Michael Koch

San Francisco Bay Area · 510.205.6453 · michael at mikoworx.com

I'm a bilingual (English/German) content designer, strategist, and editor with extensive experience creating clear, engaging, and user-centered content for digital products, websites, and publications. My work spans content strategy, UX writing, information architecture, and editorial development, with a focus on making complex information accessible and useful.

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Skills

Content and Editorial

  • Content strategy and content design
  • UX writing and microcopy
  • Copyediting, developmental editing, and style guides
  • Information architecture and content modeling
  • Technical documentation and developer content
  • Content audits, governance, and migration
  • Voice, tone, and messaging

Collaboration and Delivery

  • Cross-functional product and design teams
  • Editorial and project management
  • Agile workflows and content operations

Technical

  • HTML, CSS, and content management systems
  • SEO and web analytics
  • AI-assisted content development and editorial workflows
  • Jira, Confluence, FigJam, GitHub, and productivity tools

Experience

Content Designer, Strategist, and Editor

MikoWorx | Independent Content and Editorial Consultancy

Provide content design, strategy, writing, and editorial services for businesses, nonprofits, and startups, including technical documentation, developer content, and editorial work for AI and technology companies.

Selected clients: OPAQUE, an AI startup, and ThoughtWorks.

April 2024 – present

Staff Content Designer

eBay

Designed content for eBay's pickup experiences, developing content frameworks to help customers discover, understand, and use pickup services.

June 2023 – March 2024

Principal Content Designer

Intuit Mailchimp

Partnered with product, design, research, and marketing teams to create cohesive website and chatbot experiences that helped prospective and existing Mailchimp customers discover, understand, and use the platform.

October 2021 – May 2023

Content Designer, Strategist, and Editor

MikoWorx | Independent Content and Editorial Consultancy

Produced, edited, and wrote print and online content for businesses, nonprofits, and startups.

Selected clients: The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Camden House, Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, El Museo del Barrio, Fordham University Press, NYU Press, Quantious/Red5 Pro, ThoughtWorks.

January 2012 – March 2022

Information Architect

BarkleyREI

Contracted with BarkleyREI, an interactive web design and digital marketing agency, to work on a large web migration project: moving San José State University's main website, microsites, and portals to a new content management system.

  • Performed quantitative and qualitative content audits.
  • Designed the information architecture of the new websites and portals.
  • Mapped pages of the old sites to the new sites.
  • Identified content gaps and opportunities for clear and concise copy.
April 2021 – October 2021

Content Strategist and Information Architect

Blue Shield of California

Designed a new Medicare site experience, developed content governance, and collaborated with UX designers and researchers to improve prospect-facing and in-product user experiences across the BSCA web properties and apps.

June 2019 – December 2019

Lead Content Strategist (VP)

JPMorgan Chase

Led content strategy for JPMorgan Chase's developer API portal, collaborating with product, design, research, and engineering teams to shape information architecture, developer journeys, onboarding content, and content governance.

  • Compiled and presented detailed competitive analyses to identify API best practices and opportunities for leadership.
  • Conducted gap analysis of the content state and created and evangelized content templates.
  • Helped define developer personas and journeys from API discovery to live app.
  • Analyzed touchpoints in and wrote content and UI/UX copy for the developers' onboarding journey.
  • Created a sitemap to help visualize the structure and flow of the new developer site.
  • Presented a proposal for digitizing and migrating existing content to a new CMS.
  • Drafted governance guidelines to help align teams around content creation and delivery as well as legal and compliance readiness.
January 2018 – March 2019

Senior Content Strategist

JPMorgan Chase

Partnered with team members, product owners, and engineering to deliver best-in-class content for the bank's Merchant Services and Payments digital products.

  • Led conversations around voice and tone, backed by a solid understanding of business and product goals.
  • Wrote and edited UI copy for JPMorgan Chase's business and consumer web properties.
  • Helped define ongoing vision for content through larger conversations with the content team.
  • Worked with teams to identify areas of opportunity, including processes and governance.
  • Helped maintain content for legal and compliance purposes.
September 2017 – December 2017

Content Strategist

Slack

Worked with engineering and marketing on the redesign of the company's website to help increase reach and conversion to Slack, a cloud-based messaging platform for businesses and work groups.

  • Performed a qualitative and quantitative audit of the company's marketing content and web properties.
  • Analyzed touchpoints in the prospect's journey from discovery to commitment in the onboarding process.
  • Used web analytics and competitive research to help identify content gaps and set priorities.
  • Created a sitemap to help visualize the structure and flow of the new site.
  • Researched and compiled personas and keywords, as well as a much-needed FAQ.
  • Recommended to realign teams and create new content with an eye toward SEO/mobile best practices and intended audience.
October 2016 – December 2016

Documentation Lead

Declarativ/Montage Studio

Planned, wrote, edited, and managed developer and UI content for a Silicon Valley startup working on a cloud-based HTML tool and JavaScript framework.

