The document discusses content types, which define standardized kinds of information entities and their structure. Content types are important for search, cross-linking, consistent presentation, and reuse of content. The document examines key considerations for defining content types such as elements, metadata, workflows, lifecycles, relationships, and rules of operation. It provides examples of real content types and checks for properly identifying content types. Overall, the document emphasizes how defining the right content types leads to better organization and findability of information.

1. Content Types:
The Glue Between Content
Strategy, User Experience, Design,
and Technology
Hilary Marsh, Chief Strategist & President
Content Company, Inc.
1

2. h$p://design.cmu.edu/user/849

3. a project
system
test
buildstrategic
design
solution
design
deliver
establish
project

4. “A
New
Yorker's
View
of
the
World”
by
Saul
Steinberg,
New
Yorker,
March
29,
1976

5. design team timeline
deliver
system
test
branding
& identity
couple
ifs and
a do
loop
user research visual
interface
design
interaction design
information
design

6. technical architect’s timeline
deliver
system test
graphic
designer
makes
gifs
architecture
design
code

7. business team timeline
deliver
design
and
build
marketing plan business
model
focus groups
(optional)
end game!
competitive
analysis

8. What is a content type,
anyway,
and why should we care?

9. How many do we have?

10. How many should we have?

12. What is a content type?
From Drupal:
A single web site could contain many types of content, such as
informational pages, news items, polls, blog posts, real estate
listings, etc. In Drupal, each item of content is called a node, and
each node belongs to a single content type, which defines various
default settings for nodes of that type, such as whether the node is
published automatically and whether comments are permitted.
à Article, basic page, blog entry, book page, forum topic, poll, or
custom
https://www.drupal.org/node/21947

13. Definitions by my students
• Basic page with rotating header image
• Content page with left image
• Information page
• Sub-landing page

18. What is a content type?
A specification for a
structured, standardized,
reusable, and mutually
exclusive kind of
information entity.
--Jonathon Colman,
The Language of Content Strategy

19. What is a content type?
…the actual thing a user
would read or use, like an
article, a recipe, or a help
guide entry.
---Sara Wachter-Boettcher
Content Everywhere
and a conversation on Slack

20. What is a content type?
I believe it’s most useful
to look at a content type
as the ontological Thing
you’re publishing,
regardless of how the
Thing is being expressed
design-wise.
---Sara Wachter-Boettcher

21. h$p://www.simoncamilleri.com/the_truth_of_the_elephant/

22. 22

23. Why are content types important?
• Search filtering
• Cross-linking
• Consistent presentation and care across the
organization
• Reuse

24. 24

25. h$p://www.nyNmes.com/2016/05/08/fashion/barack-­‐
obama-­‐bryan-­‐cranston-­‐table-­‐for-­‐three.html

26. h$p://www.brookings.edu/research

27. h$p://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-­‐alias%3Daps&field-­‐keywords=prince

29. 6 considerations
1. Elements
2. Metadata
3. Workflow
4. Lifecycle
5. Relationships
6. Rules of operation

32. 1. Elements

34. 34

35. 35
60%+ of
our content

36. 36
Blog post
News article
Report summary
Event session
Press release
Company history

37. 20%+ of
our content

38. Event
Conference session
Course description
Club listing

39. Not enough
information

40. 2. Metadata/taxonomy
Content
Type
Topics
Segment
Audience
Channel
AdministraNve
Amicus
brief
Announcement
ArNcle
Awards
CompeNNon
Course
material
Directory
Diversity
How-­‐to
Lesson
plan
Link
Membership
Model
rule
MulNmedia
News
Opinion
Policy
Projects
iniNaNves
Reports
Scholarships
Associate
Law
student
Lawyer
Legal
assistant
Legal
professional
Legislator
Media
Paralegal
Pre
law
student
Public
All
Lawyers
Media
Legal
Professional
Educators
Public
Law
student
Book
Audio
Tape
PDF
Binder
Media
Player
Paid
SubscripNon
CD
DVD
Periodicals
Course
Materials
Video
Download
eBook
Video
Tape
Online
Course
Public
EducaNon
Loose
Leaf
Audio
Download
Other
Channel
+ Legal
+ Profession
+ Laws
&
Cases
+ Geography
+ Commi=ee
+ Organiza@on
Collec@on
Business
Lawyer
Business
Law
Today
Business
Law
SecNon
Titles
Program/CLE
Materials
Commi$ee/
Subcommi$ee
Documents
Commi=ee
+ Substan@ve
+ Administra@ve
+ Taskforce
©
Taxonomy
Strategies

