Murray Cox
Acting Head of Content Strategy
How Content Strategy and UX can tackle the content
challenge together
Julie Mahoney | Head of Content Strategy, LBi
Once upon a time there was an information architect and a
content strategist…
And a long, long time ago, they had less “interesting” problems
than they do today.
They got along OK, but never really had many “opportunities” to
work on projects together…
But life was still pretty good, until one day an account person
brought in a new kind of project. This one was shiny. And big. Big
enough to rule the world really. It was called portal. And it
wanted to go global.
Insert brand here
Luckily, both Kurt and Frank took deep breathes and gathered
their courage before plunging into those portal depths…
“Dude. No
one knows
what I do…”
“Why does
every website
have to be so
self-referential
and use click
here text!”
And they did three really good things…
Defined
their
roles
early on
Did a
show
and tell
Agreed
“what
to call
things”
They knew they would wear many hats
“Researcher
”
Finder of 3rd party
stats and
competitive insights
Defined
their roles
early on
“Big concept ”
guy
Creator of main categories
“Relationship
maker”
Creator of relating content
types to each other
Kurt and Frank did a show and tell of deliverables…
Did a
“show and
tell”
And when blending their deliverables, they agreed on a
methodology first
Did a
“show and
tell”
Frank created a visual glossary of content types that he and Kurt
refined until they had a universal way of thinking about content
Agreed
“what
to call
things”
This made them totally popular and successful when the project
was delivered in time and on budget
But our story doesn’t end there. Over the years, Kurt and Frank rose
through the digital ranks…working their way from place to place, until they
landed in a very nice agency that eventually launched its own content
strategy department…
Funny enough…when Frank first joined the agency, most people
had a totally different interpretation of content strategy
So Frank had to do roadshows (and socialising and chatting),
educating people about content strategy
And Frank did three really good things…
Demystified
the process
Made the
case for
content
Showcased
examples of
amazing
content
Sometimes he showed the content strategy in full…
Sometimes he showed examples of content strategy
deliverables and how they helped both businesses and users
Sometimes he built the case around the commercial value of
content
Metrics!
Case
Studies
!
Research!
And sometimes he just got people excited with examples of good
content
Meanwhile… a mysterious monster emerged from the deep, dark
internets called POE a.k.a Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
But luckily Kurt was still sharpening his collaboration skills
working with more and more content strategists. And Kurt did
three really good things…
Established
regular check
points in a
project
Encouraged
agile sharing
Encouraged
UXers to
think beyond
the sprints
He always used a reconciliation process and routine with
creative, user experience, and content strategy all putting up
WIP every Friday
He always encouraged agile sharing from everyone…Frank’s
colleague Michael Exon was known to quickly sketch up his
deliverables to show their purpose
He always clarified the purpose of his deliverables, knowing that
his sitemap would live on
…dictating content creation and migration…
And eventually user-centered content!
a more beautiful
answer goes to he
who asks the more
beautiful question
-e.e. cummings
A BEAUTIFUL
QUESTION IS ONLY
BUILT WITH UX AND
CONTENT WORKING
TOGETHER

How content strategy & UX can tackle the content challenge together

  • 1.
    Murray Cox Acting Headof Content Strategy How Content Strategy and UX can tackle the content challenge together Julie Mahoney | Head of Content Strategy, LBi
  • 2.
    Once upon atime there was an information architect and a content strategist… And a long, long time ago, they had less “interesting” problems than they do today.
  • 3.
    They got alongOK, but never really had many “opportunities” to work on projects together…
  • 4.
    But life wasstill pretty good, until one day an account person brought in a new kind of project. This one was shiny. And big. Big enough to rule the world really. It was called portal. And it wanted to go global. Insert brand here
  • 5.
    Luckily, both Kurtand Frank took deep breathes and gathered their courage before plunging into those portal depths… “Dude. No one knows what I do…” “Why does every website have to be so self-referential and use click here text!”
  • 6.
    And they didthree really good things… Defined their roles early on Did a show and tell Agreed “what to call things”
  • 7.
    They knew theywould wear many hats “Researcher ” Finder of 3rd party stats and competitive insights Defined their roles early on “Big concept ” guy Creator of main categories “Relationship maker” Creator of relating content types to each other
  • 8.
    Kurt and Frankdid a show and tell of deliverables… Did a “show and tell”
  • 9.
    And when blendingtheir deliverables, they agreed on a methodology first Did a “show and tell”
  • 10.
    Frank created avisual glossary of content types that he and Kurt refined until they had a universal way of thinking about content Agreed “what to call things” This made them totally popular and successful when the project was delivered in time and on budget
  • 11.
    But our storydoesn’t end there. Over the years, Kurt and Frank rose through the digital ranks…working their way from place to place, until they landed in a very nice agency that eventually launched its own content strategy department…
  • 12.
    Funny enough…when Frankfirst joined the agency, most people had a totally different interpretation of content strategy
  • 13.
    So Frank hadto do roadshows (and socialising and chatting), educating people about content strategy
  • 14.
    And Frank didthree really good things… Demystified the process Made the case for content Showcased examples of amazing content
  • 15.
    Sometimes he showedthe content strategy in full…
  • 16.
    Sometimes he showedexamples of content strategy deliverables and how they helped both businesses and users
  • 17.
    Sometimes he builtthe case around the commercial value of content Metrics! Case Studies ! Research!
  • 18.
    And sometimes hejust got people excited with examples of good content
  • 19.
    Meanwhile… a mysteriousmonster emerged from the deep, dark internets called POE a.k.a Paid, Owned, and Earned Media
  • 20.
    But luckily Kurtwas still sharpening his collaboration skills working with more and more content strategists. And Kurt did three really good things… Established regular check points in a project Encouraged agile sharing Encouraged UXers to think beyond the sprints
  • 21.
    He always useda reconciliation process and routine with creative, user experience, and content strategy all putting up WIP every Friday
  • 22.
    He always encouragedagile sharing from everyone…Frank’s colleague Michael Exon was known to quickly sketch up his deliverables to show their purpose
  • 23.
    He always clarifiedthe purpose of his deliverables, knowing that his sitemap would live on …dictating content creation and migration…
  • 24.
  • 25.
    a more beautiful answergoes to he who asks the more beautiful question -e.e. cummings
  • 26.
    A BEAUTIFUL QUESTION ISONLY BUILT WITH UX AND CONTENT WORKING TOGETHER