Summer Podcasts: Content Design

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Marli Mesibov

Covid changed my professional brand. After 7 years of conferences, webinars, podcasts, and weekly blogging, the world changed.

There were no more live conferences. Online conferences left me feeling disconnected. I’ve always been inspired by our peers in the Content Design space, and without access to other people, I felt I had nothing to say.

Then I left the agency space, and couldn’t present about my in-house work.

Then Twitter became a place of hate mongering, and I lost another way to access other Content Designers.

Then my website went down, and I didn’t have the energy to redesign it.

Is it time to talk about content design?

The past 5 years have not been idle – not in the industry, nor in my brain. But they have been isolated. Then, earlier this year, something amazing happened. Over the course of about a week, two old friends called. Each one is now interviewing people in their respective space, and wanted to talk to me.

I might not know what to write about, but I was happy to talk.

Lift up connections

Christine Perfetti is a powerhouse. I met her when she was a UX researcher, and I was juuuuust dipping my toe into content strategy. Over the years she’s been many things for me: a fount of good advice, a professional sounding board, and an inspiration as a woman in tech.

Now she’s started Lift Up Connections, and inspiring many more women in tech. Christine interviewed me about my twisty-turny career, and I got to quote my dad a lot. It was a wake up call, as I was reminded of how big the tech world really is.

Listen on 👇

• YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ev_prDRG
• Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eQQBS2mK
• Apple: https://lnkd.in/eYwH2mv3

Hard corps marketing

Casey Cheshire makes me wish I worked in marketing. He’s an absolute delight to talk to, and no matter how long it’s been he makes me feel like we just caught up yesterday.

Casey’s business, The Hard Corps Marketing Show, actually started about 7 years ago, and I was his 6 interviewee. Now they’re into the hundreds! While most of his interviews are about marketing (it’s right there in the name), we focused on AI – the ethics, the training, and the exciting work to come. It reminded me how much I love my job, and how much I’m learning every day.

Catch the full episode here:
Audio: https://lnkd.in/eNkvNPX2
Video: https://lnkd.in/e9BgWgZh

More to come?

I make no promises. But I’m thinking more about the state of the industry, and the work we all do as content designers. I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut. Maybe it’s time to start sharing my thoughts again…

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What can we do with AI?

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Marli Mesibov

AI is the hot new thing – in healthtech, and everywhere else, as far as I can tell. But I’ve noticed many people using the term “AI” to mean different things. I think this comes down to artificial intelligence being such a broad term.

What can AI do?

The major categories I’m noticing are:

  1. Automation
  2. Pattern recognition
  3. Generation

1. Automation refers to setting up systems, where things that happen on a regular basis can happen without human action. For example, automating an email to send every Monday, or every time a person takes a certain action.

2. Pattern recognition is when an AI is trained to identify specific terms or visual patterns. For example, pattern recognition is what allows AI to read MRI scans. This could also be considered “analysis”; identifying what to do based on a pattern.

3. Generation is any situation where AI is creating content, however it’s typically thought of in terms of chatbots or other formats where an AI might speak directly to an individual, without being reviewed and approved by professionals.

But “what can we do with AI” is rarely the question we should be discussing. The real question is: what should we do we with AI?

What should we do with AI today

More accurately, the question is “what should we do with AI today“?

Our technical abilities are developing rapidly. Already we use AI to automate work – think of sending batch emails based on broad triggers. And we use it to analyze patterns more and more, whether in “spell check” situations or MRIs.

But generation? That’s trickier. Our ability to design for the ethical considerations, such as designing for anti-bias and inclusivity, are expanding. But we aren’t there yet. An AI will still generate “hallucinations“, where they invent facts. They will tell patients misleading or inaccurate information – which can be frustrating at best, and deadly at worst.

AI can easily automate tasks that take humans a frustratingly long amount of time. It can partner with humans and assist in time-consuming tasks like initial pattern recognition and analysis, with humans finalizing the reviews. AI can even generate draft content in valuable ways that save humans’ initial brainstorming time.

Perhaps in the future, we’ll use AI to do all of our content generation. As content designers we’ll focus on training the systems. Imagine a world where a content designer could:

  • Scale – working on evaluation criteria and writing 5-50 sample content strings, rather than 1000s of individual strings for personalized experiences (without needing to triple check each one!).
  • Experiment – spending much more time testing out what users respond well to, and digging into why.
  • Focus – writing more for audiences that don’t respond to what works for “most” people.

