Finds

You’ve probably seen this already, but I want to make sure it’s on your radar: Erica Jorgensen’s How to Speak Business Impact: “MBA in a day” for content designers.

If you’ve been struggling with “what do you do here?” and seeing blank faces as you show them your work, this workshop is for you. You’ll leave prepared to talk about the difference you make, whether that’s increasing revenue, reducing costs, or improving operations.

This is the work that content designers and their managers all need to be doing. It’s not why most of us got into these jobs, but it is why we’re paid for these jobs: the positive impacts our work makes for the business.

Flex & fumble

The UX Skills for Business Strategy book has been copyedited, and is getting ready for layout into its final design. I won’t see it again until a quality check in January—I can’t wait! We co-authors are meeting with the production team later today about the design and layout, which we haven’t made easy—there’s a LOT of book in this book. We followed a content model pretty rigorously, but still… there’s a LOT.  

I am trying to figure out my strategy to spread the good word about “YOUR UX SKILLS (including content!) ARE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE TO BUSINESS” next year. Our hard work for the past couple of years can only make a difference if people use it. My co-authors and I are even going to work with a publicity agency to make sure that everybody knows about it.

My ask to you: If there’s a podcast, conference, meetup group, team or execs at your organization we should be speaking with, please tell me about them.

Even if you’re sure I know about a group or venue, it helps me if you recommend it. Because here’s the secret: sometimes I get in my own way about it. It’s easy to tell myself that they wouldn’t be interested, especially when that audience seems too impressive. I realize that this is self-protective: I don’t like rejection! But if this book is going to help UX folks steer businesses back toward their customer and user-centered fundamentals, I’m willing to take that risk.

Philosophy

As I write this (Monday morning), my region is preparing for an atmospheric river event. The models show that it may break records for flooding, because too much water will fall from the sky at once.

It’s also the darkest time of year, with darkness for up to 16 hours in 24.

Last week, I spoke to several people who are choosing to forgo holiday gift-giving, because after a year of high gas, insurance, medical, and grocery prices, they can’t afford it.

At the same time, my national government is reversing positions that created peace and prosperity, according to historians, and reversing policies based on decades of research.

It would be natural to let a feeling of doom set in, is what I’m saying.

But curiously, instead of feeling the doom take over, I’ve been noticing the opposite. I don’t think I’ve ever been so aware of what a gift it is when somebody else connects with me.

In my local community, I’ve gotten to know people at the coffeeshop that I am genuinely fond of. They greet me with a smile and ask me how the book is going, and I ask them how they are. For various people, I ask about the play they’re costuming, their ongoing decisions about moving an elderly relative, how their kids are doing in school, how their recovery is going after a medical procedure—the list goes on and on.

I get to connect in my open office hours, too. Recently, one new attendee asked me: what do you get out of these? It was difficult to answer briefly, because there are so many answers. It boils down to this: People from all over the world come to me, opening my eyes to their ideas and aspirations, their struggles and questions about content, design, presenting, careers, technology, AI and the future. Note, I can’t answer these questions! But I can share and compare information, encouragement, caution, and hope, and that’s still better than nothing.

I don’t go to the coffeeshop just for the coffee (though it’s yummy). I don’t have open office hours just because it’s good for me to have a wide network of people working in this space.

Connection—people sharing their own spark of life—creates the hope that keeps the doom away.

Thank you for connecting with me. 💖

Hire Catbird Content

When I can help you or your team, please get in touch.  

• Design consulting: Solve problems with adoption, onboarding, usage for products and services, and design process and skill alignment for teams.

• Training & facilitation: Keynotes and other presentations, plus hands-on workshops in UX content, visioning, naming, and team building.

• Mentoring: I work with individuals to focus their own career development, including navigating change, constraints, careers, and more.

• Open office hours (free!) I hold 2 hours a week open on my calendar to connect with people who don’t have business with me, but just want to talk.

I write these newsletters myself, and I stand by what’s in them. If you have kudos, concerns, or questions, please tell me. —Torrey