A digital garden by Maaike: conversation design, AI, and the things in between.https://maaike.ai/en-gbhttps://maaike.ai/jottings/thinking-in-action-precision-matters/https://maaike.ai/jottings/thinking-in-action-precision-matters/On the importance of precise terminology and definition, and a brief exploration of dialectic thinking. It's humans that need to learn to reason, not LLMsSun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/jottings/the-garden-so-far-how-do-i-keep-the-weeds-away-from-my-writing/https://maaike.ai/jottings/the-garden-so-far-how-do-i-keep-the-weeds-away-from-my-writing/On the tension between cultivating a tidy digital garden and letting the chaos of ideas coexist. How AI-assisted growth pulls at the time and attention I'd rather spend writing.Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/jottings/on-the-joy-of-finding-a-good-book/https://maaike.ai/jottings/on-the-joy-of-finding-a-good-book/On the joy of finding a book that speaks to youTue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/jottings/test-quote/https://maaike.ai/jottings/test-quote/Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/is-conversation-still-a-useful-metaphor/https://maaike.ai/articles/is-conversation-still-a-useful-metaphor/A collection of thoughts & ideas on alternative metaphors for human-GenAI-interaction.Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/a-digital-garden-as-central-space/https://maaike.ai/articles/a-digital-garden-as-central-space/Why I built a digital garden: non-linear thinking, early web nostalgia, and the need for a personal space on the internet.Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/context-engineering-lets-call-it-design/https://maaike.ai/articles/context-engineering-lets-call-it-design/So...should we all go and explore context engineering? Yes, we should. And chances are that you've been doing it forever already.Sun, 06 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/saturday-design-thoughts/https://maaike.ai/articles/saturday-design-thoughts/Designing for negative spaceSat, 07 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/air-canadas-bot-mishap-pre-dates-chatgpt/https://maaike.ai/articles/air-canadas-bot-mishap-pre-dates-chatgpt/So if it's not a case of LLM hallucination, what did happen?Sun, 18 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/llm-hallucinations-knowledge-as-missing-fundamental/https://maaike.ai/articles/llm-hallucinations-knowledge-as-missing-fundamental/Will we ever solve hallucinations in LLMs?Sun, 11 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/chatgpt-presentation-prep/https://maaike.ai/articles/chatgpt-presentation-prep/Stress-free preparation...could it really work?Sun, 04 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/prompt-thought-summaries/https://maaike.ai/articles/prompt-thought-summaries/Our human-centered way of thinking about the writing process might not necessarily be the most logical for prompting LLMs.Sat, 16 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/online-prompt-workshop-de-biasing-dall-e/https://maaike.ai/articles/online-prompt-workshop-de-biasing-dall-e/Join me in a fun and interactive prompt session! We'll de-bias Dall-e, and create images that are more like us.Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/de-biassing-dall-e/https://maaike.ai/articles/de-biassing-dall-e/Do we really want US moderators to rewrite Dall-e's prompts?Sat, 18 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/fingers-crossed-is-a-figure-of-speech-dall-e/https://maaike.ai/articles/fingers-crossed-is-a-figure-of-speech-dall-e/DALL-E 3 is still digitally challenged.Sat, 04 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/how-to-make-chatgpt-more-conversational/https://maaike.ai/articles/how-to-make-chatgpt-more-conversational/There's a prompt for that! A quick tutorial for designing conversational system prompts.Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt-september-2023/https://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt-september-2023/Did I get this right? I can only use the ChatGPT browse feature when I let OpenAI collect my data?Sun, 01 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/conversational-interfaces-are-not-easy/https://maaike.ai/articles/conversational-interfaces-are-not-easy/Usability challenges of writing with AI: let people write!Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/2-years-and-700-members-insights-from-convoclub/https://maaike.ai/articles/2-years-and-700-members-insights-from-convoclub/The top 5 challenges that conversation designers face, based on 300 real answers.Wed, 16 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/off-to-a-good-start/https://maaike.ai/articles/off-to-a-good-start/An onboarding checklist for conversation designers.Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/putting-the-design-in-prompt-design/https://maaike.ai/articles/putting-the-design-in-prompt-design/Blind prompting vs. prompt engineering — and what it means for conversation designers.Mon, 22 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/bye-bye-alpaca-knowledge-as-the-missing-fundamental/https://maaike.ai/articles/bye-bye-alpaca-knowledge-as-the-missing-fundamental/Wow, that went down fast!Sun, 26 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/microsoft-youre-using-bing-wrong/https://maaike.ai/articles/microsoft-youre-using-bing-wrong/You built a conversational interface and then expected people to use it just for search?Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/stay-calm-and-keep-thinking-for-yourself/https://maaike.ai/articles/stay-calm-and-keep-thinking-for-yourself/My favorite resources for building a curious and critical frame of mind.Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/what-happens-when-ai-has-read-everything/https://maaike.ai/articles/what-happens-when-ai-has-read-everything/Are you a writer scared that you might soon be without a job? Fear not! We need more books for AI to work properly!Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-youchat-and-chatsonic/https://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-youchat-and-chatsonic/Both can access the internet and retrieve recent information. Let's take them for a test drive.Wed, 15 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/hey-chatgpt-whos-the-boss/https://maaike.ai/articles/hey-chatgpt-whos-the-boss/Why does ChatGPT seem to 'know' things it shouldn't? The reason might be much more mundane than you think.Sat, 14 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/why-chatgpt-is-bullshit-and-why-we-should-design-for-that/https://maaike.ai/articles/why-chatgpt-is-bullshit-and-why-we-should-design-for-that/Surprisingly few people mention the fact that ChatGPT is, in the end, one big word-string-generator on steroids.Sat, 07 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt-3/https://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt-3/Can ChatGPT take over some of my work as a conversation designer? Can it create an intent model for me?Sun, 11 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt-2/https://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt-2/Let's build that classic hello world of conversation design: the Pizza Bot! Can we get ChatGPT to play along?Mon, 05 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt/https://maaike.ai/articles/an-evening-with-chatgpt/Part 1: you can call me Al. A conversation designer's first encounters with ChatGPT.Sun, 04 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/convo-question-should-i-learn-programming/https://maaike.ai/articles/convo-question-should-i-learn-programming/As a conversation designer, should I know how to code? Some pros and cons.Sun, 11 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/european-chatbot-conference-10-talks/https://maaike.ai/articles/european-chatbot-conference-10-talks/My personal highlights from the European Chatbot and Conversational AI summit.Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/the-lone-convo-designer/https://maaike.ai/articles/the-lone-convo-designer/Just started as a conversation designer? Doubting whether you're doing things right? No worries, you're not alone!Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/7-new-skills-for-conversation-designers-2022/https://maaike.ai/articles/7-new-skills-for-conversation-designers-2022/Looking to fill up your convo design toolbox? Here are 7 skills to take your conversational AI career to the next level.Wed, 05 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/the-long-and-winding-road/https://maaike.ai/articles/the-long-and-winding-road/Looking back at 2 years of freelance work as a conversation designer and community builder.Sat, 13 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/convoclub-clubhouse/https://maaike.ai/articles/convoclub-clubhouse/From now on, conversation designers, linguists, bot builders and language lovers can discuss their favorite topics on Clubhouse!Sat, 20 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/how-to-create-your-own-content-quality-audit/https://maaike.ai/articles/how-to-create-your-own-content-quality-audit/5 checks to keep your content on track — and your clients happy.Sat, 28 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/youre-not-married-to-your-texts/https://maaike.ai/articles/youre-not-married-to-your-texts/Relax, it's not about you :-) How to handle feedback on your content without losing your mind.Sat, 28 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/scrum-for-conversational-teams/https://maaike.ai/articles/scrum-for-conversational-teams/Adopting Agile methods? Avoid the pitfall of copying IT scrum to content teams.Sat, 31 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/how-do-i-become-a-conversation-designer/https://maaike.ai/articles/how-do-i-become-a-conversation-designer/Conversation design is a career on the rise! Do you want to know how to become a chatbot or voice designer? Read on!Sun, 06 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/nieuwe-editie-voicelunch/https://maaike.ai/articles/nieuwe-editie-voicelunch/Voor taalkundigen, conversation designers en iedereen die iets heeft met taal!Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/visual-notes-brian-roemmele/https://maaike.ai/articles/visual-notes-brian-roemmele/Sketchnotes of the Voicelunch session with Brian Roemmele — the best voicelunch I never attended.Thu, 20 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/hoe-word-ik-conversation-designer/https://maaike.ai/articles/hoe-word-ik-conversation-designer/Conversation design is een vak met toekomst! Maar wat doet een conversation designer precies? En welke skills heb je ervoor nodig?Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/blender-turned-rogue/https://maaike.ai/articles/blender-turned-rogue/Facebook's AI chatbot might just be saying what you want it to say…Sun, 24 May 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/online-uitgeput-pak-een-kruk/https://maaike.ai/articles/online-uitgeput-pak-een-kruk/Zuigt Zoom je leeg? Zo blijf je overeind en wakker in een online vergadering.Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/understanding-speech-part-2/https://maaike.ai/articles/understanding-speech-part-2/Want to know what you can do to make your voice action sound more speech-like? Part 2 covers backchannelling, discourse markers, and deixis.Sat, 04 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/corona-is-spreading-and-so-are-the-bots/https://maaike.ai/articles/corona-is-spreading-and-so-are-the-bots/How to build Coronabots responsibly — if you want to build one at all.Sun, 15 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/hildegard-von-bingen/https://maaike.ai/articles/hildegard-von-bingen/The original woman in voice. On international women's day, a tribute to the first named composer in history.Sun, 08 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/understanding-speech-part-1/https://maaike.ai/articles/understanding-speech-part-1/A primer of voice and speech terms for conversation designers. Part 1 covers breath, prosody, pitch, tone and intonation.Thu, 13 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMThttps://maaike.ai/articles/onthaast-je-voice-action-met-ssml/https://maaike.ai/articles/onthaast-je-voice-action-met-ssml/Klinkt jouw Google Assistant ook zo buiten adem? SSML helpt!Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT