Content Strategy Insights

The emergence of design systems has created new content strategy and content management needs. As a long-time UX practitioner, content strategy evangelist, and content systems expert, Michael Andrews is uniquely qualified to talk about how to manage content in these new systems. So far, the most important lesson he has learned from working with content in design systems: Don't forget to apply the basic content strategy lessons we've learned over the past 20 years. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/michael-andrews-2/

The podcast explores the evolution of content audits and inventories, highlighting the importance of analyzing audit data for actionable strategies. It delves into the differences between content inventories and audits, emphasizing the qualitative analysis for aligning content with business objectives. The discussion also covers the value of content audits in enhancing content quality, user experience, and strategic planning. Overall, it offers insights on optimizing content strategies for better results.

When your organization talks about "bringing your whole self to work," they're likely picturing an idealized version of you, not the complex human that you actually are. Eileen Webb helps people and teams build better relationships at work by connecting them with their actual authentic selves. Her approach isn't touchy-feely, summer-camp trust-fall theater. It's pragmatic professional-development work that can remove obstacles to collaboration and build trust among teams. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/eileen-webb/

Designing content for immersive experiences has been around longer than you might think. Many people jump straight to modern VR headsets when they think about immersive digital experiences, but the craft of immersive content design also shows up in applications like location-aware text alerts and games like Pokemon Go. Preston So has just written the first book on immersive content design, drawing on his unique background in programming, product management, design, and content strategy. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/preston-so-2/

Building a content design team is typically a long process. At Hotjar, Kaysie Garza has had the chance to build a new content-design practice with two colleagues at her side from the very beginning. Hotjar offers a variety of research products, so Kaysie and her team have also been able to inform their work with plenty of research insights. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/kaysie-garza/

Content has always been a key element of any design system, but content designers have only recently become part of these system teams. It's still early days, but the role of content in design systems is evolving rapidly. Rebekah Wolf has been part of that evolution through her work as a content designer on Microsoft's Fluent design system. She has also built a professional community around the subject with the Design System Content Club Slack that she founded and facilitates. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/rebekah-wolf/

Sheryl Cababa wants to help designers of all kinds cultivate a systems-thinking mindset. Her new book - Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers - shows designers how they can expand their impact by adding a systems-thinking lens to their view of their work. Rather than setting out specific methods or practices, Sheryl focuses on how to leverage systems concepts like interconnectedness, causality, and wholeness to help you design better experiences. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/sheryl-cababa/

Debbie Levitt discusses customer journey mapping and task analysis. She emphasizes the importance of adopting the customer's perspective and avoiding assumptions in journey maps. Qualitative research, including observation and conversation, is crucial for gaining insights. The speaker critiques the focus on speed in Agile and Lean practices and discusses challenges in implementing customer centricty. Task analysis is highlighted as a key tool for understanding the customer journey.

Content strategy work is largely about language and how people use it. So to do our best work, we need to have a strong understanding of the language ecosystems we navigate. Jane Ruffino comes to content strategy and design with a background in archaeology. She shows how practices that archaeologists use to understand how different cultures name and label things can be applied to content work. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/jane-ruffino/

Technical content strategy has evolved dramatically over the past 25 years, and Sarah O'Keefe has had a bird's-eye view of the whole process. As the CEO of Scriptorium, a leading content-operations consultancy, Sarah has both witnessed and participated in the massive changes that have unfolded in the world of technical documentation. https://ellessmedia.com/csi/sarah-okeefe/