Another brilliant evening with the London content design crew! Hosted by Eleanor Dean and me (Jas Deogan)

Here’s a not-quite-linear summary of what we covered:

➡️ AI in entry-level roles
We discussed how AI is transforming the content landscape, not just content, but especially for those just starting out. Is AI replacing junior roles, or are we just redefining what “entry-level” means?

➡️ Learning on the job & building your craft
AI aside, we all agreed that doing is still the best way to learn. The job is the course. The team is the textbook.

➡️ Mission statements & product vision
How do we align our content strategy with product missions and lofty company visions?

➡️ So many job titles, so little clarity
Are we UX writers? Content designers? Content strategists? Technical writers? Word wizards? Did we inadvertently create a taxonomy that no one understands?

➡️ European Accessibility Act is coming
And e-commerce is in the crosshairs. We dug a little into what these guidelines mean for inclusive design.

➡️ AI, search, and prompt crafting
From SEO to GEO (Generative Search Optimisation) and how AI is reshaping how users find content, and how we write it. Also: "prompt crafting", and how we’re leaning into it.

➡️ Measuring the value of content
Ah, yes, the eternal question: “How do we prove our work is working?” We explored which metrics matter and when to use them.

➡️ Advocacy & community
We heard great stories of how content designers are building advocacy within their teams, making space for user-centred design and ethical approaches to AI.

Last night at our London Content Design meet-up, Eleanor Dean and I (Jas Deogan) set aside the buzzwords and bravely asked the real questions:

❓What does AI really mean for us as content and product designers?

🛠️ How do we use it well, without losing what makes our work human?

🔮 And what role should we, as designers, play in shaping the future of this technology?

We weren’t just discussing AI as a tool. We were having a conversation about responsibility.

💼 We explored how AI is already showing up in our workflows - summarising workshops, speeding up admin, and analysing tone of voice.

⚖️ We unpacked the tension: curiosity vs. scepticism, empowerment vs. unease.

🌍 We questioned the ethics: whose voices are being reflected in AI tools? Are we building for the world or just for the few who trained it?

What stood out to me was how many of us are holding space for both optimism and doubt.

🚫 We're not blindly adopting AI; we're interrogating it.

🌱 We're not replacing ourselves; we're expanding our impact.

🧭 And we're asking: how can content designers help make AI more ethical, usable and human-centred?

AI is here to stay. It needs our voices at the table.

It needs designers who understand systems and stories. Who care about clarity, inclusion, and trust. And it needs us now, before the decisions are made without us.

Yesterday's London Content Design meet-up (hosted with the brilliant Eleanor Dean and me, Jas Deogan) may have been a smaller, cosier gathering, but the conversations were anything but small.

We covered a lot of ground, from the real challenges of content design maturity to navigating the nuances of working across disciplines.

Here are just a few of the thoughtful and always practical topics we got into:

🤝 How content designers can better manage stakeholders and advocate for their work

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 What it really means to work in multidisciplinary teams, and the power of great service designers

⚙️ CMS vs. headless CMS, where we're at, and what works in the wild

🚀 The shift from startup chaos to scaling with structure in growing organisations

🗣️ Why tone of voice isn't just brand fluff, especially across public vs. private sectors

🦄 Are unicorn designers (content, product, visual, UX) a dream or a danger?

💡 Showing the value of content design in ways stakeholders can't ignore

🌍 The importance of designing for the digital divide and making inclusion real, not just a principle

🤖 The future of content design and how new technology is giving us more opportunities to rise up

🔄 And how to avoid getting stuck in a niche and explore new sectors as a content designer

Our next session promises more of the same energy, with deeper dives into design and content maturity.

Last night, Eleanor Dean and I (Jas Deogan) - with huge thanks to our amazing sponsors, Hippo - hosted an inspiring session all about accessible content and service design.

A MASSIVE shout-out to Josh Healey and Nick Johnstone-Waddell, who shared their brilliant wisdom.

Here's just some of what we explored:

🎨 Colour contrast and keyboard accessibility

🧩 Designing with accessible components

🔍 Zooming in and out: Are you seeing the whole service?

🧠 How the most vulnerable know a service is accessible

📴 Offline journeys and tackling the digital divide

📊 Making research accessible to everyone

🧭 The power of content design in creating accessible experiences

💜 Building advocacy for accessibility — including the Purple pound

🤖 AI, bias, and why content designers are essential for the future

We also discussed BIG questions like:

💰 Should we have to monetise accessibility to get buy-in?

🔈 How do we balance brand voice with accessibility across the user journey?

🏛️ Does GDS guidance translate well across the public and private sectors?

Accessibility isn't a tick-box. It's the heart of good content and service design.

Last night, I was once again blown away by the amazing, thoughtful conversations at our London Content Design meetups that Eleanor Dean and I (Jas Deogan) host.

I just love the passion, commitment, and willingness to support each other and grow content design. Designers really are a remarkable bunch.

Here’s a top-level look at some of the things we chatted about:

📰 Making the leap from journalism to content design

🗣️ Finding your voice (and your tone) when working with AI

🌱 Growing a team - even when you're the first content hire

💬 Why content design matters (and how to advocate for it)

🧠 Hosting design crits that are actually useful

🤖 Moving into AI conversational design without losing your content soul

🚪 Breaking into UX and navigating your first role

🎯 Making an impact on high-pressure, constraint-heavy projects

🤝 Building real collaboration between content and product designers

📢 Leading a content team (even if you’re not a content designer)

🔮 And the big one: where content design is headed next

A personal highlight!

Folks attending another meetup chose to come join ours because they were genuinely curious about content design, product design, and user experience. That was such a special moment.

Last night, Eleanor and I (Jas Deogan) hosted our first meet-up of 2025, diving into CVs and Portfolios.

A huge shoutout to Steve Hutson and Jordan Pye, who generously gave their time to help demystify recruitment and support our community.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what we covered:

🔥 Your CV must be YOU – Human, realistic, and tailored to the job.

📌 Structure matters – CV layouts, STAR format, and crafting a strong story of your work.

🛠 Freelancing & NDAs – How to showcase projects (even when you can’t talk about them!).

💡 Imposter syndrome is real – But talking to others helps.

🚀 You don’t need a “live” project to apply – Your skills are valid now.

👀 Look at other sites, learn from others – Inspiration is everywhere.

🤝 Recruiters aren’t the enemy! – Speaking to them in person can be a game changer.

💭 "Should I work for free?" – If you do, make sure it benefits you.

🏗 Career overlaps exist! – Architecture, UX, Content Design—there’s crossover.

🏁 When to leave a job? – If you still have goals & are happy, maybe stay.

More than anything, last night was a reminder that you are not alone in this.

The job market may be unpredictable, but your worth isn’t. Keep going. Keep applying.

You’ve got this.