Designing with words

It's a thing

V. Sri, Content Designer

But first: A POP QUIZ

WHO DIS

ELTON JOHN

How about this guy

Bernie Taupin

Melody

Lyrics

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sons of bankers, sons of lawyers
Turn around and say

"Good morning" to the night

Melody

Lyrics

VISUAL

Language

Today

What is content design?

Let's design with words

Principles of content design

What is content design?

UX writing

UX content strategy

Content design

=

=

Different names for roughly the same job

Content design

Language that's “easier to grasp” makes a product easier to use.

let's design with words

Remove redundant text

Highlight important info

Clarify using sections

Make it easier to leave feedback

Before

After

If you wish to seek payment from TSA for damaged or missing items, you must file a claim on-line at www.tsa.gov or through the TSA contact center at 1-866-289-9673

For payment of damaged/missing items, file a claim at www.tsa.gov or call 1-866-289-9673.

Before

After

Onward to principles

Straw poll

Deeper to TSA

Before

After

Serves the user no matter how they pick up the card

This used to be a wall of bulleted text.

Important information is highlighted on both sides of the card.

A 3-second test for quality

  • Is this "glanceable"?
  • What is the main idea?
  • Is there a clear call to action?

PRINCIPLES OF CONTENT DESIGN

we help users get where they are going

We make complex concepts easier to understand

The principled use of language to help people do things.

CONTENT DESIGN IS

I take notes so you don't have to

Start with the story

A radical concept in which you consider what you are trying to say before you say it.

All the names on screen are writers

Start with the story

Respect the user

Users don't want to deal with your software. Users are people too.

Respect the user doesn't look like this

Respect the user doesn't look like this

Respect the user doesn't look like this

Respect the user doesn't look like this

Respect the user doesn't look like this

Respect the user doesn't look like this

Respect

Respect

Respect

Respect

Respect

Respect the user

Look for patterns

The hard part of content design isn't writing the words. It's learning how to write patterns.

Look for patterns

C is for content

solve the real problem

Uncover the user's real world desires. Read between the lines and think beyond the immediate solution space.

it had to make scents

Solve the real problem

Solve the real problem

Solve the real problem

This ain't content design

Principles

Today

What is content design?

Let's design with words

Principles of content design

Designing with words

It's a thing

V. SrI, Content Designer

YOLO@LOOKANDPOINT.COM

LOOKANDPOINT.COM