“I work with language until it turns into interfaces, tools, songs, systems, or occasionally something that probably did not need to exist but now does.”
I’m interested in how things speak.
I am a British writer and content designer based in Berlin. I spent several years working on product language and UX, then became increasingly interested in the systems underneath the words: AI models, interfaces, local tools, prototypes and the strange behaviour that appears when language becomes part of the software itself.
I now spend a suspicious amount of time building experiments that sit somewhere between product design, creative technology and writing.
I studied English Literature and Creative Writing, then spent several years working professionally with language in digital products. At SumUp in Berlin, that meant content design: working out what an interface needed to say, when it needed to say it, and how the words fit into the wider product.
Somewhere along the way, I became less satisfied with stopping at the copy layer. I wanted to understand the systems generating the behaviour around it — and increasingly, the models generating the language itself.
So I started building: an archive of apps, prototypes, worldbuilding projects and experiments in which writing, interface design and AI keep colliding with each other.
Currently / Now
Building language-heavy AI prototypes, developing Mixolinguist, expanding the Pulseta archive, writing, making music, and figuring out which experiments deserve to become actual products.
- Prototyping linguistic & conversational interaction in Mixolinguist
- Expanding the Pulseta sonic & archival worldbuilding project
- Exploring local and small AI models for writer-focused toolchains
- Writing essays and fiction on how generative tools alter literary voice
Ways of working / Principles
Ground rules for making things.
Not commandments from a design manifesto — just five rules that keep the work honest when dealing with language, interfaces, and computational intelligence.
Start with what the person is actually trying to do
User intent matters more than clever wording. If the user is bewildered or disoriented, exquisite phrasing will not rescue the interface.
Language is part of the interface
Copy should never be treated as content poured into finished boxes at the end of a sprint. The way a system names things defines how the system works.
Prototype before over-explaining
When possible, build enough of the idea to discover whether it survives contact with reality. Interactive code reveals flaws that documents conceal.
AI output is not automatically good output
Models need framing, boundary-setting, editorial judgement, and rigorous testing. The interesting work is in the architecture that guides what users actually encounter.
Strange is useful when it has a job
Experimentation should grant the visitor something real — clarity, feeling, agency, or genuine curiosity — rather than merely posing as novel aesthetic dressing.
Capabilities & Disciplines
What I actually do.
I don’t treat writing as words poured into finished boxes at the end of a sprint. My work moves across the boundary between interface copy, product logic, and computational systems.
Language + UX
Treating words as functional interface components, defining how software behaves and guides.
- UX writing & microcopy
- Content design & information architecture
- Interface language systems
- User journey mapping & task framing
- Tone & voice calibration
- Localisation-aware writing & global nuance
AI + Conversational Systems
Shaping model behaviour, testing boundary conditions, and grounding intelligence in human clarity.
- Prompt design & structured system instruction
- Conversational interaction & dialog flow
- Testing model failure modes & latency
- Prototyping AI-assisted experiences
- Working with local and hosted models
- Translating fuzzy human intent into system behaviour
Product Thinking
Bridging early ambiguities into tangible, coherent product propositions.
- Shaping early stage concepts
- Feature framing & scope discipline
- Content-led interactive prototyping
- Edge-case discovery & mitigation
- Making complex systems understandable
- Information hierarchy & density balance
Creative Technology
Building working digital artefacts where literature, sound, and interface collide.
- Experimental web experiences
- AI-assisted creative tooling
- Interactive digital archives
- Generative & kinetic text engines
- Rapid functional prototypes
- Signal & optical interaction design
Writing & Literary Practice
Grounded in formal literary discipline, creating evocative, disciplined prose and poetry.
- Creative writing & speculative prose
- Poetry & lyrical construction
- Editorial direction & essays
- Narrative worldbuilding systems
- Brand & strategic voice
- Conceptual & cultural copy
Cross-functional Collaboration
Serving as the connective tissue between engineering, design, and regulatory realities.
- Partnering with front-end & systems engineering
- Close alignment with product design & research
- Working through legal & compliance constraints
- Localisation & internationalisation teams
- Stakeholder alignment without jargon
- Clear documentation & design rationale
Background & Education
From the copy layer into the machine.
I studied literature and creative writing before spending several years working on UX content in Berlin fintech. That grounding in how words shape behavior remains the connective tissue behind every experiment I make.
Career Experience
Content Designer & UX Writer
Shaped core product language, user journeys, interface copy, and localisation systems across European merchant platforms.
- Authored interface copy and structured user flows for global fintech products across mobile and web platforms
- Collaborated closely with product managers, UX designers, and front-end engineering teams to embed language into design systems
- Accounted for cross-market localisation, tone calibration, and edge-case error messaging for hundreds of thousands of active users
- Served as bridge between technical compliance requirements and human, conversational clarity
Writer, Content Specialist & Creative Consultant
Worked across brand voice, employer branding, editorial publications, and digital campaign narratives.
- Created strategic employer brand messaging and candidate journey storytelling for growing tech teams
- Authored long-form editorial pieces, creative copy, and interactive brand guidelines
- Developed voice-and-tone frameworks for organisations needing clear, accessible communication
Formal Education
Master of Arts (MA) in Creative Writing
Newcastle University
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature
University of Sunderland
“I started by writing the interface. Eventually I wanted to know what happened behind it.”
Language is not a previous career that was abandoned. It remains the thing connecting the UX, the models, and the code.
Working together
I’m interested in conversations about language systems, product experiences, creative tools, and interdisciplinary prototyping. If there’s a project where that combination could be useful, tell me about it.
Start a conversation with Callum ↗