WE ARE ALL CONTENT STRATEGISTS
NOW IDEA Conference 2010

Hi! I’m Karen McGrane from
Bond Art + Science @karenmcgrane 2

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CONTENT? INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE VISUAL DESIGN
INTERACTION DESIGN 4

WHY CONTENT STRATEGY? WHY NOW?
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FROM TO Static Dynamic Centralized
Decentralized Walled Social Costly Cheap Geeky Mainstream 6

USER EXPERIENCE Information Architecture CONTENT
STRATEGY Social Media Content Marketing Management MARKETING TECHNOLOGY 7

Here I told a little
story about clients figuring out that the name of their problem is “information architecture.” I didn’t think it needed a funny picture.

NAMING A PAIN POINT.
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DEFINING A PROCESS.
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Current Site Audit Stakeholder &
Competitive & User Interviews Market Research Vision Insight Design Development QA Requirements IA Design Creative Design Usability Testing Post Launch Paper Prototype & Creative Comps Analytics Report Test, Measure, and Optimize

User Experience Design Process: Critical
Path Kickoff Project Initiation Initial Design Cyc l e Design Iteration / Testing / Itera Meeting Project is Product Marketing Prod. Marketing does P&L, content evaluation, Product Team meets - inititated by Product creates materials that describe needs, goals, Marketing with Prod. Mktg. feeds team Design presents functional objectives, dependencies, partnerships, user flow, potential user Program business issues and any other relev a n t any results from Marke t Management scenarios and high level content or functionality issues, pulls together Resear c h screens need e d cross-functional tea m Approval cycle h e r e Feasability Studies / Field Resear c h Expert advice on Usability What do Users w a n t previous research a n d feedback cyc l e How do they want to do it Meeting new research need e d (Usability Conceptual Phase) (Usability 2nd Phase) coordinated by Program feedback cy Management UE Team member Create D e s i g n assigned to Spec/Creative Rapid prototype for Experience Design project Brie f proof of concept attends meeting UE Team Material is from and early testing w / brainstorm with Initial concept MRP/PRD and Early functionality usability brainstorms wit h Takes input from Usability - led by brainstorming notes designs and all members as project team Product Marketing to and other definitions of Could be paper UE Team member assigned related to UI member collect and gather requirements, distills pages needed for prototype, functional to project design requirements and info, looks at developed static HTML, Flash what's the best understand competitive functionality interaction, Receives Requirements scenario fo r competitive landscape landscape, rev i e w s Mockups/ Document use r s scope in context of Wireframes as Needs: network and sit e image maps List of team precedenc e members, contact info, initial schedule, approval process Initial exposure to (people) scope of design and functionality HTML Assess techn i c a l limitations and alternatives Engineering Engineering might begin coding work from initial functionality spe c s Credits: Erin Malone: Designed for AltaVista November 10, 2000 14

An Example LEGEND MILESTONE DELIVERABLE
IDEA REVIEW CHECKPOINT Product / Software / Web Design Process Guide KEY MEETING INFORM PHASES concept discover definition refinement developmen conceptual MILESTONES start concept approval proposal approval and scheduling design review PRD approval UI design approval committed schedule Communicate business needs Communicate business needs Brand Positioning Review Promotional & Marketing Needs Business developm & brand identity & brand identity { Mockups to marke Note: In some companies these roles are business owners encompassed by one person Collect team input Product Roadmap Promotion plan Describe problem or needs, Develop strategic rationale, business case, proposed solution, and benefits. financial analysis, policy considerations, implementation plans. Research: Solicit input from Business owners/ Point release plan product Gather information for and brands - contact other associated stakeholders (legal, customer support, international) manager create the Concept Document Gather supporting market research, etc. Write Draft PRD and Review Gather information for and create the Deliverables: ROLES Proposal Document Project kickoff Product Requirements Document Review user feedback on previous product Refine design concepts (PRD) Wireframes and navigation maps UI's and analyze competitive products. (authored by a { ui/id/ia Develop navigation model and Product Manager) Product prototype, e.g. paper, HTML, director, or flash refine scenarios design Provide input for level of effort UI Design Approval or two people. i.e. ui may do user research or visual designers may do ia, etc. and Idea Deliverable: Deliverable: Deliverable: Define personas, usage scenarios, user Proposal Templates Concept goals, and perform task analysis I T E R AT I O N S I T E R AT I O Document Document Concept Design Review & Develop usage scenarios this step Navigation and/or design concepts Concept and / or may be (authored by Note: In some companies these roles are blended into one optional Design UI / ID / IA Design) Provide input for level of effort Visual design explorations Refined Visual design explorations Art direction Materials Leads brainstorming Concept (authored by visual Prototype blended design design team) Provide input for level of effort UCD research cont'd. (i.e. paper prototyping, Competitive usability testing Prototype usability test Prototype testing participatory design, field studies, surveys, etc. Define personas, usage scenarios, user user goals, and perform task analysis. research production Provide input for level of effort credits Design based on earlier maps created by various UI design teams at America Online Incorporated. Revised and edited by Erin Malone, September 2003 for the AIfIA. 15

