UX CONTENT RESOURCES
You’ve probably heard people say that “UX writing is more than just writing.” Well, solo UX writing is a lot more than just UX writing. In addition to the writing, content strategy, research, and design thinking, you’re also in charge of your UX writing practice. You’re likely responsible for process and project management, and prioritizing requests. Plus, you’re advocating for a seat at the table—and probably spending a lot of time explaining to people what the heck “UX writing” even is.
I teach a workshop on Succeeding as a Solo UX Writer and participants say one of their favorite things about the workshop is that they get to connect with and learn from fellow solo practitioners. So, when I started writing this guide, I put out a call for solo UX writers on LinkedIn and asked them to share their experience and advice.
I heard from 27 solo (or formerly solo) UX writers and content designers. This guide is created from their advice. It’s meant to serve as a resource for solo UX writers, whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your solo UX writing practice.
We’ll cover a lot—from things to consider before taking on a solo UX writing role to onboarding tips to tips for advocating for yourself and your practice. Hear how other solo UX writers and content designers are prioritizing, showcasing their value, and more.
Before we get into it, I want to give a big thank you to everyone who shared their experience and advice with me. I heard from a mix of content designers and UX writers that are solo within their organizations and solo within teams at organizations that don’t have centralized content design teams.
Thank you to Andrew Stein, B. Ravikumar, Boris Hartl, Busayo Onifade, Christina Grocott, Clare Scott, Don Seidenberg, Flor Firpo, Gracie Peters, Jensen Lo, Kamila Hanson, Karen Hewell, Kate Garner, Laura Widener, Luke Easterwood, Marc Voyer, Michelle Keller, Pedro Quintino, Pranjal Maurya, Rachel Shimp, Rebekah Wolf, Sania Ayushi, Shann Maddox, Sharmilee Sarkar, Sarita Roberts, Vinish Garg, (and anonymous!).
The participants shared responses to the following questions:
I grouped their responses into themes and organized this guide according to those themes.
If you’re considering a role as the first or only UX writer or content designer on a team, you may be wondering what exactly it entails. Read on for advice from experienced solo content designers for those considering—or starting in—a new solo role.
If you’re interested in learning more about the craft of UX writing or content design, I recommend checking out What is UX Writing? by Bobbie Wood.
You may be wondering what the difference is between being a solo UX writer and being on a team of UX writers or content designers.
The biggest difference, as called out by almost every person that responded to the survey, is that you’re on your own. Spoiler alert: This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“The big difference is having other writers to learn from,” Gracie Peters explains. “There’s not really much opportunity for ‘content crit’ if you’re a solo UX content practitioner.”
UX Writer Sarita Roberts agrees: “Working on a team is nice because there’s a whole group of experts around you to share ideas and learnings.”
Another thing that differentiates solo roles from those on bigger Content Design teams is that you’ll be the sole person advocating for your craft.
“It often feels like you spend more time trying to explain the value of your work and fighting for access to projects than you do… well, actual work,” says Karen Howell, a content strategist and independent contractor. “This happens on larger teams, too, but as a solo writer you often feel like the ‘voice’ of your discipline, which can feel overwhelming.”
Sharmilee Sarkar says, “Not everyone gets how important clear and user-friendly words are, so I spend a lot of time explaining why my work matters.”
Don Seidenberg, a UX writer currently working on projects in Fintech and IT, shared an experience from his first UX writing job. “I needed to fight for my seat at the table. As the only UX writer on a team, I needed to educate others about UX writing and the value that it adds.” Don started by inviting himself to Design and Product meetings.
The solo UX writers and content designers I heard from also shared why they find their roles so rewarding.
“It can be overwhelming at times because all the product managers, engineers and designers are counting on me,” Sarita Roberts says. “But it’s so rewarding because I get to show up for them in meaningful ways everyday. And it feels good to know I have such a major role in shaping member experience for my company. Another huge plus is that I get to help create a cohesive experience across our platform because I write or audit/refresh most of it.”
Sharmilee Sarkar, Senior UX Writer at Coditas, says, “Being the only UX writer on my team is awesome because I get to directly shape how users experience our products. As the first UX writer, you’ll be paving the way. Be prepared to educate stakeholders, collaborate with teams who might not understand your role, and constantly learn new things. But remember, this is also your chance to shape UX writing within the organization and make a real impact.”
