Natalie Patel

Content and Experience Designer ✮ I make digital experiences feel less like systems and more like conversations.

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

About

Hello hello! I’m a content specialist who thinks like a service designer, writes like a conversational human, and operates like a systems nerd with a heart. I help organisations speak clearly, work smarter, and connect better with their people, their clients, and their purpose. Most recently, I contracted with Old Mutual as part of their content team for the public-facing website, where I got my hands dirty with copywriting, page design, user experience, working with designers using Figma, product owners and publishers. I helped to improve workflow processes and developed a knowledge system that would assist new team joiners with finding what they need to be onboarded, in one place. For 7+ years, I was the custodian and behind-the-scenes engine of Standard Bank’s group-wide intranet platform. I've written messages that moved, mapped processes that worked, and built digital experiences that made people go, “Ohhh, THAT'S how it’s supposed to work!” I blend brand thinking, content strategy, UX, and operational comms to design systems that aren’t just efficient, they’re felt. Think structured messaging ecosystems, beautifully boring templates, and audience-first content journeys that do the job and spark engagement. I can source collateral that aligns with brand CI, generate creative assets with AI, edit visual assets, create videos and graphic content, and even produce audio when required. Being a tech-savvy generalist means that my skillset is vast and I always keep it updated. What I bring to the table: • An eye for order, a brain for systems, and a heart for humans • Strategic storytelling with just the right amount of spice • Processes that limit frustration • Experience across websites, intranets, emails, digital change, UX, AI tools, and exec ghostwriting • The uncanny ability to translate complex things into “Ah, now I get it!” I’m a lifelong learner and occasional disruptor. Whether it’s AI ethics, service design, or why people ignore internal emails, I need to know how things work, and how to make them better. Bonus facts: I moonlight as a DJ, write music and poetry, and have a rescue dog named Howie who believes he’s management. (He’s not wrong.) Looking for someone who can zoom out to strategy, zoom in to the nitty-gritty, and still keep the team laughing on deadline? Pop me a DM.

Experience

  • Content Designer at Old Mutual
    Nov 2025 - Present · 9 mos

  • Freelance and post-graduate studies at Freelance
    Apr 2024 - Oct 2025 · 1 yr 7 mos

  • Standard Bank Group (13 yrs 7 mos)
    • Manager, Content and Employee Experience, People and Culture
      Nov 2016 - Aug 2023 · 6 yrs 10 mos

      My key achievements include: - Increasing user adoption and usage from <10 000 users to approximately 38 000 monthly users through the re-design of the Group-facing People & Culture (HR) Employee Portal on Sharepoint after co-conducting a user experience (UX) process. - Assigned the project lead to re-design the user experience of the employee bursary application process from research to handover to developer team, reducing queries to the support desk and increasing adoption of learning. - Reducing operational queries to practice leads and improving business partner self-service for practical information they require to conduct their jobs effectively through the re-design of the People & Culture (HR) practitioner sites on Sharepoint which include but are not limited to the Learning & Development, Employee Benefits, Employee Relations, and Talent Acquisition functions. - Developing and co-ordinating content and process improvement strategies with multiple stakeholders across a large-scale organisation where different business areas own different pieces of user-facing features, improving the adoption of Employee Benefits. - Reducing the number of incorrect/incomplete submissions to Group Shared Services through an information gap analysis, engagement with stakeholders and support desks to improve education interventions through communication. - Increasing awareness and adoption of new or updated systems and products through the successful rollout of streamlined communication and content experiences across HR for multiple projects and campaigns in partnership with PMOs, Marketing, Centres of Expertise, external agencies, and IT teams. - Increasing design to execution time by 60% due to the procurement and implementation of new technology (SaaS). - Creating a line manager training module to manage LGBT+ employees as well as an accessibility guidelines document for technical teams with regards to disability (screen readers) as part of DEI.

    • Communications Consultant, Human Capital Shared Services
      Mar 2016 - Oct 2016 · 8 mos

    • Human Capital Consultant
      Feb 2010 - Feb 2016 · 6 yrs 1 mo

      Group Human Capital Shared Services, Exit Administration, Project Assistant, Process Enhancement

  • Co-Owner at Trendeity cc T-shirt Printing
    2005 - 2007 · 2 yrs

    Textile Design and Screen Printing

  • Fitness Consultant at Virgin Active
    2002 - 2003 · 1 yr

    Member Orientation, Fitness Instruction, Floor Management, Safety Officer