Content Strategy for the Real World

Content Strategy in the Real World

Objectives

Objectives๏ Understand the meaning of content and the principles of good content๏ Understand the value of good web content๏ Comprehend the ‘content-out’ design paradigm

Introductions + Agency Overview

User Experience AgencyEffectiveUI is a Denver-based digital agency that designs and developscustom digital experiences informed by user insights.

Company Overview๏ Founded in April, 2005๏ 100 full-time employees๏ Voted in the top 10 places to work in Colorado three years running

What is content?

What is content?๏ Data = raw data, no interpretation๏ Information = how to understand the data or what the data is saying๏ Content = digestible forms of information

“Content is substance. No matter theplatform, publication, or format, contentrefers to everything that conveys meaning...”- Google Knol

What makes content good?

Good content is...

Good content is...๏ appropriate๏ useful๏ user-centered๏ clear๏ consistent๏ concise๏ supported

Good content is...

Good content is...๏ appropriate๏ useful๏ user-centered๏ clear๏ consistent๏ concise๏ supported

Good content is... Gold, digital gold

$4 content

$4 content“Niche Writers India is the core when it comes to writing and this is whatour clients feel about our content writing services expanding to variousdomains and collaterals. We have bubbling, energetic and youthful warpand woof of writers!”Halvorson, Kristina (2009-09-25). Content Strategy for the Web (KindleLocations 498-499). Pearson Education (US). Kindle Edition.

Content is big business

Cash for gold

What about Web design?Sketching exercise

Lorem ipsum?

Lorem ipsum?๏ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet๏ Consectetur adipiscing elite๏ Vivamus vel nucn quid leo fermentum

Is that wrong? What to do?

A common dialogue

A common dialogueClient - “Design me a web page for X”Designer - “What content do you have for X?”Client - “Show me a design and we’ll ﬁgure out thecontent.”

What comes ﬁrst?Content or layout?

Design exercise results

Design exercise resultsLayout ﬁrst?Content ﬁrst?Why?

Layout ﬁrst

Layout ﬁrst๏ Start with a container or page width (960, 1160 pixel frameworks; DIV wrappers; responsive frameworks)๏ Carve out chunks of space based on a user centered content hierarchy๏ Design each chunk or content block

Content ﬁrst or ‘content out’

Content ﬁrst or ‘content out’๏ Start with the content and design each individual piece of content without regard for the larger composition๏ Create the key design patterns for the site๏ Arrange these patterns in an appropriate layout based on the hierarchy of content

“Instead of creating [Web layouts] from theedges in, create them from the content out.For example, dervie columns of a grid fromelements of your content: the type size, aﬁxed image size or advertising unit.”- Mark Boulton

Pattern primers

What is more user-centered?

Real-world examples

American Library Association

American Library Association๏ 40,000+ members๏6 committees๏ 11 divisions๏ 24 chapters๏ 3,300+ pages

First step?

First step?๏ Content Inventory๏ Line-by-line audit and documentation of all available content assets๏ From there, card sorts and user interviews to determine the correct IA

The North Face

The North Face๏ Huge player in outdoor ecommerce๏ Fledgling brand awareness through storytelling๏ Design a dynamic storytelling engine to engage our users and promote our products.๏ “Tell me about your content...”

Aligning content and experience strategies

Aligning content and experience strategies๏ Need to understand user needs to design an appropriate Web experience as well as planning the appropriate use and cadence of content.

Content focus

Content rotation

Content example

Content example๏ ABM Focus - Outdoor๏ Activity Focus - Climbing๏ Supporting Technology - Goose Down๏ Supporting Beneﬁt - Packable/Stowable

Wireframe template(content map)

Who are your users?

Who are your users?๏ Need to understand user needs to design an appropriate web experience as well as planning the appropriate use and cadence of content.

Thank you. Questions?

Content Strategy for the Real World

by EffectiveUI on Nov 06, 2012

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Content Strategy for the Real World Presentation Transcript