Andrew Stein, Director, Principal Content Designer at TIAA points out the positive role solo work can play in your professional growth: “An upside is that being solo makes you a generalist. You don’t have the option to rely on teammates to pick up where you might be less developed. You learn every aspect of the work. This is a huge advantage as you move into leadership.”
If you’re in the process of applying or interviewing for a solo UX writing or content design role—or considering an offer—here are a few tips.
Clare Scott, Content Design Manager at Dext, shared tips for dealing with the lack of mentorship and camaraderie that comes from not having other content designers or UX writers on the team. “Join content communities. There are some great ones on Slack. Ask for feedback, share stuff you’re working on.”
Check out the Content + UX Slack community or the UX Writers & Content Designers LinkedIn group.
Pedro Quintino, Content Designer at Anchorage Digital, expressed the importance of clarifying roles and responsibilities before joining the team. “When you are the first content designer on a team, there’s often a misconception about the scope and skill set involved, leading to assumptions that the role also includes tasks like marketing or technical writing,” says Pedro.
“Having a clear understanding of the role’s expectations is crucial to avoid surprises and prevent an overwhelming workload.”
“Before starting at Anchorage Digital, Pedro says, “I established clear goals for myself, aided by a structured plan developed in collaboration with my manager. Tracking these goals ensured I stayed on target.”
Another content designer that preferred to remain anonymous stressed the importance of asking about the career path for the role. If none is defined, try to gauge how willing your manager will be to work on one with you once you start.
Jensen Lo, Senior Content Strategist at Ant Group, suggests learning more about the company and team. Jensen suggests finding out more about:
“These 3 factors are critical to how your objectives and day-to-day work would look like as a UX writer. At this stage of my career, my priorities are that my reporting manager is of UX background and the UX team is mature enough to set their objectives and hold open discussions with teams like business, product, and engineering to prioritize their work effectively.”
Starting a solo role can be scary. The good news? You’re not alone. Lots of solo practitioners deal with imposter syndrome and feeling like nobody understands what we’re here to do—especially early on. But you’re in a fantastic position to create something amazing.
Gracie Peters shared, “At the beginning, it was hard. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I led a presentation at a ‘lunch and learn’ session that was open for anyone to attend, all about content design. I used relevant work examples to explain what my job was. I made sure that people knew who I was, what I was capable of, and that I was a great person to work with. By the end, I felt empowered. And that was because I had built up strong relationships across product, engineering and design.”
“It will get easier over time as you learn to surf the challenges,” says Flor Firpo, Sr. UX Content Designer at Brubank in Argentina. “Keep reminding yourself of this: ‘Every step brings me closer to mastering solo UX writing.’ I repeat this mantra whenever I need reassurance.”
A lot of new solo UX writers are making the transition from copywriting, technical writing, or marketing. If you don’t have a design background, one of the most important things to understand is that UX writing is a UX design discipline.
Kate Garner says, “The biggest game changer for me was thinking of myself as a designer, rather than a writer.” But what if you don’t come from a design background?
Michelle Keller, Content Design Lead, Bereavement Services as Care Hospice shares, “When I was hired, my company didn’t even know what UX was. I barely knew. I started doing a lot of reading, attending webinars and talking with other people. As I have learned, I have tried to set up structures and processes with a view towards future growth. I also have been working on teaching my team what UX is and why content matters.” Learning on the job — and sharing those learnings with your team — can be one of the most fun and rewarding parts of building out a solo practice.
Busayo Onifade, Senior Content Designer and Founder & CEO of UX Scribe, learned more about design through collaborating with designers. “When I first started my career in tech… I was new to the UX world, so my manager pushed me to reach out and work with the designers and the rest of the UX team. I’m so glad I did because it opened my mind up to new perspectives, new ideas, ways of thinking, and I was able to better understand UX from a design-focused lens.”
If you’re thinking of applying for a UX Writing job but don’t have a UX writing background, Pranjal Maurya, Senior UX Writer at Razorpay says, “Craft a portfolio that shines with UX principles, setting your work apart.”
