Product Design(1): Product Design and Writing in the Age of AI
First in a practical series for writers navigating the AI revolution
(Part two of this post, where I break down the principles of Designing For Impact, is here.)
Kurt Vonnegut's first rule of Creative Writing 101: "Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted."
For 15 years as a TV writer, I never worried about those strangers. The networks owned that relationship. I made the showrunners and the network happy. Ultimately, the network was happy when the show got good ratings… but the connection between the audience and I was not exactly direct.
Today? Everything's different.
“I Threw My Pie For You”
Let me share a quick story about "Orange Is The New Black" when I was at Twitter that changed how I think about audience...
The “problem” with Netflix is that audiences binge a show when it drops, and then walk away. The social media team and the producers of OITNB wanted to keep building an audience. So they set up weekly live tweets and contests. (One of my favorites was a contest to design a poster celebrating the phrase “I Threw My Pie For You.” One of the winners is at the top of this post.)
Not only did real fans come to the live tweets, other people on Twitter saw the conversation and started watching. The number of new viewers rose every week.
The OITNB team knew then what EVERYONE has to know now -- you must connect directly to your audience if you’re going to own your relationship with them. If you can own the relationship with your audience, you safeguard yourself against the vagaries and decline of media companies.
You can build the “hooks” that connect your work to your audience by following the principles of product design.
Creating a Home for Your Voice
Most writing advice focuses on the craft itself. But in today's landscape, that's only half the equation. Product design principles help you:
- Understand deeply who you're writing for (without compromising your voice)
- Choose the right platform and format for your work
- Build genuine connections with your audience
- Create sustainable ways to make a living from your writing
In other words, product design isn't about changing your writing—it's about creating the perfect environment for your authentic voice to thrive.
Where Product Design Comes In
I learned this over the past year at MIT's Product Manager program, specifically in a great course called “Designing for Impact.” (Who doesn’t want to have impact?) Based on the principles of DesignX, these guidelines have seriously changed how I think about writing. I believe they could change how you approach your craft.
Right off the bat, I want to say A LOT OF THIS IS NOT NEW! Knowing your audience, tailoring to a genre, writing for a platform is as old as writing itself. BUT... this framework works for me and I believe it works well for the age of AI.
Here’s what I’m doing with Product Design:
CONNECTING MY VOICE TO MY AUDIENCE
Turning myself into “user #1”. Ultimately, I think the most powerful stories we tell are an outgrowth or who we are. Our core audience is really just an extension of us.
Listening to and learning from my audience. Using what I learn to be more innovative, driving new stories and new ways of telling those stories.
Looking at the audience from the perspective of the “Job To Be Done.” What needs can I fulfill with story I’m creating?
Defining the “problem” I am going to solve for my audience with my stories. Am I putting them in touch with emotions? Informing them? Just killing time? Giving them something to talk about and share with their friends? Some combination of the above?
CREATING STORIES THAT LIVE WHERE MY AUDIENCE LIVES
Charting the “user journey” for my audience? Where will they learn about my story? How will they find it? How will they “consume” it? What will they do after?
Discovering how my stories can find their audience. What comes first: The platform / medium or the story itself? How do they play back and forth?
Stating the “value proposition” for my story. “After people read / watch / consume this, you will _____.”
Creating “market / product fit” for my stories and my audience. Is this what they’re looking for, on the platform / media you’re choosing? If not -- where are they? What do you need to change?
CREATING AND OWNING THE CONNECTION TO MY AUDIENCE
Defining the “stakeholders” and “gatekeepers” with whom I need to collaborate to get my stories to my audience? Am I working with a media company? What are their needs and desires? Am I going it alone, trying to find an audience on a specific platform? What are the “ground rules” and best practices on those platforms?
Defining my mission / purpose / theme / obsession. Who am I, at my core? How does that inform the stories I tell and the audience I want to reach? Is there power in narrowing your focus and clearly stating my own personal mission?
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM FOR WRITING
Working within my own limitations. How much time do I have? What are the milestones I need to reach? Do I need allies to help me really do this work? What resources do I need?
Building a brand from who I am, how I tell storieis and how I want to interact with my audience.
Staying connected to my audience. How will I “own” my audience through my stories and my choice of media/platforms?
Building a revenue model from creating a community around my writing.
USING AI STRATEGICALLY
Leveraging the new tools of AI for everything from brainstorming to producing video, while still maintaining my voice..
Automating the “assistant” roles.
Staying open to trying the many new evolutions of AI and creativity.
Next up, I’ll break down ways for you to think about your work within the product design framework.
## Your Turn:
- Which aspect of product design intrigues you most?
- What's your biggest challenge connecting with readers?
- How are you currently thinking about AI in your work?
You're reading Part 1 of this series exploring how product design can transform your writing career:
- ▶️ Part 1: Why Product Design Makes You a Better Writer [You are here]
- Part 2: The Product Design Framework
- Related: "What Are We Afraid Of: AI Will Make Us Boring"
- Related: "The Whole Transcript: Not Boring (With A Note From Claude)"
And if you think you know someone who would enjoy diving into the conversation, please share this with them.