Phrases that have messed up my expectations of Content Design

Where’s the sweet spot?

After many years as a Content Designer actively advocating for the work and building content design teams, I know there are limits to what we can do.

While some exceptionally successful Content Designers and thought leaders want us to believe we can do anything, the reality is that in the vast majority of orgs, the actual day-to-day work we do is that of a supportive design function, one that is mainly driven by writing (yup).

The job is different from a designer’s job.

And after years of fighting this fact, I’ve come to peace with it.

Because there’s good news:

Content Designers and UX writers can make great impact on the product with their skills. And that impact is greater when we’re doing the things that push design to the next level instead of trying to expand the scope of our roles. Plus, I’d also argue the job feels easier when we do things where our impact and craft complement each other.

So where is it that Content Designers can have the greatest impact?

Let me tell you what I think.

1. Microcopy.

Why is this such a controversial thing to spell out?

As I advanced in my career as a UX Writer it became more and more important to distance myself from “writing copy”. I would say things like “I care deeply about content systems!”, “The work is mostly content strategy!”, “I can fix your information architecture!” — and while all of these are true statements, what companies ultimately cared about was the copy that made it into the product.

My work was most appreciated when users or leadership noticed my copy. They’d find it delightful. They’d ask who wrote it. They’d learn who I was and what my skills were and that would get me involved in bigger projects.

Sure, information architecture and content strategy went into it but besides me, and maybe an especially interested designer or PM, no one really gave 2 cents about that. They saw and cared about the end-result, sometimes just a word or two.

2. Connecting the dots between marketing, brand, and product.

Another spicy topic.

When I first got into Content Design the mentors I had made it a point to differentiate our work from the work of marketing and brand. This was a point I accepted at first but struggled with the more content design I was doing.

Why?

Well, first of all, I do have a Master’s in marketing and did find it quite beneficial to my work in UX from day 1. Understanding audiences, conducting basic user research, and learning how brands and perception work at the core are incredibly useful skills for Content Designers.

Don’t shoot me, but I still start every single one of my Content Design and UX Writing lectures with this statement: Content Design is a marriage between persuasive copywriting and user experience design tactics.

I see this in my day-to-day work: connecting with marketers to understand their go-to-market strategies, and spending enough time with Brand to immerse myself in their archetypes make my work on the product a lot easier.

For example, it helps ensure tone and voice are truly on point and consistent, and it allows for better UX transitions between campaigning, ads, and the product. Don’t we all want that? So ping a Marketer or Creative Director and invite them for a coffee. They’re great allies!

3. Managing consistency.

One of the skills I appreciate the most about my peers is our eye for consistency and how we manage it across markets, teams, and flows.

For many of us, the way we manage consistency is through clear documentation and by identifying the right stakeholders to resolve consistency issues. Some of us are lucky enough to collaborate with Design Systems teams to reduce inconsistencies by working directly on components. But besides the tactical ways of consistency management, one thing is true about Content Designers for sure and that is: we actually really care about consistency. Like, really really. Beyond button shadow and character limit.

Some of my favorite discussions with peers revolve around niche topics like naming conventions and term changes that feel insignificant but in the long run, are so worth it when it comes to providing a better, more consistent user experience.

It’s that specific eye for detail and level of care that can sometimes take the user experience to the next level.

4. Helping others understand information hierarchy and architecture.

On purpose, I want to make this point not just about working with information architecture and hierarchy as a Content Designer but about the impact we can have by showing others how to do it.

This is not limited to designers either. Most people could do well with a better understanding of how to structure their work. Figuring out what they’re trying to say, what the most important points are, and how they are connected is arguably a basic problem-solving skill that many struggle with. I don’t just see it in design flows but strategy docs, spreadsheet and even emails and Slack messages. So involve people in your architectural work! They’ll surely appreciate it.

5. Storytelling. Product narratives. Design framing.

Framing design problems and coming up with a captivating narrative about why you designed something a certain way is an art of its own.

I observe designers of all experience levels struggle with this, as a winning narrative depends on countless factors — from the leadership team, to the audience’s needs and more.

Now, who’s great at world-building? Well, writers are.

And many of us Content Designers come from rich writing backgrounds. Yet only a few of us actively work on product narratives and design storytelling. A shame! Because they’re a great opportunity to show off our craft and make an impact.

 

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