You’ve accepted the job—now what? The solo UX writers and content designers that responded to my survey shared a ton of great advice for ramping up.
Laura Widener, Content Designer at Frontier Communications, says, “Don’t be afraid to take your time to gather information when you’re just starting out.” There’s a ton of context you’ll need to gather before you can start making thoughtful, informed decisions in your work.
The first thing Laura suggests doing is, “Take the time to audit and catalog the existing content so you can develop a full picture to inform your writing. Doing this work up front helps you get to know your company and its products, voice, tone, and other elements of content style, identify strengths and weaknesses, and create a catalog of writing to ensure consistency or kickstart new ideas.”
Andrew Stein also recommends auditing the content landscape. “It can be tempting to jump right into projects, but it’s helpful to know what resources exist, and what you’ll need to create.”
Don Seidenberg’s advice is, “Learn about stakeholders and their roles and build bridges with them.” When you meet with them, try to understand what’s most important to them — what metrics are they trying to drive? What projects are they most excited about? This will help you frame your value for them in future conversations.
Gracie Peters says, “Ask lots of questions. Get perspectives from everyone. Write everything down.” And asking questions doesn’t just apply to onboarding — it should be part of your regular routine.
B. Ravikumar shares the same sentiment. “Do not hesitate to ask naive questions about the projects you are working on and about the intended audience.”
When asking questions while onboarding, understanding the business should be a focus. Gracie says, “Make sure you understand how the business works, what its goals are, and where you should focus your attention.” This will help you prioritize your work and figure out which projects will have the most impact.
For more info-gathering tips, check out 5 tips for success as a solo UX writer.
As the first and only UX writer or content designer on the team, odds are that your teammates and stakeholders won’t be familiar with your role. Onboarding is the perfect time to start helping your team understand the value of UX writing — and advocating for your seat at the table.
“Don’t assume that folks know what a UX writer is,” says Sarita Roberts. “Educate, educate, educate. Every chance you get, share how you have helped with something or how you could have helped in a specific situation. When I started, people wouldn’t include me because they had no idea what exactly I was there to do.”
Sania Ayushi, a freelance writer, says, “Be adamant to get a seat at the Product Design meetings. You need to know about the product’s success/progress as much as the developers and the designers.”
For solo UX writers coming from a copywriting or marketing background, Jensen Lo recommends advocating early for your role as a UX practitioner. “This is to prevent excessive copywriting tasks that could take time away from work on higher level strategic objectives.”
Onboarding conversations are a nice opportunity to start building relationships, discovering who your allies are, and creating connections that will help you succeed.
Andrew Stein says building connections “might seem obvious, but when you’re stretched thin, it’s easy for frustration to impact your working relationships. Trust and connection are crucial when creating with others, so pay attention to the health of your work relationships.” And it doesn’t hurt to start building these relationships early.
Flor Firpo says, “Don’t hesitate to talk to everyone, seriously, everyone. Every team can benefit from content design, they just might not realize it yet. It’s a lot of effort, but explaining your role and how it can boost overall team performance is crucial. You’ll notice a shift when other teams begin reaching out to you for help or including you in project meetings from the start.”
Vinish Garg, an independent consultant in design and content leadership roles, shares that in a former solo UX writing role, “I would often spend time with marketing and support teams to figure out how they design their messages, how they ensure the language alignment with the product content, and how I could bridge the gap.”
Kate Garner suggests scheduling face-to-face meetings. “I’d suggest having face-to-face meetings with as many different stakeholders as possible. Product designers will probably be the quickest to be your allies, but PMs, engineers, data scientists, and researchers are all valuable allies to have.”
Boris Hartl, Senior UX Writer at Foot Locker, recommends, “Schedule virtual coffee chats, lunch breaks, or quick walks to connect on a personal level first. Then, discuss ways to support each other while sharing the value you bring as a content designer.”
Your allies are the people that will help you advocate for a seat at the table and understand the value of what you do.
“It’s really important to find advocates for content design at your company,” Kate says. “There are usually a lot of people who see its value, but if you can get your boss to be an advocate for you with higher-ups, it is really helpful.”
Kamila Hanson, Senior UX Writer at Prowly says, “Find friendly allies — people who care about your work, and genuinely want your input on things. That way, it will be easier for you to prove your worth and continue doing what you’re doing.”
Last but not least, you’ll want to align with your manager to make sure you’re clear on what’s expected of you. This will become especially important as you start getting more requests from the team than you can handle.
Jensen Lo says, “Looking back, I’d encourage new solo UX writers to first discuss with your manager or team lead early on to set out expectations. Then, discussing and reviewing these expectations with them frequently (at least monthly) is important to identify and adjust your priorities in the role.”
Solo UX writers often work across several product teams, supporting many designers and product managers. As a result, it’s not uncommon for solo practitioners to feel like they don’t have enough time to get everything done. In the survey, respondents shared a ton of amazing insight related to how they prioritize, how they protect their time, and tools that help them prioritize.
But first… it’s ok to not do everything!
Before we get into tips for prioritization, it’s important to remember that you can’t do it all — and that’s ok! If you ever start feeling like you need to do it all, just come back here and let these amazing quotes serve as a reminder.
Rebekah Wolf, Senior Content Designer at Microsoft: “You can’t and shouldn’t do everything regarding content. Understanding the product vision is key to knowing where you’ll have the most impact.”
Kamila Hanson, Senior UX Writer at Prowly: “What I’ve learned along the way is that I can’t fix everything on my own, even if I wanted to. I know I’ve added immense value to my team and the product itself, but there are some things I needed to learn how to let go.”
Andrew Stein, Director, Principal Content Designer at TIAA: “Remind yourself that you can’t do it all. Rather than thinking how far off the experience is from what you want, acknowledge how much better key parts of the experience are because of your involvement. It’s unrealistic to make it perfect when you’re understaffed. Make your mark of success to make the experience better than how you found it.”
Gracie Peters, Senior Content Designer & UX Writer: “Sometimes you’re pulled into a project at the last minute with little context and you need to make something from seemingly nothing. When this happens, all you can do is make the best decisions you can with the information you have. Don’t stress yourself out about these situations.”
Flor Firpo: Sr. UX Content Designer at Brubank: “Don’t stress if something goes out without content design. The company has managed without you before (though there’s plenty of room for improvement). The world won’t end if you have a bunch of other projects and decide not to work on another one. It’s fine. You can always improve it later.”
In the survey, I asked participants to share advice for solo UX writers looking for help prioritizing work. Prioritizing work that makes the most impact was a resounding theme.
Kamila Hanson says,“Once you start looking at your work from that perspective, not by how much pressure you feel from others to do a specific task, it gets easier.”
Luke Easterwood, a Sr. UX Content Designer at Google, shares the following advice: “Be very connected to the priorities of the business and the priorities of the user. Not just ‘aware’ of these things, but intimately knowledgeable on a quarterly basis what’s going on. By narrowing your scope to focus on where the business and user intersect, you can discover and invest in opportunities better aligned with impact.”
Karen Hewell and B. Ravikumar both recommend using an Eisenhower Matrix to help identify impactful projects. With the Eisenhower Matrix, you can map out your tasks on a grid based on how urgent and important they are. Focus on the urgent and important tasks right away and schedule the less urgent tasks for later.
Karen uses the Eisenhower Matrix to organize tasks within a timeframe, like the week. “That can help me stay focused on important stuff early in the week, and then glide into lower priority stuff later on.”
When tasks get put on your plate, be sure to ask lots of questions—not only about the task at hand, but questions that will help you prioritize too.
Laura Widener says, “Always ask for deadlines, business goals and impact, and estimate how long your work will take. You need these key pieces of information before you can outline your week. You may have two tasks of equal priority and importance, but knowing how long the work will take helps you decide where to fit it into your schedule.”
For me, just starting to ask people “When do you need this?” was a game-changer. When a request comes in on Slack it can feel really urgent. But I found that, more often than not, requests weren’t urgent at all. I just had to start asking!
And Karen Hewell reminds us that if a request seems like it isn’t urgent or important, “don’t be afraid to question why it needs to be done in the first place.”
