technical content gone strategic
DESCRIPTION
Intro to content strategy for technical communicatorsTRANSCRIPT
Technical Content Gone Strategic
© 2010 Intentional Design Inc.www.intentionaldesign.ca
Rahel Anne Bailie@rahelab
Framework Content strategy:A repeatable system
that governs
management of
content throughout the
entire content lifecycle
Content Strategy: convergence of disciplines and technologies
Content Strategy
Business Analysis
Technology
Content Development
User Experience
• Modeling/typing• Configure/components• Structure /standards• Repository
• Aggregate/Transform• Publish/Syndicate• Syndicate• Evaluate• Iterate or sunset
• Acquire• Author/Edit• Version/Localize• Metadata
• Requirement analysis• User research• Governance planning• Budget
Analyze
CollectManage
Publish
• Modeling/typing• Configure/components• Structure /standards• Repository
• Aggregate/Transform• Publish/Syndicate• Syndicate• Evaluate• Iterate or sunset
• Acquire• Author/Edit• Version/Localize• Metadata
• Requirement analysis• User research• Governance planning• Budget
Analyze
CollectManage
Publish
Potential ROI:•Extend market reach•Better decision-making for sales•Better customer support•Better info for Industry analysts
•Potential IRR:Easier management of content•Reduce production time•Increase accuracy•Support risk management
Pushing content toits full potential
You can deliver this
Training material
Technical manuals
Support articles
h30413.www3.hp.com/SupportServices/country/us/en/support/T1100.html.htm
Or this
Training material
Marketing
Support
Support Technical manuals
Social network
How to / training
Marketing
Support
How to
Social contentSupport
How to / training
How to / training
How to
Now, broken experiences can damage brands faster than ever. “Nothing can
deter confidence quicker than
a broken experience.”*
* Christopher Cashdollar, Creative Director, Happy Cog Studios
Same content, two content strategies
“This Visa interface is great. I can download each
statement, by month, for the last year.”
1
2:00 PM
“Vancity is great. I can enter the dates
and download a whole year at a time, for the
last two years – in a single transaction.”
2
2:15 PM
“Visa’s monthly download is driving me bananas.
Why doesn’t Visa get it together?”
3
2:18 PM
Little credit union
BIG credit card company
Reality
Content drives the user experience.
Universal user goal Get content:
1. Find it.2. Consume it.3. Act on it.
Content strategy: extension of the experience design
Specify context of use
Specify requirements
Produce design content solutions
Evaluate design content
Identify need for user-centered design content
System satisfies specified
requirements
Adapted from: http://www.upassoc.org/usability_resources/about_usability/what_is_ucd.html
• Modeling/typing• Configure/components• Structure /standards• Repository
• Aggregate/Transform• Publish/Syndicate• Syndicate• Evaluate• Iterate or sunset
• Acquire• Author/Edit• Version/Localize• Metadata
• Requirement analysis• User research• Governance planning• Budget
Analyze
CollectManage
Publish
We consume content like music: in context.
The move away from single-use, linear content is happening fast.
Portable content: reduce, re-use, recycle
Content capabilities Content must be able to:
• Integrate– Embed data into content
• Converge – Show content from multiple
sources in single display• Syndicate – Send content out on
demand
Content attributesSo content must be:• Well-formed– 4 Cs, right tone, etc
• Structured– XML, xHTML, accessible
• Semantic– Have meaningful metadata
• Standards-based– OASIS (DITA, DocBook, etc.),
microformats
Case study
Content strategy for
single-sourcing of
product content
Project goals • Better user experience – SaaS
• Faster time to market – competitive advantage
• Savings – production and translation
• Efficiency – easier internal processes
• Brand – contemporary look
Menu | Menu | Menu | Menu | Menu
Window A Window B
User Interface
Here
and here
and here
UX team builds UA product content directly into the interface
…and seven other places in the interface.
?
