuss:
Larry’s history in content
His thoughts on the skills content designers need to succeed
Knowledge graphs - what the hell are they, and why are they important?
Information architecture
Much, much more…
Connect with Kyra:
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I know, I know. A lot of AI. But I swear, the conversation in this one is really worth listening to.
For so many organizations, the use of AI is dictated by the CEO, or head of product, etc. Rarely do content designers take the effort or initiative to actually develop an idea of how AI should be integrated.
That's why this interview with Kyra Lee from UserTesting was so fascinating to me. Kyra and her colleagues have taken the initiative to create a "playbook" about how AI should be approached in their design philosophy.
We talk about that, plus...
As always, let me know your thoughts: [email protected].
(Also, yes...audio is a bit off today. Again. Please be patient as I fix some ongoing issues!)
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Getting into content design is hard enough, but contracting roles are a different struggle altogether. While they can be lucrative (potentially depending where you live) they're also difficult to crack.
But they're also a necessary struggle to understand - often the way to start a content design career is to begin with some contracting roles.
Today's guest is a content design contracting queen. Alliteration!
Slater Katz has worked as content designer for Netflix, Chime, Verizon, Fitbit, and more. Not only can I vouch for her content design skills (she's worked with us at UXCC for a bit) but she's unique in that she understands how business goals and design goals intersect - a rare skill.
And she understands personal branding better than anyone in the biz, in my opinion.
In this interview we discuss content design contracting, how to improve your personal brand, what makes a great contractor stand out, and why asking questions when you start isn't a sign of weakness - it's a strength.
Connect with Slater:
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