Why we still believe in content design, too.
Quick Read: Content design pros acknowledge that hiring of content designers and UX writers has slowed – particularly at Big Tech firms — but the long-term outlook for the practice is good. They offer tips future job-seekers can get started on now to be prepared for the next wave of hiring.
At the end of July, Nicole Alexandra Michaelis, a content designer and host of the excellent podcast Content Rookie, penned an article in UX Collective titled, “Why I no longer believe in Content Design.” It caused quite the stir, sparking comments, debates, rebuttals, and this question from one student in SVC’s Content Design Certificate Program: “Am I now three-quarters of the way down a dead-end road?”
At SVC we did what we always do when faced with a puzzling industry question — we consulted industry experts. Fortunately, we know a lot of them, as our instructors are all senior working professionals.
You’re not imagining a downturn.
Tracy Fontaine, a senior staff content designer at Navan and formerly a content designer at Meta, began her answer with a welcome helping of empathy. “Oof, I can understand how content design students and career transitioners are disheartened at the moment. So are folks with years of experience. Alas, the tiny optimist in me still wholeheartedly believes that pursuing what excites you pays off.”
Another SVC instructor, Lenny Raymundo, a content design manager at Booking.com in Amsterdam, echoed Tracy’s sympathetic vibe. “I can understand how some junior/entry-level UX writers can find Nicole’s article scary. My take is that she feels frustrated about how our discipline is talked about in product orgs. We're thought of as more of an afterthought, and we need to do a better job making the case for the value of our UX writing teams.”
Torrey Podmajersky, the author of Strategic Writing for UX and principal of her new consultancy, Catbird Content, echoes the sentiment that students and professionals have good cause to be concerned. “It’s scary to face LinkedIn and other professional spaces where there are a few loud people expressing their pain about where they are in their content design careers, how it’s hard, and how it’s unfair.”
There are plenty of reasons for optimism.
So, yes, there’s a fair amount of uncertainty swirling around the future of content design. But, without exception, the professionals we spoke with see things looking up over the long run. And, in the short run, there’s reason to believe things may not be so dire after all. Torrey writes:
“There are solid reasons fewer design jobs are being posted these days.
”After a grueling pandemic and layoffs at major tech companies, a lot of hiring managers haven’t be allowed to hire for new roles until the end of 2023, or even next year — hence, there have been no jobs to post.
“What’s more, as interest rates have increased dramatically, small to mid-size companies are likely hunkering down, saving cash by not opening new roles, even if they need them. This will create pent-up demand for these roles in the next two years.
“Finally, many tech firms over-reacted when announcing layoffs, and found that they eliminated positions they actually needed. As they rehire to fill those essential slots, they're often recruiting from their pool of laid-off employees, so those jobs never get posted. That helps to create the impression that job postings are down.
”Over the long term, design employment is expected to grow.
”The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, “Overall employment of web developers and digital designers is projected to grow 23 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 21,800 openings for web developers and digital designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.”
”Content design is still in its infancy, and more adoption of the practice will lead to more hiring.
“A few years ago, it wasn’t unusual to see 10,000 job postings for product/UX designers, but it was rare to see more than 1,000 postings for UX writers or content designers. That was a ratio of 1:10 or even worse. Now, the ratio of job postings seems closer to 1:5 — suggesting that firms are seeing the value in content design — a strong sign for future job growth.
”The content design jobs are still out there, just not in Big Tech.
”The widely reported 150,000 tech layoffs of the past year were mostly from Meta, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and others. But there has still been hiring outside of tech. The reality is almost every company needs to be a software company these days. From getting dog food delivery (Chewy.com) to communicating with your doctor (Epic or MyChart), to paying your bills automatically (JPMorgan Chase, Citi, Bank of America), almost every industry will need high-quality, usable interfaces — and the people who can design them.”
Tips for succeeding in the job hunt.
While the points above do a good job of explaining the current hiring scene, landing that first job is still a tall order. Our instructor/practitioner panel suggests a few tips for dealing with a tight job market.
Katherine Karaus, a senior UX writing and conversation designer for Google, points out that one way content designers can pivot their careers in a more viable direction is to get smart about Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models. “Many companies have content designers working on LLM projects, and language experts are crucial for ensuring the quality of the output these AI systems produce.”
She also suggests that now is a good time to build skills, freelance, volunteer, or do contract work. She says, “That way you'll be even more ready to snag an in-house role when hiring picks back up.”
The pros say “stick with it.”
Without exception, the content designers we spoke with don’t believe the sky is falling and would encourage anyone who loves writing and digital experiences to stay the course.
“The best advice I could give to folks starting out is this: I think it'd be a mistake to pivot away from UX writing just because of the current job market,” advises Lenny Raymundo. “If you really enjoy the craft, if you really enjoy building new experiences for people who use digital interfaces, there will be a job for you.”
Referring back to the article by Nicole Michaelis that kicked this whole debate off, Katherine Karaus sees why it would freak out some would-be content designers. She says, “That article is very accurate on the challenges of the profession, but if you're excited about the work and game for those challenges, I wouldn't give up.”
Tracy Fontaine even finds a poetic metaphor in the current employment situation, likening it to surfing. “We’re surrounded by waves — constant highs and lows, peaks and troughs — but we don’t tend to see ourselves as being in the midst of them. Know better than to fight the waves. Fighting waves does nothing but exhaust you. Jumping on your board and riding the waves is exhilarating.
“As students, you've been building your boards. You’re suiting up, building strength, and becoming more confident. You’re taking full advantage of the calmness of the trough, making sure you’re fully prepared to shred the heck out of the next wave the second it comes.”
The last word on this subject comes not from Torrey Podmajersky, but from some of the 900 people who have signed the Content Design Manifesto she has championed over the past several months. On the group’s Slack channel Torrey sees people expressing their joy for their career choice. In their words about why they signed the Manifesto, she senses hope and optimism:
“Designing words is designing meaning. And that makes everything digital work (or not).”
“I’m proud of my career as a content designer.”
“I believe in the power of content design.”
“What we do matters. ✌️😁📝📈❤️”
“No matter how good [AI] gets, it can't bring the magic of a brilliant, flawed, energetic creative.”
These people all still believe in the future of content design. And so, at SVC, do we.
Larry Asher is the director of the School of Visual Concepts, a professional development training center that's been helping designers and marketers advance in their careers for more than 50 years. SVC has offered certificate programs in UX design since 2015 and recently added a track for aspiring content designers. The School also leads in-person and remote team training sessions on design thinking methods, presentation skills, creative brief writing, and copywriting for Amazon, Nestle, Starbucks, Brooks Running, Zillow, Microsoft, T-Mobile, and many others.