<Task><Title>Title [w variable]</title><ShortDesc>Short Description</shortdesc><TaskBody><Steps><Step><Cmd>Step</cmd><Info>Step info</info><Stepresult>Step results</stepresult></step></steps></Result>Task results</result></taskbody></task>
Typical DITA task*
?
User InterfaceMenu | Menu | Menu | Menu | Menu
Window A Window B
<Task><Title>Title [Client Label]</title><ShortDesc>Short Description</shortdesc><LearnObj>Learning Objective</learnobj><TaskBody><Steps><Step><Cmd>Step</cmd><Info>Step info</info><Stepresult>Step results</stepresult></step></steps></Result>Task results</result></taskbody></task>
Typical DITA task*
Taxonomy FileEN Window A Term A Term B Window B = Variable Term A Term C
?
User Interface
Title [w variable]Learning Objective
1. Step Step infoStep resultsTask results
Learning Centre Object
Single-sourcing, with external variables, to multiple outputs.
Title [w variable]Short Description
1. Step Step infoStep resultsTask results
Help Topic Content Object
Title [w variable]1. Step Step infoStep resultsTask results[Added call centre comments]
Knowledge Base Object
Menu | Menu | Menu | Menu | Menu
Window A Variable B
SData
Implications
Old method: desktop software delivery
• “Spaghetti code” content needs rewrite to migrate
New method: Web delivery with UI-embedded UA
• New UI has more content types
• Topic-based content• Max. content re-use, and
reliable delivery/display
Content drives the user experience.
Rather than designating content as something that is plugged into a decorated shell, why not endeavor to put it at the centre?
- Dorian Taylor
http://doriantaylor.com/the-web-doesnt-have-content-the-web-is-content
Portable content creates valueConvergence:
• Airline bookings
• Hotel bookings
• Car rental bookings
• Google maps
• Weather networks
Integration:
• Automatic integration
• Get instant, custom itinerary
Syndication:
• Share with trusted contacts
• Auto-notifications
Bottom line: Good Value
www.tripit.com
Move to experience design
Think beyond content; think experience
http://www.allmusic.com
Navigation
Editorial
Instructions
Music files
Ad
Cover art
Navigation
Previews
Mash-ups are also a form of content convergence.We can create more comprehensible ways to present content.
http://www.worldmapper.org
Mash-ups are also a form of content convergence.We can create more interesting ways to present content.
http://pipes.yahoo.com
Consumers don’t care about your silos
We can customize content being delivered.
Price range Bed/baths
Geography
View Alerts
Bonus: We can do more, better, faster.
When architected well, it happens seamlessly.
Information portal
TechComm
content
User-generated content
Engineering content
CRM content
Support center content
Marketing content
RSS feedsSubscriptions
Training content
• Modeling/typing• Configure/components• Structure /standards• Repository
• Aggregate/Transform• Publish/Syndicate• Syndicate• Evaluate• Iterate or sunset
• Acquire• Author/Edit• Version/Localize• Metadata
• Requirement analysis• User research• Governance planning• Budget
Analyze
CollectManage
Publish
Can you fill a user value gap?
Exploit the potential of your content– Is it structured?– Can it be re-used?– Can it be filtered?– Can it be searched (more
importantly, found)?– Can it be personalized?– Can it be integrated? – Can your content converge?– Can it be syndicated?– Can it interoperate with other
systems?
The first impression of a site is made within 50 milliseconds
Think outside the site• What are the touch points? • What can be automated for users?• What are the preferences of your audiences?• Are you contributing to an engaging user experience?• How creative can you be?• What is the best you can hope to provide, logistically?
Shoot for the moon, to land amongst the stars.
Contact Info, Acknowledgements,Resources
Presentation © 2010 Intentional Design Inc.www.intentionaldesign.ca
Presenter:Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist
http://www.google.com/profiles/rahel.bailie
Twitter: @rahelabDelicious: rahelabSlideshare: rahelabFacebook: Rahel Anne Bailie
Photography used under Creative Commons:http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/