Post on 24-May-2015
Write like a human,think like a robot.sara wachter-boettcherwebdagene 2013
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Content needs to be human.
RelatableRelevantAppropriateEmpathetic
‘‘People come to Pinterest not just to do things, but to feel things.
Tiffani Jones Brown
‘‘Stop using marketing words and setting unrealistic expectations... Be genuine in your language and set real expectations.
Steph Hay
We can take this even further.
Humanness turns data into content.
Mike Atherton, “Beyond the Polar Bear”
But we don’t always see this as “our job.”
{This is a true story.}
Make it look like Pinterest!
You could filter results based on your
horoscope!
What if it customized
content based on the weather?
Those filters are just FPO. The developers
will make it work.
www.flickr.com/photos/crownsocial/6231232219
{Meanwhile, in dev...}
What should the algorithm
be based on?
But what fields are actually in the
database?
Where does the feed come from?
Can we add metadata after the feed
comes through?
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The “concept.”
{It never launched.}
Some sites aren’t so lucky.
Some reach challenges down the line.
We’ve been here before.
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There’s no magic cure.
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Our teams need our help.
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The ‘bots need our help.
It’s time we get to know the ‘bot brain.
www.flickr.com/photos/evilerin/4420070113
Rules let robots make decisions.
SystematicConsistentAutomatedLogical
‘‘How do you get that sense of hierarchy of information that we’re familiar with from a printed newspaper page? How do we create that in a form that’s appropriate to the iPad?
Mark Porter, “Introducing the Guardian iPad Edition”
While also... 1. Using a simple, flexible grid layout system2. Not manually laying out each day’s edition 3. Doing better than a PDF
Logic is like a robot style guide: Rules keep the results consistent.
What it takes: 1. Structure2. Metadata3. Rules4. Transportation5. Context
1 Structure
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It’s hard to parse this.
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This is much easier.
You need a structural model that matches your users’ mental model.
Does this content need to be:1. Something you can search and sort by?2. Related to other content? 3. Extracted to display elsewhere?4. Reprioritized or resized for some destinations?
Recipe• Title • Byline• Publication Attribution• Yield• Active Time• Total Time• Teaser • Image• Preparation• Main Ingredients• Servings• Cooking/Prep Time• Nutritional Information
Metadata2
Extra data the ‘bots can use.
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DescriptiveStructuralAdministrativeHelpful
Relevant for summer, grillingSecondary content (side dish)May not be distributed to third parties
3 Rules
If this, then that.
Every content chunk is an opportunity.
DisplayCombineRemoveConnectReprioritize
If a recipe is in the app, then prioritize the ratings, but hide reviews.
List all side dishes tagged as summer from Gourmet or Bon Appétit in the BBQ feature.
Recipe• Title • Byline• Publication Attribution• Yield• Active Time• Total Time• Teaser • Image• Preparation• Main Ingredients• Servings• Cooking/Prep Time• Nutritional Information
Related Wines
Reviews
Recipe Types
Related Menus
Related Recipes
Related Diets
Transportation4
You need content that can travel.
APIs take those content chunks.
www.flickr.com/photos/ogimogi/2253657555/
And turn them into products.
www.flickr.com/photos/fourstarcashiernathan
So you can build what you need.
www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/2391794127
APIs power things you use every day.
Yelp Info
User Content
Google Maps+ +
APIs let you bring them together.
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Context5
Mashups aren’t necessarily meaningful.
UI designLabelingExplaining
Things like...• Where should I
go right now? • Sights near me• Most popular
destinations
Content brains bring new possibilities.
What if... • Time zone
difference alert• Upcoming
weather• City info
It knows... • Starting city • Ending city• Arrival and
departure dates
You know your content.
You know your users.
You know your message.
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There’s nothing to fear.
You don’t have to write an algorithm. But you can make one better.
Empathy can’t end at pages.
www.flickr.com/photos/benhusmann/5126030385
Make all your content more human.
thank you,
OSLO!
Images used via CC-Attribution license unless otherwise noted.
sarawb.com @sara_ann_marierfld.me/content-everywhere