Content Convergence: Trends In Technical Communication

Content Convergence Trends in the Creation, Production, and Maintenance of Technical Content

Content Convergence Content Convergence

Content convergence is a move away from content silos.

Paired with content integration, which is combining content from multiple sources.

Together, they have powerful communication potential.

Content convergence means portability. Content can be mixed-and-matched to fit new contexts.

To be portable, content needs to:
Be structured
Have semantic properties
Be findable (searchable)
Conform to standards

Portable content makes context more important. Portable content makes context more important. Content must support multiple contexts.

Complex contexts demand concise content. Shape content around a single concept.

Context changes content. The ability to re-use content across contexts increases content value.

Content is not isolated. Content is not isolated. Content does need to be self-contained.

Convergence creates possibilities. The end goal is user satisfaction.

For customers: Portable content creates value
Content is integrated from:
Airline booking
Hotel booking
Car rental booking
Google maps
Weather network
User-generated content
… and more.
Convergence is automated, generating an automatic, customized itinerary.
This convergence of content provides a value-add service to the user.
www.tripit.com

Portable content creates efficiencies For organizations, portable content creates efficiencies. Content must support multiple contexts.

Portable content can look like this
Blog posts
Images
Twitter posts
Upcoming product releases
User-generated content
Visitor login
Ratings information
Ecommerce data
Audio files
Product descriptions
www.allmusic.com

Or like this Training instantiation TechComm instantiation Support instantiation

When architected well, it happens seamlessly. Information portal Tech Comm content User-generated content Engineering content CRM content Support center content Marketing content RSS feeds Subscriptions Training content

Users demand more, better, faster.

Users demand it
Organic content convergence
World of Warcraft
Some users dissatisfied with documentation provided.
Built their own database.
Better quality, more features.
Apple
Search for “iPhone help” and observe the results
Search for an error message by number (e.g. “error message 12846”) and observe the results
Users will create their own documentation.
Their sites will come up higher in search engines.
Your reputation suffers.
Brand management issues arise.

World of Warcraft wow.allakhazam.com/

The market demands it
Organizations need to deliver more content, faster, cheaper.
The content needs to work for many similar products.
There is a need to deliver to multiple markets , sometimes in multiple languages.
There is too much content to deal with, to create linear content.
HP
HP knowledge base has integrated all content into a single page
Highest result in the search engines
Well designed convergence experience for users

HP Knowledge Center h30413.www3.hp.com/SupportServices/country/us/en/support/T1100.html.htm

The move away from single-use, linear content is happening fast . Every day, the bar is raised a little higher.

The pressure is on to devise strategies for portable content. You snooze, you lose.

Strategies are business-dependent
There is no formula.
The solutions are as unique as the business and the reasons for needing the strategy.
It means changes in technologies.
It means change in processes.
It means change in skill sets.
There needs to be a strategy.
The strategy needs to be rooted in business requirements.

It means rethinking the nature of content. Treat content as a valuable corporate asset.

Good content design ties into experience design
Subsets of experience design are:
Multi-channel experience
Digital experience design
User experience
User-centered design
Service design
Usability
No matter what you call it, the end goal is to improve the experience for the end user.

Content should be a corporate strategy. Do you have a good content strategist?

T-shaped thinkers are particularly adept at convergent, synergistic thinking. www.davidarmano.com/thought.html

Think outside the box
What are the touch points ?
What can be automated for users?
What are the preferences of your audiences?
What is required by regulatory?
What is the best you can provide, in practicality?
How creative can you be?

Think holistically; act boldly.

Contact Info and Acknowledgements
Presentation © 2008 Intentional Design Inc.
www.intentionaldesign.ca
Presenter:
Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist / CM Consultant
+1.604.837.0034
Photographs used under Creative Commons:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/
Pencil design: George Hart

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Content Convergence: Trends In Technical Communication

by Rahel Anne Bailie on Oct 11, 2008

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Content Convergence: Trends In Technical Communication — Presentation Transcript