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 Design
Analysis Design Solutions TSDesign User Experience Audit SM Product Strategy and Product Design Strategy Blueprint* Technology Audit description: • an expert design analysis from the user’s perspective description: • define ‘what the product should be’ and ‘how it 1 understand 2 investigate 3 define users 4 qualify features should work’ benefits: corporate mission persona user profiles user, feature, objective matrix • benchmarks the effectiveness of your site based upon stated benefits: core competencies • the achievement of clearly articulated, agreed- user profiles business objectives for the site and your users corporate goals • analyzes the design of the site to find out if the benefits of use upon and aligned mission, core competencies, culture and values User Personae & corporate goals, and objectives for the site are actually being delivered Profiling Module speculate & + interviews SM skills and methodologies • the articulation and understanding of your users, • recommends methods for substantially improving your users experiences and meeting future business objectives their needs and and your business objectives for knowledge capital and experience (UP&P) innovate people, processes & technology establishing and extending relationships with each one stakeholders and initiatives Intentional User Experience table • TSDesign Analysis FrameworkSM • the definition of the organizational resources enterprise-wide challenges competitive and comparative analysis experience brief: 1 Delivery of User Benefits The intended value the organization required to build and maintain the site Internet objectives strategy story and positioning delivers to users and customers through its site. • the creation of a detailed blueprint for design or customers and users redesign: The sequence of questions, prompts, and results - site organization (footprint) competitive landscape 2 Transaction Flow that make up a task. - useful and usable features and functions for the users * workbooks not shown The degree to which a site affords the user to easily - descriptions of intended functionality scope or 3 Navigation & Hierarchy navigate the environment and efficiently locate rele- - messaging strategy rescope relationship 5 7 vant content. The representation and support of the identity, • the receipt of a phased implementation plan with associated costs innovate 6 refine describe 4 Visual Language brand and information architecture through visual elements and overall style. new ideas new footprint and reclustered content Product Strategy Blueprint/Functional Description existing Audit comments: and new • Users arriving at the front page of the site may not understand what information is there for them. technology • The names of the sections do not give users a path to follow to find the informa- tion they need. • No specific path has been established for each user type. Users must use their best judgement to find the information they’re looking for and often may not be successful. Identity and Visual Language Audit Visual Identity Systems visual language research description: description: • By collecting and reviewing print, other tangible artifacts and • establish, with the client, a shared Web sites your company creates and disseminates, and understanding and common language for corporate standards (if they exist) we can then distill the basis visual design and how it effectively for the visual language to be developed that is consistent with communicates the brand the company's identity and product brands. This work is • define a visual language for the site continued in the Visual Systems Design phase. - logo, logotype systems - typography - grid system - color palette - imagery style and usage benefits: • provides the visual language components with which to build the interface 16

Peter Morville, The Three Circles
of Information Architecture 17

THE CONTENT STRATEGY PROCESS
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1. THINK BEYOND THE TEMPLATE.
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This page was redacted so
I don’t get yelled at by lawyers. Honestly, doesn’t that sound awful? You wouldn’t want that to happen to me, right? If you’re really curious this was a persona. It looks pretty much like every other persona you’ve ever seen. So just imagine one of those.

This page showed a competitive
audit. If you want to recreate the experience for yourself, go click around to some other websites and write down a few comments about whether they’re any good or not.

This here is a series
of moodboards that show an approach to creating a design system, including photography, color palettes, and typography.

