I’m Yael Ben-David and I’m all about content design.
My mission is to make innovative tech in complex and sensitive spaces, like health and finance, accessible to more people. I do that by designing the content for apps and teaching future content designers.
I wrote a book…
After digging into the business side of UX writing for a while, talking about it at meetups and conferences, on podcasts, and giving masterclasses, I collected my research, experience, and thoughts in one place: The Business of UX Writing.
and then I wrote another.
It had been years since the first bibles of best practices came out and our field had been on a rollercoaster ride since—sometimes it feels like we can’t catch our breath. I think about The Fundamentals of UX Writing as that deep breath. A pause in the crazy journey to collect our thoughts and reassess best practices because we’re smarter and more experienced now. Much of the original foundations still hold true while others need updating and some things we know now weren’t even vague ideas back then. Sit back and reassess with me.
Consulting services
I provide consulting services for digital products at all stages of content design maturity. Sometimes we’re looking at a nitty gritty content audit where we identify how to align to best practices; sometimes we need a voice guide and tone maps, or a refresh to the existing guidelines; some teams are looking for more specialized workshops. That’s where I come in. Think your content design could use some fresh, expert eyes? Let’s talk.
Teaching
While I love doing content design a whole lot, I also really love talking about it! Teaching (and learning from) the next generation is the best. I’ve taught at a bunch of places but am currently giving a content design course at the Holon Institute of Technology to BA students in EdTech; and a UX writing workshop at the Reichman University International School to BA Communication students. I can’t wait to see what they do next!
My journey
Once upon a time, I left my family home outside Washington D.C. to study in London, Tel Aviv, Russia, Pennsylvania, and New York. Bachelor’s degree in hand, I moved to Jerusalem, alone, at the age of 22. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Unenchanted with journalism, I checked out neurobiology, but a Masters degree and PhD later, discovered that wasn’t my thing either. So I married, had 3 kids, and landed my first job as a UX writer.
I was in love: reading and listening to all things UX writing. Blogging, tweeting, attending and then speaking at meetups and conferences. Teaching a masterclass with O’Reilly; giving courses at colleges; and mentoring juniors along the way.
Now I’ve written a book and would love for you to read it!
The end. Or is it just the beginning…
