Meet Yael Ben-David

Up next in our Meet the Author series, we’re getting to know Yael Ben-David—author of The Business of UX Writing. She lets us in on how fresh coffee is critical to her morning routine, why working with two screens is absolutely necessary, and how getting mad often helps kickstart her writing.

ABA: What is your favorite thing about your workspace?

Yael Ben-David: Having two screens. I first started working with two monitors when I started writing microcopy, so that I could view the design file and the copy doc side by side, zoomed tot 100%. I found that it really helped me write faster and better, getting the earliest iterations much closer to what we needed in the end. But once I had the two screens in place, I used them to improve other workflows as well, and now I can’t imagine ever going back to using just one.

ABA: What’s the first thing you do every morning to start your day on the right foot?

YBD: Coffee! Our machine grinds and brews fresh coffee on a timer every day—I couldn’t get out of bed any other way. When I was living in a tiny studio apartment, my bed was in a loft directly over the kitchenette, and the smell of coffee wafting up from below was the BEST.

ABA: In moments of self-doubt, how do you recharge and rally to keep going?

YBD: I remind myself that I’ve felt like this before and the feeling passed then, so it will pass again. Also, I look to loved ones for affirmation. And focus on completing the things I have to do, like pack school lunches and take the dog out—because being needed is validating to me. Completing mundane obligations keeps me moving and I think as long as I’m moving, there’s more hope of getting out of the rut.

ABA: What is your go-to source of inspiration when you’re trying to get out of a creative rut?

YBD: Getting mad! Truly, some of my best writing has come about as an outlet for frustration. When I’m riled up, the words really flow. 😂

ABA: Is there a fear or professional challenge that keeps you up at night? What is it?

YBD: That ageism in tech is real and that from age forty on, prospects for a fulfilling career won't be as abundant.

ABA: What are you reading right now?

YBD: Fun fiction from the library. Nothing heavy. 🙂

ABA: What’s your favorite place to read?

YBD: Definitely the beach! I love lying in a lounge chair under an umbrella and reading a novel so bad it’s good.

Learn more about all our authors—check out the rest of our Meet the Author series!

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