We’re not quite there yet, but we can get there in the near future if we build AI appropriately. AI is a tool, and a useful one. What’s key is to use the tool appropriately.

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Bringing together Marketing and Product

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Marli Mesibov

This is not just a love letter to Strava. It is also a celebration of good Marketing and Product collaboration… and a warning of what can happen without that collaboration.

Warning: marketing without personalization

As a longtime Strava subscriber, I was surprised to get a marketing email pushing me to subscribe. I immediately took a screenshot to send to coworkers. I assumed this was a classic case of Marketing and Product teams miscommunicating. Marketing must have sent an email to everyone! How frustrating!

Email from Strava. Headline: Compare your performance. Body text: Take a look at the past vs the present. With new date comparison filters, you can easily track how your performance has evolved over time. Subscribe to check it out. Button CTA: Become a subscriber.

Marketing blasts like this have been on my mind recently. When an email comes with something you want, it feels like magic. But when an email comes and you don’t want it, it can sour you on the whole company. I’m not even getting into the psychological “why” (Why do we get emotionally attached to companies?). I’m asking myself: how do we set up the right personalization, so that as many people as possible get the emails that feel like magic?

I get annoyed when I get an email that asks me to become a subscriber to a product I already pay for. I also feel a little confused, and even worried – did something happen to my subscription? And, perhaps because I work closely with our own Marketing team at Verily, I assume the company could do better.

The good: Strava had a backup plan

Less than 24hrs later, I got another email.

Email from Strava. Text reads: Hey Marli, You may have received an email saying you're not a subscriber, and it even had the wrong link. Yikes. That definitely wasn't supposed to happen. Just to clear things up-nothing's changed. You're still a subscriber and continue to have access to everything Strava has to offer. Here's what we actually meant to share: your progress tab just got an update. You can now compare your performance over time with our new Date Comparison filters. So whether you're curious about the last 3 months or 3 years, you can easily track milestones and celebrate how far you've come. Button CTA: Compare your progress

Strava immediately apologized. Not only is this fantastic customer service, but I rethought my initial assumption. Now I think perhaps someone pressed the wrong button. Maybe Strava does have personalization set up, and accidentally sent the last email to the wrong audience segment.

How can your team avoid this mistake?

Here are a few tips to keep Marketing and Product teams connected.

  1. Involve the Marketing team in regular share-outs from Product. If Marketing doesn’t know what Product’s doing, they can’t advertise it.
  2. Include Product content designers as reviewers for Marketing campaigns. Content designers know what the user can do in the product, so they can confirm accuracy of anything Marketing is saying. Plus, since they wrote the actual content, they can confirm that Marketing is using the same language.
  3. Have a backup plan. Sometimes someone presses the wrong button. Strava did a good job with the follow up email. And honestly, I think they could have done even more. I read “Yikes. That wasn’t supposed to happen” and thought “Phew!” Then I deleted the email. I wouldn’t have read the rest if I wasn’t writing this article! To really sell the “Date Comparison filter”, they could have done more visually.
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Myths and realities of starting a content design team

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Marli Mesibov

I’ve now built content design/content strategy teams from the ground up at three different organizations. In that time I’ve learned a lot. Here are 3 myths that I’ve seen – and believed – and would like to correct.

Myth #1: Starting a content design team is easier at a large organization

Myth: Starting a content design team is easier at a larger organization, because they’re more organized and have more resources.

Reality: The larger the company, the more processes.

Think of it this way: at a small organization, there are perhaps 5 team leads who need to agree to change their processes to allow content design to engage with other cross-functional collaborators. But at a large organization, there could be 50 team leads. Each team has been doing just fine without content design. They know they have low engagement, or they need something better, or maybe they’ve just been told “you’re getting a content designer” and see no value whatsoever. Regardless, all of those people now need to change their processes to incorporate content design. That’s 50 team leads who need to be convinced of the value of content design.

That’s not to say it’s easy starting at a small organization either. But the challenges are different. At a small organization you do have fewer resources. Change happens either immediately or not at all – and can rest on a single individual. At a large organization change takes more time, and has more starts and stops. But that also means there are many ways to approach making changes, and many content design allies to find.

Myth #2: Starting a content design team from scratch is the best option

Myth: Starting a content design team from scratch is easier than starting with existing copywriters/designers who want to be content designers.

Reality: There is no easier. It’s hard to start as an individual and build up interest before hiring. It’s equally hard to train a team of interested-but-not-experienced people to do a new job.

