What Are Words For?

What Are Words For?A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CONTENT & LANGUAGE ONLINE

Erika Hall @mulegirl

#wordsfor

Introduction

What I’m Why ItWho I am Talking Matters About

Intentional Critical Eﬀective

The Old Days

“Delightfully Hostile” —The New Yorker

WorkLet Go Take Charge Together

Letting Go

Baggage

BaggageContent istext.

BaggageContent isn’t text.

BaggageContent isn’t text. Anyone can write.

Baggage The Web is aContent isn’t publication. text. Anyone can write.

Baggage The * is aContent isn’t publication. text. Anyone can write.

“Content Creation”

WritingComposingIllustrating FilmingCommenting Curating

“Content Consumption”

ReadingViewingWatchingListeningExploring

“Be speciﬁc.” —William Strunk

Upgrade Account

Mark as Read

Delete

Add to Cart

Register

I’m Feeling Lucky

Submit

Anyone can write

The Writer’s Tool The Designer’s Tool $399 $1,29995

“People rarely read Webpages word by word;instead, they scan thepage.” —Jakob Nielson, 1997

“People don’t readon the web.”

Idiocracy (2006)

I hate orange.

Publishing?

Interconnected and complex.

“Murder your darlings.” —Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Cambridge Lecturer (among other things)

The Result

Content Strategists Alone in the Wasteland

“No other part of a UX project necessarily involves the implementation of long-term organizational practices.” - Erin Kissane

Tending the Content

Thinking of Content Over Context

Business problem?Pour some content on it.

Taking Charge

Content Strategy Brand StrategyBusiness Goals Product Quality

“The great enemy of clear language isinsincerity. When there is a gap between one’sreal and one’s declared aims, one turns, as itwere, instinctively to long words and exhaustedidioms, like a cuttleﬁsh squirting out ink.” — George Orwell

Working Together

— Jason FriedGetting Real, 37 Signals

Mind Your Ps & Qs

Purpose ProcessProblemsPracticeQuestions Quality

Purpose What is the goal Process How is that done Practice What do you bring to itProblems What is getting in your wayQuestions What to ask Quality What to ﬁght for

Purpose Informing An informational website Enabling A tool/applicationPursuading A marketing website Vending An online store

Research Strategy DesignImplementation

Requirements Gathering Strategy DeﬁnitionVoice,Tone, & Structure Copywriting Governance

Business Process Workﬂow Research RecommendationsCompetitive Analysis Personas Brand Attributes Content Map Style Guidelines Nomenclature Sample Content Stakeholder Research Usability Testing & Wireframes Results

User Experience Design Roles Design Visual Information InteractionStrategist Designer Architect Designer Writer Will neglecting design confuse your users?

Discovery Concept Design Maintenance Business Process Research Design Strategist Competitive Analysis PersonasInformation Architect Workﬂow Recommendations Wireframes Visual Brand Attributes Nomenclature Style Guidelines Designer Writer Voice & Tone Content Map Style Guidelines Stakeholder Usability Testing Research & Results

Meet the Meerkat

Meet the MeerkatSuricata suricatta

Be the Meerkat

Be the MeerkatA group of meerkats is called a“mob”,“gang” or “clan”.

SCOPECREEP!

WAFFLING!

STRATEGY SHIFT!

Common Pitfalls1. Poorly Deﬁned Goals 2. Lack of Process 3. Subjectivity

In Conclusion

Strategy is Leadership

It doesn’t matter how good the wine is.

What “content” means, how to handleit, and who should be doing whatfollows from the WHY.It is very diﬀerent in all of thesecontexts.

Start from the big whyBe speciﬁc about the what Clarify goals and roles Stick to your story Be open to change

Thank You! Erika Hall@mulegirl | erika@muledesign.com

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What Are Words For?

by Erika Hall on May 11, 2011

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What Are Words For? — Presentation Transcript