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I design and write products that convert and people love.

I've worked at Spotify, DoorDash, Miro, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and many more. I've helped them establish and scale strategy, UX, content, and AI. I teach the above at some of the world's best design schools and host the popular Content Rookie Podcast.

Selected clients
Astrid.ai·BabyNaps·Berghs School of Communication·Biorecro·Business Sweden·Chan Zuckerberg Initiative·Coder Society·Doberman·DoorDash·Double Standards·Einride·Futurice·Gapminder·Hyper Island·In Parallel·Instantor·iZettle·Magine TV·Mentimeter·Miro·OTW·Pleo·Position Green·Referanza·SAS EuroBonus·Simployer·Sleep Cycle·SNASK·Spotify·SSAB·Technigo·Tibber·Vässla·Wolt·Astrid.ai·BabyNaps·Berghs School of Communication·Biorecro·Business Sweden·Chan Zuckerberg Initiative·Coder Society·Doberman·DoorDash·Double Standards·Einride·Futurice·Gapminder·Hyper Island·In Parallel·Instantor·iZettle·Magine TV·Mentimeter·Miro·OTW·Pleo·Position Green·Referanza·SAS EuroBonus·Simployer·Sleep Cycle·SNASK·Spotify·SSAB·Technigo·Tibber·Vässla·Wolt·

DoorDash (Wolt)

Content design · Localization · Leadership

Built and scaled a content design and localization team from scratch.

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CompanyDoorDash / Wolt
RoleContent Design Lead
ScopeSelf-serve onboarding, B2B content strategy
Timeline2023–2025

I owned content for Wolt’s first B2B self-serve experience.

The challenge

Aligning a team of stakeholders around the biggest company bet. Creating content that could scale to various markets and industries. Leading value proposition and tone and voice for B2B — and getting users excited about onboarding quickly, instead of relying on a dedicated account manager.

Wolt onboarding

Tone and voice had to match the look and feel of Wolt’s playful brand while remaining clear and trustworthy for a B2B audience.

What I did

Develop experience principles

Every user goal was geared towards a North Star. Metrics were defined from day one and reevaluated with every review. We used principles to align stakeholders and ensure consistency across key touchpoints.

User-test every detail

We wanted to understand how users experience each moment of the flow so we could optimise it to feel fast and familiar. We mixed quant and qual research across various markets to get a holistic picture.

Add personality with the right voice and tone

Wolt is famous for its playful brand. We wanted to ensure the experience felt on-brand while being trustworthy and clear enough for a B2B context — a balance that required constant iteration.

Wolt merchant dashboard

Merchant Dashboard on first sign in

The outcome

Self-serve replaced 100% of onboarding for small and medium-sized businesses.

What I learned

Working on the projects with the biggest impact is often a stretch goal. It means building strong relationships and pushing the boundaries of current design and ways of working every single day.

Want to go deeper? Book an in-depth walkthrough of this case study.

Spotify

Design systems · UX writing · AI

Scaled UX writing across markets and devices, and contributed to design systems.

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CompanySpotify
RoleSenior UX Writer
ScopeUX writing for design systems
Timeline2019–2023

I scaled UX writing to the entire design org and all devices.

The challenge

Developing and maintaining easy-to-use resources for 60+ UX writers and 200+ designers across products and devices. Bringing style guides to life in design system components. Making it all localizable.

Spotify UX writing across devices

UX writing guidance had to work everywhere — from the mobile app to Apple Watch and beyond.

What I did

Glossary, style guides, and components that scale

To create guidance that worked across the entire Spotify ecosystem and was scalable to all international markets, close collaboration with designers and researchers — as well as being in tune with culture — was key.

A tone and voice the entire world recognizes

Spotify is a brand people feel strongly about. We ensured its voice was strong across every surface, device, and market — creating components and resources that worked for writing, visuals, and audio. Everything had to be ready to localize.

Bring everything right where it’s needed with AI plugins

Fast sprints meant nothing could just live on a site somewhere. We worked with plugins to ensure components were right where the work was happening and seamlessly integrated in workflows.

The outcome

Design system adoption increased by 70% for 600+ designers and engineers. Monthly feedback calls ensured components and guidelines stayed up to date. Style guide compliance doubled while we achieved a 70% acceptance rate for suggestions.

What I learned

Scaling and maintaining design is hard work. It requires a deep understanding of all products across an ecosystem, market trends, and how people work. It’s about creating consensus and being a tastemaker.

Spotify UX writing questions answered → How to nail remote onboarding and influence people →

Want to go deeper? Book an in-depth walkthrough of this case study.