I briefly spent time at Digitas, where I was given a team of 5 web designers and copywriters who had suddenly been told “you are now content strategists”. Of the 5, only 2 had any interest in the role. On the plus side, I had people to work with, to help me learn about the company, and to develop a good team culture with. On the other hand, I had people who had been perfectly happy in their old jobs. 2 quit within the first month 2 are still content strategists/content designers to this day.

On the other hand, when I started at Verily I was quickly overwhelmed by the need to both execute on project work as well as strategize for building a team (and that was WITH a fantastic contractor!). I would have loved to have multiple team members I could put on projects. Prioritization was the name of the game, and I still spent over a year getting my bearings.

Myth #3: Team members will only respect content design if there is a clear process in place

Myth: Taking on ad-hoc work will make people think content design is optional or last minute

Reality: Initially, when starting a content design team, you have one job: evangelize. By taking on ad hoc work you have an opportunity to show teammates the value you can provide.

For example, when a designer asks for a “quick review” of mockups, you can provide that review, and ask to be brought in earlier to test the voice next time. In this way, the content designer educates the team on what they can do beyond “quick reviews”, provides immediate value, and sets expectations for the future.

Over time, that becomes less valuable. Once cross-functional team members understand the value of content design, and include content designers on their projects, the ad hoc work begins to dwindle. Those that do request it tend to be people who didn’t resource their projects well, and turning them down is beneficial, as it encourages a better process.

Starting a content design team is challenging and rewarding

At Verily I’m working with the most mature content design team I’ve ever had the privilege to work with. Would I take on the challenge of building a team from scratch again? Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s a delight to work with people who understand our role. It’s a relief to spend less time evangelizing why we’re needed, and instead focus on the work itself and how we can improve.

That said, it’s incredibly rewarding to build a fresh team. If you’re at the early stages of building your team I would love to know: what’s working well for you?

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A fresh take on content design

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Marli Mesibov

The trees are stunning in Boston this spring. Friends and family tell me the dogwoods and cherry blossoms are blooming more fragrantly and abundantly than usual. But I think there’s more to it. Last spring I had ACL surgery, and spent most of May indoors. Having missed a year, I have a fresh take. I’m seeing the trees as though for the first time.

It’s been a stressful few years. As I re-learned to walk and spent hours each week in physical therapy, I spent less time writing. Less time reading. Much, much less time thinking about the role of content design in our lives.

Now I’m back.

Content design is changing

In the time since I last wrote, content design has changed. Here are a few of the things I’m noticing, with my fresh eyes.

  1. What is “content design”? It’s a new term to me. It seems to be the area where content strategy and execution sit hand in hand. Where once I called myself a content strategist who also did UX writing, I now lead a content design team.
  2. Generative content is real. And it’s both less and more than we anticipated. As content designers, we are now responsible for taming, training, and effectively using this new tool. (Noz Urbina recently podcasted about LLMs being the equivalent of an enormous team of interns.)
  3. People are different. To be fair, people change constantly. But Covid affected the digital and physical world so dramatically that I see entire populations responding differently to data privacy, social media, and technology as a whole.

I’m sure there’s more. Getting back into the practice of writing isn’t quite like riding a bike (which I have found is, in fact, like riding a bike). But with so many things to reflect on, I look forward to posting more of my musings, and hearing feedback from the content design community.

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How Twitter Won My Heart

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Marli Mesibov

Many years ago, I wrote an article entitled “What’s Wrong with Twitter?” The article was never published, in large part because I couldn’t come up with a strong thesis. All that I knew for certain was that this particular form of social media wasn’t working for me.

Articles about Twitter focused on the glory of its “conversations,” but I saw a stream of unrelated Tweets from people I was already conversing with via Facebook! What could be more redundant?

These days I love Twitter. So the question I hope to answer is: what changed? And can it make your Twitter experience a better one? Continue reading →

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Twenty Things I’m Glad I Learned On My Own

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Marli Mesibov

There are plenty of articles telling us what authors wish they had known in their early twenties.  But to be honest, I’m grateful for what I didn’t know then. It’s been fun learning along the way.

So, here’s my list. Twenty things I’m glad I learned on my own.