Speaking of questioning why something needs to be done in the first place, pushing back and saying “no” is necessary if you want to avoid becoming overwhelmed. “Boundary setting is key,” says Rebekah Wolf. “Trying to tackle everything will only lead to frustration and burnout.”
“If you’re a solo UX writer, everyone will want a piece of you,” says Kamila Hanson. “The content-switching game is tough, but knowing what to put more energy into, and what to simply glance over is the best skill you can learn. No one wants to hear a “no”, but effective boundaries in place can prevent burnout—which a lot of ‘solo’ contributors have.”
Luke Easterwood shares this sentiment. “Establish smart boundaries informed by your organization’s expectations of you, the expectations you have of yourself, and what will help your team most when getting work done,” he recommends. “A good portion of our work as content professionals is a trialectic dance of navigating needs, developing relationships, and communicating clear expectations.”
“It’s all about being strategic and knowing where you can make the most impact,” says Pedro Quintino. “Learning to say no to projects that won’t move the needle forward for the product, the company, or the content design practice is key.”
Survey respondents also shared some tips for tools they use for prioritizing—and protecting their time.
Michelle Decker suggests blocking off time on your calendar. “I time block my days and reserve one day a week for meeting-free work time. UX writing requires a lot of ‘thinking’ time and that is hard to do in and among meetings. I block that off in my calendar and schedule meetings around it.”
“Ditch the mental juggling!” suggests Sharmilee Sarkar. “Project management tools, to-do lists, and content calendars are your friends. Use them to capture tasks, set deadlines, and track progress.”
Principal Content Strategist Shann Maddox says, “I’m a very visual person. I like intuitive, color coded organization and being able to see a bird’s eye-view of everything. With this, I find Trello boards super helpful for prioritizing work.”
Sarita Roberts suggests, “If you’re not already doing it, put together a form and have people submit content requests that way. Even if you talk to them or meet with them, always have them document what they need from you, when they need it by, what the use case is, and the Figma and JIRA links. This helps me make sure nothing falls through the cracks.”
“Using Google Forms to gather all requests in one place has been incredibly helpful for me,” Flor Firpo agrees. “There are times when I need to remind people that requests should only be made through the form, but overall, it helps me prioritize my work better.”
Andrew Stein also recommends creating an intake form to deal with last-minute requests. When someone asks for your help last-minute, he suggests responding with, “I’m happy to help. Just fill out this form.” He says, “This will help others realize your work and your time is valuable.”
“Don’t hesitate to ask your supervisor or director for help prioritizing your work, especially amidst competing demands,” says Boris Hartls. And several other respondents agreed, including Flor Firpo who says, “It’s important to realize you can’t prioritize everything alone.”
Documentation emerged as a major theme in the survey responses. Solo UX writers called out documentation as a powerful tool for staying organized, defending decisions, scaling, and demonstrating value.
“Document as much as possible,” says Laura Widener. “Had a 5-minute call to go over a question about a project? Take notes. Organize your notes by project and add brief summaries (with dates) of relevant meetings, emails, group chats, direct messages, review feedback, etc. Tracking these details makes life so much easier when jumping between projects.”
Pranjal Maurya suggests “building and updating project briefs to avoid miscommunication.”
Rachel Shimp, a UX writer/Copywriter at Amazon, says, “I keep a work diary where I track almost everything I do daily. I note what a meeting was about, who the stakeholders were, anything I learned from it, and links to related assets and artifacts. With a years’ worth of this data, I can easily Ctrl+F to answer questions that come up, recall things I don’t remember, and get a macro or micro view of the work that was done.”
“As the only UX writer,” says Kamila Hanson, “you’ll have to learn how to defend your decisions. Do your best at providing the best explanation you have for the work you’ve done.”
To help with this, Lead UX Copy Strategist Marc Voyer recommends, “Document your decisions! Even if it feels like a hassle at the time, it’ll save you going ‘Uhhh, Ummm when someone asks you why you created this screen.”
“Working solo means you have to be everything for everyone so you have to scale yourself and create processes and resources so folks don’t have to come to you for everything,” says Sarita Roland. Documenting guidance, templates, and other resources can help with this.
Marc Voyer suggests creating UX copy frameworks that the UX design team can use. “This includes practical tips on how to write copy for specific components and crafting UX copy guidelines.”
