Content/Communication: Lavacon 2014

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As content professionals, our jobs require more cross-team collaboration than ever, and that means it’s getting tougher to delineate our disciplines. When was the last time you did “just” design, content, or code? It’s no longer an option to only care about what’s on your plate. Drawing from her experience as a “content therapist,” Kristina will share insights about how curiosity, empathy, and shared ambition will help us all build a better web.

Transcript of Content/Communication: Lavacon 2014

CONTENT / COMMUNICATION @HALVORSON • LAVACON 2014

AUDIT THE CONTENT. !

REWORK THE IA. !

MAKE SOME METADATA. !

REWRITE THE COPY.

YOUR COMPANY IS BROKEN. !

YOUR TOOLS SUCK. !

YOU’RE WAY BEHIND. !

YOU ARE DUMB.

My content is terrible!

It’s not your content. It’s you.

*sobs*

THERE’S SOME

FOUNDATIONAL STUFF

WE NEED TO (REMEMBER

TO) TALK ABOUT.

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

A PRINCIPLE internally motivates us to do things that seem good and right.

A RULE externally compels you to do things someone else has deemed good and right. !!!!!!

ANONYMOUS CLIENT STORY

#1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mononoke/225965762/

!1. This content is not for us.

2. “Responsive” does not equal “reactive.” 3. The story informs the format. 4. Numbers aren’t everything.

!

!

OUR CONTENT PRINCIPLES

http://hillaryfox.com/inside-facebook-headquarters/

MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS

*

PRINCIPLES UNITE US IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK.

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

GOAL

STRATEGY

TACTIC

ANONYMOUS CLIENT STORY

#2

“We will become the industry leader in the financial services arena by providing our clients with superior service, world-class products, and a commitment to excellence at every touchpoint along the customer lifecycle.” !!

“We will become the industry leader in the [INDUSTRY] services arena by providing our clients with superior service, world-class products, and a commitment to excellence at every touchpoint along the customer lifecycle.”

We will share user-facing, task-based content that makes our customers feel smart and safe, both personally and professionally.

STRATEGY

• Rewrite “About Us” copy

• Improve “Help” section

• Create interactive company history timeline

• Restructure home page around top tasks

• Start some content marketing

• Get some user personas

!

STRATEGERY

STRATEGY KEEPS US ACCOUNTABLE.

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

ANONYMOUS CLIENT STORY

#3

Content?

DO NOT MAKE PROCESS YOUR GOD.

“Different methods work or fail because of people, not because they are universally good or bad. !

– Pawel Brodzinski, Agile Bullshit

!

http://www.matthiasshapiro.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IngebretsenDeliverablesWithPictures1.png

ARTIFACTS ARE TOOLS, NOT OUTCOMES.

GOOD PROCESS HELPS US MOVE TOGETHER.

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

ANONYMOUS CLIENT STORY

#4

!1. Take away everyone’s job titles.

2. Have a series of four-hour working sessions to break

out “big tasks” and “little tasks.”

3. Managers go away and come back with “team

missions.”

4. Employees pick a team and write their own job

descriptions.

5. Select goals, review quarterly.

6. Go!

!

!

THE BIG PLAN

!R – Who is responsible for completing a task?

A – Who is accountable for the work’s success?

C – Who must be consulted before work can be signed-off on?

I – Who must be kept informed along the way?

!

!

THE RACI MODEL

!1. At some point, invite All the People

2. Make sure everyone’s aligned on terminology (e.g. audit vs.

inventory, wireframe vs. prototype)

3. Identify timing issues, agendas, overlapping responsibilities

EVERY PROJECT, EVERY TIME

ROLES GIVE US A PLACE.

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

http://projectcartoon.com

“ In content strategy, our master skills must include translating and negotiating, so we can facilitate communication between disparate disciplines and help them to communicate. !

– Rachel Lovinger, “Tinker, Tailor, Content Strategist”

PERCEPTIONS GIVE WAY TO PERSPECTIVE.

PRINCIPLES

STRATEGY

PROCESS

ROLES

PERCEPTIONS

200,000 years

1760 1 billion people

2011 7 billion people

210 years

37 years: +4 billion people

1995: The Internet is formally commercialized

WE ARE PERPETUALLY CATCHING UP.

“This multi-device web design increases stress exponentially.

!– Trent Walton, .net Magazine

ALL THE FEELINGS

“A study of over 350 people in 6 business units at a financial services company found that the greatest predictor of a team’s achievement was how the members felt about one another.” !

OUR WORK IS PERSONAL.TOGETHER.

WHO’S AWESOME? You’re awesome.

!

THANK YOU • kristina@braintraffic.com