41. Topics Topics
Organiza@on
Geography
CFPB
FINRA
SEC
…
+ Africa
+ Asia
+ Europe
+ La@n
America
+ Middle
East
+ North
America
Legal
AdministraNve
Law
Admiralty
Law
AnNtrust
Law
Appellate
Advocacy
Banking
Law
Bankruptcy
Law
Bar
Services
&
Public
Service
Billing
Biographies
Business
Law
Career
Development
Children
and
the
Law
Civil
PracNce
&
Procedure
Commercial
Law
CommunicaNons
&
Media
Law
ConsNtuNonal
Law
…
Profession
ABA
AccreditaNon
ABA
Governance
Bar
Admissions
Bar
AssociaNons
Civic
EducaNon
Courts
Diversity
IOLTA
Jury
Law
Libraries
Law
PracNce
Management
Law-­‐related
EducaNon
Lawyer
Referral
Programs
Lawyers
Assistance
Program
Legal
educaNon
Legal
services
LegislaNon
Lobbying
…
Laws
&
Cases
+ Laws
+ Model
Statutes
+ Cases
©
Taxonomy
Strategies

42. 3. Workflow
• Who creates?
• Who reviews?
• Who approves?

43. 4. Lifecycle
Conceive
Create
Publish
Promote
Maintain
Retire

44. 5. Relationships
• What other content types would we want to
surface with this?
• What do we want to show them?
• What do they want to see?

45. h$p://philadelphia16.jboye.com/sessions/what-­‐to-­‐get-­‐in-­‐place-­‐to-­‐personalize-­‐experiences/

46. 6. Rules of operation
• When is this content type appropriate, and when
should you not use it?
• Voice/tone and writing notes

47. Real-life list of content types
Article
Author guidelines
Backgrounder
Bibliography
Book
Call for submissions
Conference paper
Contract report
Day in the life
Expert report
Expert report related resource
Experts list
FAQ
General
Glossary
Landing page
Listing
Login form
News listing
News release
Publication mission

48. 48

49. 49

51. Collections
Content “roll-ups”:
• Magazine issue made up of articles
• Podcast made up of episodes
• Photo gallery made of individual images
• Etc.
Are these content types?

52. h$p://ineteconomics.org/ideas-­‐papers/collecNons/greece-­‐and-­‐the-­‐eurozone

53. Litmus test

54. What is the most common
content type?

55. h$p://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/news/Pages/firststar.aspx
General

56. 56
Let’s dig deep
h$ps://www.pinterest.com/pin/86483255319117458/

57. Let’s take a look at some of them
• http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Focus-Areas/Product-
Development-and-Ingredient-Innovations/Nanoscience/
Nanotechnology-Backgrounder.aspx
• http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/
Food-Facts/About-FS-and-T.aspx
• http://www.kent.edu/coso/commuter-corner
• http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/
solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-insurance/cpt/cpt-
editorial-panel.page
• http://www.floridarealtors.org/GettingStarted/NewToSales/
index.cfm

58. If you get it wrong…
• One-offs – no pattern
• Can’t create business rules
• Content ROT
• Inability to surface related content
• Ineffective search filtering

59. Checklist: How to identify
content types
59

60. • Does it have a unique set of elements?
• Does it require unique metadata, or would it use
only some of the entire taxonomy?
• Does it have unique workflow needs?
• Does it have unique lifecycle needs?
• Does it have unique relationships?
• Is it created following the rules of operation?

61. h$p://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/news/Pages/firststar.aspx
No one wants
“general”

62. h$p://www.dkfindout.com/uk/animals-­‐and-­‐nature/elephants/
We all
need to
see that
it’s an
elephant

63. Want to learn
more about
content
strategy?
http://www.content-strategy-school.com
photo
by
John-­‐Mark
Kuznietsov

64. Thank you!
Hilary Marsh
http://www.contentcompany.biz
hilary@contentcompany.biz
@hilarymarsh