  1. Friendships come and go. Someone probably told me that in my early twenties, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. And thank goodness for that!  If I had known then that not all friendships would last, I might never have experienced the wonderful connections that got me through some of the trying times in my early twenties.
  2. Sometimes, it doesn’t all work out. I love hearing “everyone has a happy ending; if you’re not happy then its not the end.” It took me a long time to recognize that my happiness comes from within, and when I recognized it, I was able to accept it because of my experiences.
  3. Not everyone needs college. When I graduated high school, I told me parents I wanted to travel. They insisted on college. Now, having a degree in theater arts (with equally useful minors in music and creative writing), I’m aware that college isn’t for everyone. But for me, it was four amazing years, when I learned a lot – even if it wasn’t all related to my major.
  4. We’re NOT all meant for greatness. Imagining I was meant for some special purpose got me through lots of teenage angst, before I was ready to accept myself as a I am, meant solely for peace and happiness.
  5. It’s okay not to be cool. It’s important to be your own person, and let your freak flag fly. Still, I learned a lot about self confidence from watching the “cool” kids.
  6. Not everyone likes you. One day in high school, I realized that if I smiled, people smiled back! These days I’m aware that not everyone likes me, but then, it was a great ego boost to realize how many people did.
  7. Facebook is going to stick around. I avoided jumping on the Facebook bandwagon, because I thought it was a fad. As a result, I avoided the mistakes so many of our college compatriates experienced.
  8. Sugar is bad for you. Yes, my mother told me not to eat too much sugar. But I didn’t take her seriously. Frankly, given that I (along with far too many women of my generation) worry about all of the foods that could kill us, I’m pretty happy that we didn’t believe the hype about sugar any earlier than we did.
  9. Some people don’t like their jobs. I’m sad to say that most people don’t, and I doubt I would have found this job if I hadn’t had faith that I ought to love what I do.
  10. Being a grownup is awesome. I lived my teen years and early twenties like there was no tomorrow. Now that I know that the awesomeness continues, I’m still glad I got a head start.
  11. Love and respect your parents – they won’t be around forever. No one needs pressure to love. Love has to come naturally, in its own time.
  12. When you save money, your money makes money. For three years after college I traveled, tried internships, and spent any savings I made. And it was wonderful.
  13. No relationship is perfect. Looking for perfection is what stops us all from settling. By the time we realize relationships aren’t perfect, we’re in the perfect one for us.
  14. There are three sides to every story (yours, mine, and the truth). This is a very important lesson to learn. But first, it’s important to believe in yourself.
  15. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Yeah, it’s true. And yet relying on networking too early robs people of the need to educate and rely on themselves.
  16. Ultimately, we’re all on our own. There’s a reason children don’t think about death and cherish every moment with their parents. We realize we’re on our own at the time we’re ready to acknowledge it, and not a moment before.
  17. Not every family owns a dog. I’m honestly not sure I would have ever moved to Boston had I known not all landlords were dog-friendly.
  18. First love is not real love. This goes on the list of fun-killers. No one needs to know that the tingly feeling in their stomach is not a fairytale sign of happily ever after.
  19. People judge you by what you wear. If you want to look professional, you can’t leave the house in yoga pants or go to dinner wearing tiger makeup. I’m glad I wasn’t worrying about that in college.
  20. We all make it up as we go along. In my search for the answers, I learned so much. Had I known grownups didn’t have answers, I might have stopped searching.

What are you glad you didn’t know in your early twenties?

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UX and IXD

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Marli Mesibov

What is the difference between user experience design and interaction design?

Many people ask the question, and for every question there are infinite answers. As such, there’s been a fascinating discussion taking place on LinkedIn over the past few weeks, weighing the differences between IXD and UX. Here’s a quick summary, in case you haven’t yet seen it. Continue reading →

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Knitting: The Web Design Metaphor

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Marli Mesibov

I rarely think about web design, UX, or content strategy when I’m knitting. In fact, I knit as a way to zone out and think about anything but work. But this weekend, while working on an owl hat, I was struck by the similarities between my knitting projects, and my web projects. My knitting serves as a good metaphor web design – and helps dispell a few myths.

It’s Gotta Be Perfect

When I find a new pattern, I often have to feel it out. Knitting patterns are often specific to a brand of yarn and a certain set of needles, so if I want to use yarn I already have, I need to learn the pattern well enough to be able to experiment. So I create a prototype. Continue reading →

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Sage Green Afghan

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Marli Mesibov

It’s been awhile since I completed a knitting project. Aside from two new mobiles for two new mothers in my life, this is the first project I’ve completed since January! Continue reading →

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