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Why wearable tech will change content design

Smart glasses and wearable devices have been "just around the corner" for years. But quietly, that's starting to change.

In this episode, I speak with Carly Gray, a content designer who's spent years working on AR and wearable products, including smart glasses at North and Meta. While much of the industry debates AI and screens, Carly has been designing content for products where there's little or no screen at all.

We talk about what changes when content moves off phones and into the physical world, why wearables raise entirely new design and ethical challenges, and what content designers need to start learning now if they want to stay relevant as new platforms emerge.

What we talked about:

✅ How Carly moved from technical writing into content design for AR and smart glasses ✅ Why smart glasses are different from VR, and why wearability matters more than novelty ✅ Designing content with extreme space constraints (or no screen at all) ✅ Using sound, voice, and companion apps to communicate when text isn't an option ✅ Why "designing for the bystander" is as important as designing for the user ✅ What wearable tech reveals about the future skill set of content designers ✅ Why conversation design and systems thinking matter more in emerging platforms

Where to find Carly:

Website: carlygray.ca LinkedIn: Carly Gray Twitter: @carlygray

Why wearable tech will change content design (Carly Gray)