Which Matters More:
Content, Design or Technology?


             Sophie Dennis
              UX & Content Strategy
      @sophiedennis www.sophiedennis.co.uk
         Exeter Web Meetup, 25 Oct 2012
<rant>
Can we stop arguing
        about whose job is
          most important?




Photo © Peretz Partensky (CC BY-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifl/3926001309/
she says

“Content First”
he says

“But design is important too”
Well, duh?



                                    v




Cennydd Bowles, ‘What bugs me about “content out”’
       http://www.cennydd.co.uk/2011/what-bugs-me-about-content-out/
The problem with first
        Photo © velkr0 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/velkr0/606993270/
Waterfall
                                     says


            Project Management
                               comes before


                           UX Design
                               comes before


                      Visual Design
                               comes before


                       Development
                               comes before


                              Content
Photo © familymwr (CC BY 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/6234646694/
Waterfall
                                               says


                            Project Manager
                                   is more important than

                                  UX Designer
                                     is more important than

                             Visual Designer
                                     is more important than

                                    Developer
                                     is more important than


                                        Content

Photo © swan corner (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/swan_corner/7818833836/
Can’t we all just get along?




       Photo © Sharyn Morrow (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/1923984297/
Like a film, websites don’t happen
       without collaboration




             Photo © Jason Ilagan (CC BY-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepen/2227370320/
But it’s still…
a

Sophie Dennis
     film
The web is more like music
Co-ordinating specialist teams
                    Photo © B. Baltimore Brown (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbaltimore/5710451171/
First among expert equals
           Turtle Island String Quartet, © anyjazz65 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/49024304@N00/280608840/
Multi-disciplinary, agile, pivoting
                     Photo © Scott Thomas (CC BY-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsthomasphotography/3738932632/
Rare, lone genius
                    Richard Thompson at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2008 © Andy Robinson (all rights reserved)
J.S Bach
Cello Suite No.1
Prelude




                                Content
                   The abstract markup of the musical score
                                                              http://www.music-scores.com
Steven Isserlis
Bach: The Cello Suites
Hyperion Records




                                  Design
                         The performer who interprets it
                                        Photo © Tom Miller http://www.performances.org/press/1112/Isserlis.shtml
Which Matters More?
Bogus question. Without both there is no music.
    ♫   Listen at http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67541/2
Duty Calls http://xkcd.com/386/
maybe I should just spend less time reading LinkedIn Groups
Who’s
                                                 Queen?

 As UX guy, I
should get the
 final say on              Project Manager                           But without me,
 everything,                                                            you have
     ever                                                              NOTHING!!

                                     Designers
                                       suck




            Designers                                        Developers
                         Developer                 Did you all not
                          s suck                     see I have
                                                  STRATEGY in my
                                                   job title now?




         “Content is
       King” my a**s
                               Content



                           but we still need

                        less of this
Designer   Developer     Content              Project       Designer Developer Developer Content
                                             Manager
            Team                                                      Team
                                     You’re so
                                      smart                           I made
                                                                        cake
                                              I love your
                                                  work




  Group        Project      UX      Visual       Front-end     Back-end    Content
  hug?        Manager      Design   Design       Developer     Developer

                                             Team



                                             and

                              more of this
we should

Share The Vision
   Photo © Attila Magyar (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/magyaatt/7402399364/
</rant>

Sophie “I Have Strategy in my Job Title” Dennis
               @sophiedennis
       http://www.sophiedennis.co.uk

Which matters more: content, design or technology? A rant

  • 1.
    Which Matters More: Content,Design or Technology? Sophie Dennis UX & Content Strategy @sophiedennis www.sophiedennis.co.uk Exeter Web Meetup, 25 Oct 2012
  • 2.
  • 3.
    Can we stoparguing about whose job is most important? Photo © Peretz Partensky (CC BY-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/ifl/3926001309/
  • 4.
  • 5.
    he says “But designis important too”
  • 6.
    Well, duh? v Cennydd Bowles, ‘What bugs me about “content out”’ http://www.cennydd.co.uk/2011/what-bugs-me-about-content-out/
  • 7.
    The problem withfirst Photo © velkr0 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/velkr0/606993270/
  • 8.
    Waterfall says Project Management comes before UX Design comes before Visual Design comes before Development comes before Content Photo © familymwr (CC BY 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/6234646694/
  • 9.
    Waterfall says Project Manager is more important than UX Designer is more important than Visual Designer is more important than Developer is more important than Content Photo © swan corner (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/swan_corner/7818833836/
  • 10.
    Can’t we alljust get along? Photo © Sharyn Morrow (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/1923984297/
  • 11.
    Like a film,websites don’t happen without collaboration Photo © Jason Ilagan (CC BY-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/thepen/2227370320/
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
    The web ismore like music
  • 15.
    Co-ordinating specialist teams Photo © B. Baltimore Brown (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbaltimore/5710451171/
  • 16.
    First among expertequals Turtle Island String Quartet, © anyjazz65 (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/49024304@N00/280608840/
  • 17.
    Multi-disciplinary, agile, pivoting Photo © Scott Thomas (CC BY-ND 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsthomasphotography/3738932632/
  • 18.
    Rare, lone genius Richard Thompson at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2008 © Andy Robinson (all rights reserved)
  • 19.
    J.S Bach Cello SuiteNo.1 Prelude Content The abstract markup of the musical score http://www.music-scores.com
  • 20.
    Steven Isserlis Bach: TheCello Suites Hyperion Records Design The performer who interprets it Photo © Tom Miller http://www.performances.org/press/1112/Isserlis.shtml
  • 21.
    Which Matters More? Bogusquestion. Without both there is no music. ♫ Listen at http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67541/2
  • 22.
  • 23.
    maybe I shouldjust spend less time reading LinkedIn Groups
  • 24.
    Who’s Queen? As UX guy, I should get the final say on Project Manager But without me, everything, you have ever NOTHING!! Designers suck Designers Developers Developer Did you all not s suck see I have STRATEGY in my job title now? “Content is King” my a**s Content but we still need less of this
  • 25.
    Designer Developer Content Project Designer Developer Developer Content Manager Team Team You’re so smart I made cake I love your work Group Project UX Visual Front-end Back-end Content hug? Manager Design Design Developer Developer Team and more of this
  • 26.
    we should Share TheVision Photo © Attila Magyar (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) http://www.flickr.com/photos/magyaatt/7402399364/
  • 27.
    </rant> Sophie “I HaveStrategy in my Job Title” Dennis @sophiedennis http://www.sophiedennis.co.uk