Sigh. Okay, this page shows
some sketching exercises we did. Except apparently no one on the team could figure out how to operate a pen, so somehow “sketches” wound up meaning “wireframes made with wavy lines and handwritten fonts.” I’m embarrassed just admitting that. Can we go back to talking about how your content sucks?

This page showed a wireframe.
The lines were all straight and the font was Arial. Master of my craft, here.

We opted to go live
with the existing content. 25

Buy-in for that decision stretched
to the highest levels of the organization. 26

We knew the content sucked.
We just believed there was nothing we could do about it. 27

Within an hour, the angry
calls started. Client received hundreds of angry calls from hotels the first day. Complaint call volume held steady over the next week as people called back to check on status. The client team was unprepared to make quick changes to the content, and their slow response just added fuel to the fire. Site had to be rolled back to the previous version while they came up with a plan to update the content. http://www.flickr.com/photos/schoppa/3148751414 28

7000 pages. The upside is
that the second 45 people. launch was very successful. Six weeks. Still, I can't say that I'd choose to 5400+ hours. do it that way again. 29

HOW?
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HOW TO THINK PAST TEMPLATES
_Talk about why it’s important to provide great content. Even when people don’t want to listen. _Get content in the project plan, even if you’re not responsible for it. _Scare people with the “giant spreadsheet of terror.” _Prototype and test wireframes and designs with best and worst case example content. _Start content migration early: first step, not the last. 31

1. THINK BEYOND THE TEMPLATE.
2. EVALUATE CONTENT QUALITY. 32

From Flickr User 2493™ 33

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I’m better at thinking about
abstract relationships between content types, classification frameworks, metadata elements, than I am at looking at the specifics of content. Dan Brown, Letter to a Content Strategist 35

This page showed a video.
You’re not going to be able to see it on Slideshare, so I took it out. It contained the phrase “fecal matter,” which to me is more offensive than saying “sh*tstorm.” Mythbusters, Polishing a Turd 38

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From Flickr User 2493™ 40

HOW?
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HOW TO EVALUATE QUALITY _Don’t
just inventory: analyze your content. Don’t just look at what you have, assess whether it’s any good. _Have a strategy for how to persuade stakeholders that your approach is valid. _Conduct a gap analysis to compare what you have to what you need. _You can usability test content too. 42

1. THINK BEYOND THE TEMPLATE.
2. EVALUATE CONTENT QUALITY. 3. PLAN FOR CONTENT CREATION. 43

WRITERS ARE LIKE DEVELOPERS. THEY
WORK BETTER WITH DIRECTION. 44

Logo Features Browse Our Sites
About Us Sign Up Login Support Feature Name Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Find out more about: Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name 45

Logo Features Browse Our Sites
About Us Sign Up Login Support Feature Name PUT PRODUCT DESCRIPTION HERE esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad. Find out more about: Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name | Feature Name 46

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HOW?
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HOW TO SPEC CONTENT _Connect
back to the overall brand and messaging architecture. _Direct the writer to appropriate source materials, both online and offline. _Guide selection of images, videos, and data visualizations, if needed. _Indicate how often each content element should be reviewed, edited, or deleted. _Provide direction across channels: web, email, social. 49

1. THINK BEYOND THE TEMPLATE.
2. EVALUATE CONTENT QUALITY. 3. PLAN FOR CONTENT CREATION. 4. DON’T FEAR NEW ROLES. Extra super bonus fourth thing! 50

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We don't need a Any
backend project manager. The developer should be developers should be able able to crank out some to manage themselves. HTML. HTML is easy. Why do we even I don’t get why we need different roles need a content strategist. for interaction and Writers can make visual design? spreadsheets. 54

Here I went off on
a little rant about roles on projects. I try to avoid talking about roles and job titles; I agree with Jared Spool that we should be talking about skills. I was actually afraid to talk about this but it seemed to go over well. I might try talking about it again someday.

FIRST: YOU WILL ADVOCATE FOR
CONTENT.

SECOND: YOU WILL USE YOUR
NEW CONTENT STRATEGY TOOLS.

THIRD: YOU WILL PARTNER WITH
A CONTENT STRATEGIST.

THANKS! @karenmcgrane karen@bondartscience.com www.bondartscience.com +1
(917) 887-8149