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Content design · User research

Led content design for an award-winning education platform.

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CompanyChan Zuckerberg Initiative
RoleContent Design Lead
ScopeAlong.org

Full case study coming soon.

Want to go deeper? Book an in-depth walkthrough of this case study.

Pleo

Leadership · Product design · Conversation design

Established content design, localization, and conversation design. Led product design and AI.

Coming soon

More cool clients

Astrid.ai · BabyNaps · Berghs School of Communication · Biorecro · Business Sweden · Coder Society · Doberman · Double Standards · Einride · Futurice · Gapminder · Hyper Island · In Parallel · Instantor · iZettle · Magine TV · Mentimeter · Miro · OTW · Position Green · Referanza · SAS EuroBonus · Simployer · Sleep Cycle · SNASK · SSAB · Technigo · Tibber · Vässla · Wolt · and many more

Full case study details available on request — get in touch.

TypeEventTopicDate
TalkHatch Conference Coming soonThe future of design in Europe is localSep 2026 ↑
TalkUX on the Beach Coming soonDesign products that stickJun 2026 ↑
TalkFuture Product DaysHow to actually use AI in your content design practiceSep 2025
TalkButton ConferenceHow to fall back in love with content designSep 2025
PanelCreative Sessions, Stockholms KulturhusetPanel: How to stay creative in the age of AISep 2024
TalkGrowing in Content ConferencePanel: Recovering from layoffsAug 2024
TalkLead with Tempo ConferenceThe future of content design is not what you think it isJun 2024
TalkWebbdagarna StockholmIntroduction to content designMay 2023
TalkTempo ConferenceTaking care of your design teamDec 2022
TalkTechnigo UX WeekA day in the life of a UXerOct 2022
TalkPerspectives ConferenceFreelancing in content designMar 2022
TalkHyper IslandCreating authentic product narrativesMar 2022
TalkContent Strategy Insights PodcastContent design for design systemsJan 2022
TalkTechnigo BootcampWhat is UX writing and UX design for developersDec 2021
TalkFIS GlobalContent marketing best practicesDec 2021
TalkContent Ed ConferenceNailing your first 90 days on a new content jobNov 2021
WorkshopFuturice AgencyIntroduction to UX writing for designersOct 2021
TalkHyper IslandStorytelling and content design for design lead studentsSep 2021
SessionBerghs School of CommunicationFeedback session for brand and storytelling final projectsSep 2021
WorkshopStendahls AgencyIntroduction to UX writing for designersMay 2021
TalkHyper IslandIntroduction to brand storytelling and product writingMar 2021
TalkUX Writer ConferenceHow to nail tone and voice guidelinesOct 2020
WorkshopSpotify Design (internal)How to develop inclusive product narrativesJun 2019

Want to book me? I travel light and talk loud. Let’s talk.

Nicole Alexandra Michaelis

About me

Hello, is it
Nicole you’re looking for?

Born in Germany, my family moved to the US when I was a toddler. I was raised bilingually, went to a regular American school during the day and had private German lessons in the evening. This equipped me with full native proficiency in both languages. I loved growing up in New York and never quite felt at home again in Germany when I moved back many years later. It came as no surprise that in 2014, I decided to leave again and move to Sweden, where I have settled (for now).

Having my own business and working independently has always fascinated me. It was the main reason I decided to study something business-related. I could write already, time to learn something to turn it into a living. I believe I bring the perfect mix of storytelling and user-focus to the table. Yes, I’m dedicated to telling great stories, but being an analytical person, I never not kill my darlings to improve performance and usability.

All my work experience comes from an international environment. I’ve not only worked in different countries, but also with people from many different cultures. This helps me create relevant content for any target audience and lead with empathy.

I was the first kid that learned how to read in my class. I spent my weekends competing in reading competitions (it was cool in the 90s) and my summer holidays going through as many books as I possibly could. I wrote poems for my grandmas and short stories for my friends. I clearly remember when I first started writing, but I don’t remember ever stopping.

What I do

UX writingDesign leadershipContent designContent strategyConversation designCopywritingAI implementationLocalizationTeaching any of the above

I bring my own chair to the table, plus this

  • I dig languages. I’m native in English and German, and fluent in Swedish.
  • I’m a storyteller, born and raised. I’m a published poet. I potter. I paint.
  • I have over 15 years of experience designing and writing for marketing and product teams.
  • I have a Master of Science in Marketing, a BA in Business, and studied material engineering.
  • I give all the f*cks. I’m unafraid and love to disrupt. I won’t be shy with ideas and know how to excite others.