Hi, I’m Heather.

I connect people and ideas.

Today, that means product content design — helping regular folks navigate their business and finances with confidence and even joy.

In a past life it meant teaching and designing learning experiences — writing and rhetoric, literature, public speaking, journalism, and teacher education.

Always, it means making complicated things feel simple.

Product content showcase

  • Enabling tax and books together

    I drive and integrate with end-to-end content for tax filing embedded in QuickBooks.

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  • Giving accountants more control

    I supported design work to allow accountant users to get specific about who can access what parts of their account, and how.

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  • Staying compliant across the globe

    I helped design the tool accountants use to file their annual tax accounts in the UK.

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Some really cool work is protected by employment agreement, so I can’t share examples here.

I can always talk process and strategy, decision-making, collaboration, outcomes.

Craft and strategy

  • I’m hungry for life-long growth and development, in my role and across functions. I lean into internal training opportunities and outside programs alike, including coursework through the Nielsen Norman Group.

  • My intention is to grow as a content designer and to lead from within.

    I take every opportunity to facilitate team collaboration, such as team content onsite workshops and brainstorming activities.

    I present design flows and curate feedback whenever possible, including with product and design leadership.

  • I contribute to and drive ecosystem-wide guidelines and strategy, such as the Intuit content design system guidelines for talking to experts.

    I raise my voice alongside content, design, and cross-functional colleagues, like when I gave a talk on Building Trust with Partners at our internal content conference.

FAQs

Product content design? What’s that?

One of my first (fantastic) leaders explained it like this:

Content designers are product designers who view the interaction through the lens of the conversation we're having with our customers.

I really like that, because what is an experience if not a relationship, and what is a relationship if not a series of conversations?

This degree of empowerment and mutual respect is key to my identity as a product content designer.

How do you like to work with product teams?

Wherever our product designers and interaction designers are, I’m there too,

From kickoff to daily standup to research and retros and beyond, I’m gathering context or to serving as a critical thought partner.

Showing up as an integrated partner is how I make sure content adds value to the team and, ultimately, to customers.

What are your goals?

One day, maybe, to lead.

For now, to be the best, most well-rounded design partner I can be.

I’m in it for my triad, my org, my company, and gosh darnit, the world.

What’s your take on the job title question?

Content designer, UX writer, content strategist. The Venn diagram is like a circle, a sphere, a bowl of spaghetti.

I like to include the word “designer” in my title because the most important work I do involves thinking broadly and creatively to approach complicated problems from multiple angles.

What else can you do?

In a past life, I was an educator. I taught college and high school English, creative writing, journalism, public speaking, and literature. I even did professional development for experienced teachers and teacher education for undergrads pursuing a career in the field.

The best parts of education are the best parts of design: extreme empathy, creative and divergent problem-solving, and planning for folks with every possible background and experience.

I’ve also worked in journalism, textbook writing and editing, as a cheesemonger, and a jazz bassist.