Larry Swanson

Content Architect

Home / Content Architect Resume/CV – Larry Swanson

Content Architect Resume/CV – Larry Swanson

Contact

  • email: larry at ellessmedia dot com
  • +1 206-428-7623 (voice mail)

Overview

Versatile, well-rounded digital-content professional looking to apply my UX, strategy, and leadership skills in a collaborative role as a consultant or an individual contributor on an impactful team.

Expertise

  • content strategy
  • information architecture
  • content modeling
  • metadata strategy
  • service design
  • system design
  • content design
  • UX writing
  • content-profession SME

Experience

Urbina Consulting

Omnichannel Service Designer (freelance), May 2023-present
Customer journey mapping, content modeling, metadata strategy, information architecture, content strategy, and content-service design for enterprise clients.

Expedia Group

Senior Content Architect (contract), March 2022-February 2023
Enterprise content ecosystem mapping and enterprise-scale content modeling entailing extensive and intensive stakeholder alignment across multiple UX, content, product, and engineering teams; product-content CMS discovery and design; content design, UX writing, and information architecture for enterprise workflow-optimization platform 

LinkedIn

Content Designer (contract), August 2021-February 2022
Information architecture, system design, and communication and governance strategy for design-system and content-design teams

Elless Media

Principal, 1998-present
Content strategy, digital publishing, and web marketing

Show details

  • Host and Producer, Content Strategy Insights podcast
    November 2017-present
    interview web, product, technical, and marketing content strategists and designers
  • Content Strategy Consultant
    January 2017-present
    craft content strategy programs and design content systems  for startups, SMBs, nonprofits, and enterprises
  • Founder, VirtualCCO
    May 2019-January 2020
    researched, designed, and tested productized content strategy service for startups
  • Founder and Publisher, Well9to5
    August 2015-January 2017
    conceived, raised funding for, designed, and operated digital “active office” publication
  • Editor-in-Chief (interim), WorkWhileWalking
    January-April 2015
    ran content marketing operation for office fitness company, mentored editorial staff
  • Founder and Publisher, BodyworkU
    June 2006-October 2012
    founded, built, and operated continuing education class promotion website
  • Web Marketing Consultant
    January 1998-June 2006
    created strategy, marketing, publishing, and SEO programs for SMBs and startups
  • Director of Marketing (interim), Digital Candle
    June 2001-January 2002
    designed and built marketing-services system for shareware developers

workz.com

Jack-of-All-Trades, April 1998-December 2000
Senior manager for startup that educated SMBs on ecommerce, web design and development, and online marketing (SEO, email, etc.)

Show details

  • Executive Producer, workz.com
    April-December 2000
    managed website redesign and custom content management system design
  • Product Manager, workz.com Marketplace
    December 1999-April 2000
    developed a contextual advertising/e-commerce system
  • Product Manager, BannerWorkz
    December 1998-December 1999
    launched and operated online design and marketing services business
  • Senior Producer, The WebWorkz
    April-December 1998
    assigned, wrote, and edited stories on web design and development, SEO; built website

Big Tent Media Labs

Senior Producer, August 1996-August 1997
New-media producer for dot-com publishing, web development, and marketing startup.

College Textbook Publishing

Editor and Marketing Manager, January 1986-August 1996
Acquired, edited, and marketed textbooks for lists with annual sales of up to $20 million. Managed editorial and multimedia project budgets of up to $400,000. Strong technical focus: database and DAM committees, website design and content, peer computer and web training, early email advocate, etc.

Community and Pro Bono

Community Events Organizer and Promoter, 1998-present
Professional and volunteer community event organizing

Show details

  • Co-Organizer, Decoupled Days conference
    January 2022-present
    programming, speaker relations, event planning, sponsor outreach, event promotion, etc.
  • Co-Chair, Content Knowledge Graph track, Knowledge Graph Conference
    October 2021-present
    track includes speakers from the BBC, Netflix, and other major content enterprises
  • Co-Organizer, Content Strategy Seattle meetup
    May 2018-January 2023
    manage venue and sponsor relationships, lead event production, host Zoom events
  • Organizer, World Information Architecture Day Phoenix
    September 2020-February 2022
    organized WIAD 2022, co-organized 2021 event
  • Community Networking Lead, Knowledge Graph Conference
    January-August 2021
    convened speakers and attendees at conference networking events, co-hosted book club
  • Consultant, Utterly Content conference
    August-October 2020
    recruited sponsors and panelists for international content strategy conference
  • Publisher, Seattle Community Events
    January 2017-March 2020
    curated weekly community events listing covering arts, culture, design, world music, etc.
  • Community Organizer, WordPress open-source project
    August 2016-February 2019
    served as community deputy, co-launched speaker-diversity program, organized events
  • Organizer, Ignite Seattle
    May 2015-June 2019
    managed slide presentations, planned events, and guided content strategy
  • Statement of Values Committee, Dent Conference
    November 2017-February 2018
    collaborated on creation of community code of conduct and values statement
  • Founder, Fremont Noodle House Group
    February 1998-February 2013
    organized business networking lunches for independent professionals and SMB owners
  • Team Lead, TEDxRainier (now TEDxSeattle)
    June 2011-December 2012
    led production management and stage management teams
  • Co-Founder and Musician, One World Dance and Drum
    September 2001-May 2010
    planned, launched, and ran music program for African-inspired dance class
  • Sponsor Concierge, Seeds of Compassion
    February-April 2008
    event planning and customer support for high-level (>$10K) event sponsors
  • Board Member and Organizer, World Rhythm Festival
    January 2001-December 2003
    co-organized annual 10,000-attendee music, dance, and culture event

Media Appearances

  • Content Modelling in the Age of Headless CMS and AI podcast interview guest
    OmnichannelX, September 8, 2023
  • From Garbage to Gold: Navigating the World of Generative AI with Knowledge Graphs and LLMs interview guest
    MarketMuse, August 24, 2923
  • Composable Content Experiences: GUI Challenges interview guest
    Headless Creator, July 21, 2023
  • Consumptive or Generative AI? Artificial Intelligence in Content Experiences interview guest
    Plate CMS podcast, June 19, 2023
  • Content Fragmentation podcast interview guest
    The Content Strategy Experts Podcast, February 20, 2023
  • Migrating from a Legacy CMS to a Headless CMS interview guest
    Headless Creator, August 27, 2021
  • A Step by Step Guide to Content Strategy in 2021 podcast interview guest
    Writers in Tech, February 5, 2021
  • Turning Conversations into Meaningful Content interview guest
    Customer Success by Design, August 18, 2020

Academic Guest Lectures and Panels

Public Speaking

Education

  • B.A., University of Oregon, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
    magazine journalism major; English minor
  • Radcliffe Publishing Procedures Course, Harvard University
    intensive six-week program on book and magazine publishing
  • lifelong learner, currently studying AI/ML, ontology engineering, knowledge graphs, and semantic technologies