Big Content: Content Strategy as a
Design Framework
© 2012 Intentional Design Inc. www.intentionaldesign.ca
Rahel Anne Bailie @rahelab
Content Strategy
Business communications
Technical communication
IA/Usability Content/info management
SOME
DESIGN
FRAMEWORKS
Product design
Credit: NASA Engineering design process
WHERE’S THE CONTENT?
Industrial design
Credit: Product design consultants Costello Design
WHERE’S THE CONTENT?
Web design
Credit: University of Texas
CONTENT
Web design • Requirements analysis
• Project charter, contracts, finances
• Site map, servers, folders, software, resources Planning
• Wireframe and design elements, create mock-ups
• Review and approval cycle
• Slide and code valid XHTML/CSS Design
• Build development framework and code templates
• Develop /test features, interactivity, links, functionality
• Fill with content Development
• Polish
• Transfer to live server / test
• Cross-browser check Launch
• Hand off to client
• Documentation and source files
• Project close, final documentation Post-Launch
Credit: Smashing Magazine
CONTENT
CONTENT
Credit: Jesse James Garrett
Web design
Web design
Credit: UX Movement
CONTENT
Web design
Credit: Adaptive Path
CONTENT
CONTENT
DESIGN:
CONTENT DELIVERY MECHANISMS
UX
Tech
Content
Design
Change
Tech
UX
Content
Design
Change
Design
UX
Content
Tech
Change
Content
UX
Design
Tech
Change
Credit: conversation with Whitney Quesenbery
Content
UX
Design
Tech
Change
Credit: conversation with Whitney Quesenbery
USERS
How useful is this site…
…without content?
If you couldn’t find what you wanted…
…would technical elegance matter?
Without the content…
…does the design matter?
CONTENT AND DESIGN: A GREAT TEAM
The purpose of design
Content in context
Data Context Content
Content Context Infor-
mation
Infor-mation
Context Know-ledge
The purpose of content strategy
“Content strategy is the repeatable system that governs the management of content throughout the entire lifecycle.”
- Rahel Anne Bailie IntentionalDesign
• Modeling/typing
• Configure/components
• Structure /standards
• Repository
• Aggregate/Transform
• Publish/Syndicate
• Evaluate
• Iterate or sunset
• Author/Edit
• Acquire
• Version/Localize
• Metadata
• Requirement analysis
• User research
• Governance planning
• Budget
Analyze Collect
Manage Publish
LET’S TALK
CONTENT STRATEGY
Content strategy
The phrase “from the right source on the right platform in the right media to the right people at the right time in the right channel in the right format in the right version in the right language” is quite a mouthful, and too long for Twitter. That's why we're better off calling it something simple, like content strategy.
Credit: Rahel Anne Bailie
Strategy
Alternatives chosen to make happen a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem.
Content
Something contained, in a receptacle
The stuff between the tags
Potential information
Human-usable, contextualized data
http://profile.typepad.com/jgollner
http://goo.gl/bmIhg
www.thefreedictionary.com/content
Rahel Anne Bailie at Lavacon 2010
…is expensive to create.
…is a valuable business asset.
…is complex to manage.
…is the primary vehicle for comprehension.
…deserves to be managed with care.
WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS?
The Big C
BIG Content
…allows business to tell the whole story.
…considers infrastructure.
…looks at business processes.
…remembers governance.
…recognizes the importance of data quality.
Example of how to think about Big Content: http://intentionaldesign.ca/2012/05/29/move-over-big-data-its-time-for-big-content/
Storytelling (Curation)
Infrastructure
Content Federation
Document Repository
Content Repository
Database
Interaction by Business Process
Interaction by Role
Interaction by Content Type
Metadata
Content / Document Lifecycle Management
Subject Matter Experts (content creators/reviewers)
Documentation
Public Awareness Program
OQ
Training Material
O&M Manual
Field Guide
Repository
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Option to single-source content between other publications
Combine and recombine content to create manuals
Approved?
Yes No
Web, XXXX, Sharepoint
Archive
Outdated?
SOP
Compliance Analyst
(reviews,edits)
Yes
No
Business processes
Governance
Communication
Board & Committees
Legal & Regulatory
Business Practices & Ethics
Disclosure & Transparency
Risk & Performance Management
Monitoring
Data quality
Content strategy goes beyond the content, beyond the site, beyond the design.
Design Brief:
Where is the content section?
May 25, 2011
2 days after volcanic eruption
CMS configuration:
Where are your content types, flows, and models?
So your content can be delivered as needed
Usability tests:
How are you testing content?
( = international roaming)
( = SIM card)
…to an integrated user experience
User experience:
How are you planning for publishing?
Get inspired
Get informed
Get involved
Get together
Get content
Want more content strategy? 2-day intensive workshop series: contentstrategyworkshops.com
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