Don't know what conditional content is? Over-using it already? Considering using it in future (in DITA or not)? Need to explain to management why they are ruining your career? Then this session is for you!

1. Noz Urbina, Urbina Consulting
urbinaconsulting.com / @nozurbina
When conditions go wild:
Why conditional content (alone) isn’t a solution
for modern content challenges

2. @nozurbina
3 questions in case no one asks.
Send photo and bio

3. Experience the DCL Difference
DCL blends years of conversion experience with cutting-edge technology and
the infrastructure to make the process easy and efficient.
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7. Urbina Consulting
urbinaconsulting.com
Improving content flow – for coherent delivery across all channels
@nozurbina
Less work,
More flow.

8. @nozurbina
• Content strategist and trainer
• Newly independent
• Co-author of “Content Strategy:
Connecting the dots between
business, brand and benefits”
• Congility events chairperson
• Translate between manager, user and
tech
Me (Noz Urbina)

9. @nozurbina
Congility 2014
18-20 June 2014, Gatwick, UK
“Driving customer experience
from across the enterprise”
First-class international speakers
www.congility.com/2014
Brought to you by
Save 30% registering using
code “DCLGONEWILD”
Jeff Eaton
Leah Guren Rahel Bailie
Noz UrbinaKevin
Nichols
Tony Self
And
MANY
more!
Michael
Priestley
Kristen
Eberlein
2 conference days, 1 workshop day
• Content strategy and UX
• Structured content and IA
• Digital / Mobile delivery
• Component content management

10. @nozurbina
Select Projects
10 points to help you decide if you’re a match with Urbina Consulting:
urbinaconsulting.com/about-you

11. @nozurbina
A MODERN PUBLISHING
ARCHITECTURE

12. @nozurbina
Solution: context-appropriate delivery
Serve &
Transform
Personalised content
ProfileA
ProfileB
ProfileC
ProfileD
Same content
Everyone
…with WPT/
processing
tools
Multichannel delivery
Manage
…in CCMS
(XML )
…in TMS
Translate
If not now… then soon!
Create
components
…in structured
Authoring
Tool(s)
Migrate

13. @nozurbina
TRADITIONAL CONTENT

14. @nozurbina
Section
A series of sections.
Deliverable
Section
Section
Section
Section
Traditional content

15. @nozurbina
Product A, Product B,
Product C
1 size fits all
Deliverable
Product A, Product B,
Product C
Product A, Product B,
Product C
Product A, Product B, Product C
Product A, Product B, Product C,
Traditional content
When reusing the content
or deliverable, we add all
audiences’ material to the
document.
Cheap(er) to create.
Hard to consume.

16. @nozurbina
Solution: context-appropriate delivery
Serve &
Transform
Personalised content
ProfileA
ProfileB
ProfileC
ProfileD
Same content
Everyone
…with WPT/
processing
tools
Create
components
…in structured
Authoring
Tool(s)
Multichannel delivery
Manage
…in CCMS
(XML )
…in TMS
Translate

17. @nozurbina
Product A, Product B,
Product C
“Profiles” are used to
mark different parts
of the content for
different:
– Audiences
– Products
– Versions
– And more...
Deliverable
Product A, Product B,
Product C
Product A, Product B,
Product C
Product A, Product B, Product C
Product A, Product B, Product C
Conditional content

18. @nozurbina
CONDITIONAL CONTENT OVERLOAD
A team leader/manager-friendly definition

19. @nozurbina
What ever you make Today

20. @nozurbina
What ever you make
Operate
Product C
Product A
Product B
Today

21. @nozurbina
What ever you make
We can add a new profile
and new potential values
for:
• new products
• new scenarios
• regional markets
• (insert your demographics
here)
Problem

22. @nozurbina
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT?

23. @nozurbina
What ever you make Problem
InfrastructureProduct A 714
Product A 713
Region 1
Produc t B NN
Install
Configure
Region 2
Product B X81
Upgrade
Product B X82
Comment
Operate
Product C
Product A
Product B
Region 3

24. @nozurbina
Current list
Now at __ profiles
(with __ more planned)

25. @nozurbina
The fall-out
• This complexity run wild is common when
requirements outgrow “common practices”
• In other companies, Urbina Consulting have
seen wasted effort associated with this
complexity exceed 50%
– and in an extreme case, 90%
• Best practices are required, but not intuitive for
even advanced users

26. @nozurbina
PS - Condition’s fatal flaw
• Sometimes simply filtering isn’t good
enough
–Sequence
–Groupings
–Hierarchy
–Flow

27. @nozurbina
SO WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Techniques, tips & tricks

28. @nozurbina
Don’t use conditions
for unlimited lists
Img by Jeff Eaon, Flickr

29. @nozurbina
Some tips
Reason Use conditions if… Not if…
Regions You use large, and reasonably
fixed regions like “Europe vs
North America”.
You are in something like
medical or gambling that has
dozens of local regulations.
Customer
specific content
You’re not reusing content
across many customers (But
this is rare…)
You regularly customise
documentation for customers
Versions You’ve got an extremely slow
release cycle and don’t write
about interim patches, builds,
etc.
You know what’s good for you.

30. @nozurbina
Some tips
Reason Use conditions if… Not if…
Products You’ve got a very small number
and don’t sell variants.
You are regularly rejigging
your IP to make new products.
Audiences You’ve decided on a reasonable
number (<5-10) of general
audience types, like
“Maintainer”, “Installer”,
“User”.
You have a more diverse and
specific breakdown of your
audience. You need to re-flow
for different audiences.
Internal /
External / Secure
content
You’re crazy. You know what is good for
you.
Outputs You define ouputs as “device
types” and are very general,
e.g. “handheld screen” vs
“tablet” vs “print”
You are defining outputs very
specifically and are doing
different content for all of
them.

31. @nozurbina
(Re)model content
Img by Stephen Edmonds, Flickr

32. @nozurbina
Modelling template by
the Rockley Group

33. @nozurbina
Remodelling
• All content goes in a specific part of the
structure
• Content modelling is a whole discipline on
its own
• Makes writing more consistent generally

34. @nozurbina
Use “Dummy
Modules” (Demo)
Img by Jay Jay Robertson, Flickr

35. @nozurbina
Dummy Content
• Fire & Forget
– Very translation and management efficient
• Never gets versioned or flagged for needing
translation unless you change something that is
not reused
– Allows you to restructure content
• Usability depends on your technology choices

36. @nozurbina
TAKE-AWAYS

37. @nozurbina
You may need to
rewrite : (
Img by Harald Hoyer, Flickr

38. @nozurbina
Pull the chute earlier,
not later

39. @nozurbina
Beware the devil you
know

40. @nozurbina
Remember the user!
img © DreamWorks 2011

41. @nozurbina
Join us at Congility:
Today's content needs agility
THANK YOU! Q&A?
Driving customer experience from
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2014 Conference 18-20 June, UK
Register on www.congility.com
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42. Q&A
Contact: Linda Morone Cassola
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing
LCassola@dclab.com
(P) 718-307-5728