Shann Maddox says, “I worked with my design team and strategist to develop a players card deck that covered all of the writing, voice/tone and brand persona guidelines, including contextual examples, to make writing feel more intuitive and fun! It allowed me the bandwidth to embed with high-visibility product teams to ensure those products had a devoted UX Writer while also helping to support the other design teams in the organization.”
Documenting your wins is also important! Andrew Stein says, “When time is limited, it’s easy to move from one ask to the next. A couple content wins can be a great way to demonstrate your value and appeal for additional resources.”
Documenting wins can also come in handy when it comes time for performance reviews. Clare Scott shares, “I write Weeknotes every week which helps me reflect on how much and what I’m doing, especially when it comes to performance reviews.”
Laura Widener adds, “Many of us face the imposter syndrome monster and question our value as a writer — whether solo or in a team. Try to catalog your accomplishments and praises, and reflect on those whenever self-doubt creeps up. Tracking your impact also helps when it comes time for self-reviews.”
Looking to advocate for UX writing within your organization? Here are some tips for making an impact—and showcasing it.
“The biggest hurdle is legitimizing yourself to a wider group,” says Marc Voyer. “Are there high-profile projects you can work on? Or areas where you can see quick ways to show your experience?”
Christina Grocott, UX Writer at Getaround agrees. “I was recently given some advice on prioritizing recently which I found really helpful: work on the company’s highest priority stuff. It’ll help spotlight your work naturally vs. having to always evangelize, which you may not have time to do.”
Looking for opportunities for quick wins? Gracie Peters says, “Spend time with customer service reps to understand what issues customers are running into and what can be improved.”
Rebekah Wolf adds, “Beyond understanding the product’s vision, spend time getting to know the product’s ecosystem and user feedback. This will highlight areas where you can be most impactful.”
Sharing your work more broadly is also a great way to showcase your value outside of just the teams and coworkers you’re collaborating with. This can take place in design critiques or other venues. Talk to your manager to understand what opportunities exist where you can present your work to a wider audience.
“Be bold in how you present your work,” says Busayo Onifade. “People don’t understand what UX Writing and Content Design is, so educate people on it, share your process, your insights.”
You can also show your impact — and create new advocates — through collaborating with Designers and Product Managers.
If you’re new to collaborating with designers, Marc Voyer offers some advice. “A lot of product owners and designers won’t be familiar with what you do. Introduce your expertise to them in ways that can clearly show your positive impact for them and the company. In your daily work, find someone on your design team to share ideas with. Once you’ve got a good partnership, share your overall thoughts on designs, flows, and other design decisions.”
“Make it clear why involving you early in the design process helps everyone, and you end up advocating for your discipline by example,” says Karen Hewell.
Laura Widener says, “I’m jumping between at least five different projects at any given time and supporting 3–5 designers.” If this is the case for you, it may be hard to make every single meeting on every single team.
“Develop and foster strong lines of communication with your fellow designers and team members,” Laura suggests. “Exchange preferences for communication (i.e. direct messages, calls, emails, or Figma comments). Ask for meeting recaps if you can attend. Hold regular check-ins with your team to sync up on current and upcoming writing needs. Since you can’t possibly be everywhere at once, you need the support of your team to help fill in the details.”
If you aren’t feeling like you’re getting enough opportunity to collaborate with designers early, loop yourself in. One survey respondent suggests, “Ask around to learn about projects you may not be in the loop on.” Then, you can reach out to teams working on impactful projects that interest you to let them know how you might be able to contribute.
Last but not least, Flor Firpo reminds us to “Believe that you are a vital part of the company’s success. Don’t doubt the significance of your work.”
Whether you’re just starting out or have been working as a solo UX writer for a while, I hope you’ve found something in this guide you can start applying to your work. The 27 UX writers and content designers that shared their advice have been where you are. So — though you may be solo — I hope you feel a little less alone.
Remember: You’re not just writing. You’re making a big difference in how people experience products and services. Keep doing your part to show organizations the value of UX writing and content design. And to all the solo UX writers that shared advice, thanks again!
Megan O’Neill is a Senior Content Designer at Vimeo. Connect on LinkedIn.
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