April 2013 – June 2014

Senior Content Strategist and Web Editor

Adobe

Directed editorial planning and content development for Adobe Developer Connection, launching and managing developer resource centers and overseeing technical learning materials and multimedia content. Coordinated cross-functional teams, established editorial standards, and supported site redesign and content migration initiatives.

  • Used web analytics and research to help identify content gaps and set editorial priorities.
  • Framed content and IA solutions and drafted and executed content plans in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
  • Planned, wrote, and edited promotional and UI content for strategic learning areas.
  • Reviewed and edited content submitted by business units and external contributors.
  • Fine-tuned copy for maximum reach and search engine optimization.
  • Planned and produced educational and marketing videos.
  • Drove weekly and event-related content launches involving a diverse spectrum of stakeholders.
  • Established and promoted editorial standards, guidelines, and processes.
  • Attended community events and trade shows to interact with developers and source new content.
  • Hired, managed, and mentored contract editors, authors, and creative professionals.

Highlights: Helped plan and execute a site-wide content audit in preparation for a redesign of the Adobe Developer Connection and migration to a new content management system. Launched and managed the Adobe AIR, HTML5, Ajax, Facebook, SAP, and Salesforce Developer Centers. Developed, oversaw, and led the production of the Flex in a Week, Flex Test Drive, and Flex Test Drive for Mobile online training resources and trial e-mail campaigns. Produced a series of developer videos for online distribution.

June 2007 – January 2012

Senior Marketing Writer

Adobe

Wrote, edited, and managed content for web, print, and multimedia projects.

  • Interviewed subject matter experts to clearly communicate product features and benefits.
  • Worked with marketing managers to devise communications strategy and articulate messaging.
  • Prepared launch deliverables for the Knowledge Worker, Mobile, and Platform business units.
  • Managed content reviews and built consensus among multiple stakeholders.
  • Fine-tuned copy for maximum reach and search engine optimization.
  • Scripted for multimedia.
July 2006 – May 2007

Editor/Writer/Project and Production Manager

MK Publication Services

Produced and art-directed visually rich publications from concept through final deliverables and provided editorial and writing services.

  • Developed and managed relationships with creative professionals, prepress houses, and printers.
  • Provided creative direction for the treatment, design, and layout of print and web content.
  • Prepared and monitored budgets, created production schedules, and wrote progress reports.
  • Wrote and edited how-to and reference products, reviewer's guides, and marketing communications.
  • Copyedited and proofread manuscripts and proofs for correct style, punctuation, grammar, format, design, and layout.
  • Attended press checks.

Selected clients: Adobe Systems, Alpha Books, Altamira Publishing, Crisp Publications, DevX, Fawcette Technical Publications, GameWizards Press, Hungry Minds, IDG Books, John Wiley and Sons, Macromedia, Microsoft Press Online, Pondview Productions, PopTop Software, Sun Microsystems, Sybex, Ten Speed Press, and Veritas.

June 1997 – June 2006

Education

MA Media Arts

University of Arizona

BA Linguistics & English

University of Stuttgart

Workshops and Training

  • AI/ML for Non-Engineers | General Assembly
  • Design Thinking | General Assembly
  • JavaScript | Academy X
  • Adobe Premiere | Adobe Systems
  • Video Production and Editing | Bay Area Video Coalition
  • Media Production | Film Arts Foundation
  • Media Design and Production for the Web | Stanford Workshop
  • Business of Publishing | UC Berkeley Extension

Selected Work

For samples of my work, check out my portfolio site.

Testimonials

Michael Moretti, managing director, JPMorgan Chase

Michael's knowledge, professionalism, and engagement make him a pleasure to work with. His desire and willingness to put the team first exemplifies exactly what one should do to create and nurture lasting relationships.

Eric Newman, managing editor, Fordham University Press

As a managing editor responsible for 80-plus books per year, I have to do more managing than editing; as such, I rely on my coterie of freelance editors to bring problems to my attention and to do a bit of project/author management when it is called for. In such situations Michael has proved invaluable as an editor whose skill and ability to identify problems and their solutions have been a significant aspect of my ability to do my job and retain my sanity.

Anton de Young, documentation manager, Adobe Systems

Michael and I worked together to plan and coordinate the content coming from my team of writers in developer docs that was published in the Adobe Developer Connection. Michael worked tirelessly to seek out the best content and create the best destination for information about the Adobe Flash Platform.

Well organized is an understatement. He's all about the details, and I appreciated the care he took in publishing our content and making sure that it was promoted to our developer community.

He's smart and driven and always impressed me with his ability to quickly get to the right solution and then pull it all together for our product releases.

Emily Kim, managing partner, Trilemetry, Inc.

Michael Koch has managed us on several Adobe projects. In all cases, Michael's diligence ensured that we successfully navigated the common challenges associated with beta software and changing release dates. His creative brainstorming under pressure also balanced quality standards with tight project schedules.

Michael has been exceptional in his drive to meet project goals and has gone far and above the call of duty many times to help us meet tough deadlines and technical challenges. I have tremendous respect for his work ethic and feel that we have been lucky to work so closely with him to produce e-learning materials that have helped thousands of developers use Adobe software.