Simplifying Complexity » Learning Resources

The Sun Shines on Content Strategy

Eddie — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:24:13 +0000

Recently I have read a lot of books about the state of web content. I have been contributing web content for many years, and I have long advocated that well-structured, clear content is vital to a successful user experience. So I am fascinated to see the sudden surge of interest in content strategy.

It’s about time.

Web sites have long been products of shiny bauble design: Make it pretty and they will come. A site lures you in, but you quickly discover that you cannot find what you’re looking for. Either there’s not enough information, or there’s too much information, but it’s so poorly structured and organized that you give up.

Information architects (IAs) who focus on design over content have long fueled this problem. The best IAs realize the value of the user experience, where design and content are fully integrated. They focus on both aspects. But sometimes the scope and breadth of site requirements place too much responsibility on them. A partnership becomes necessary.

Enter the content strategist.

In this post, I discuss two books that are shaping the body of resources on content strategy. This is not an in-depth review of either book. Both are only around 200 pages long, and I don’t want to give away all of the authors’ secrets. After reading this post, I hope that you will read these excellent resources.

Mired in a swamp of content

For years companies examined their organizational content with the goal of deploying some expensive mega-monster to house it. They hired content management consultants, many of whom were employees of content management system (CMS) vendors. Those consultants analyzed and modeled samples of the content. This practice led to a consistent, similar recommendation:

“Buy our tool.”

Many companies followed the advice, believing that a new CMS was a panacea that would pull them out of the muck. Instead, they ended up with a costly and not-very-effective “solution.” The complexity of the tool overshadowed the organization and effectiveness of the content.

To make matters worse, content often took a back seat to overall site design. Wireframes for site pages focused on shiny baubles and navigation. Other than navbar and menu labels, many areas were simply filled with lorem ipsum. Filler words made sense for creating a design sketch, but they also fostered a mental model that made content the illegitimate stepchild of site design.

We now seem to be waking up to the reality that effective information architecture goes hand in hand with effective content strategy. I’m ecstatic. I have always viewed content as integral to web design.

So who is codifying this new knowledge?

Rescued by the team of Sheffield and Halvorson

Two recent books offer slightly different but useful perspectives on content strategy as a profession:

The Web Content Strategist’s Bible by Richard Sheffield
Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson

Both books are a great introduction for budding content strategists who (1) want to know if they have the qualifications for the job, and (2) want a big-picture perspective of what content strategists do.

The Web Content Strategist’s Bible
by Richard Sheffield

Richard Sheffield’s book was the first of the two to be published. His book describes his rise from a sequestered, contract technical writer to a content strategist at IBM. He provides a comprehensive overview of how the content strategist fits in with the rest of the web site development team. He gives examples of content strategy job descriptions and encourages readers not to be discouraged by all of the listed requirements. He says that anyone with “decent” writing and editing skills, a basic understanding of the web, and project management abilities is qualified for the job.

Sheffield defines content strategy as

a repeatable system that defines the entire editorial process for a website development project, from very early tasks such as analyzing and classifying readers to the very last tasks, such as planning for the ongoing content maintenance after the content launches.

The author points out that content strategist is an evolving role, subject to misunderstanding. (Who’s surprised?) Project managers often set “arbitrary time frames” based on a “lack of understanding of editorial processes.” They also do not understand the role of the content strategist.

Sound familiar?

In fact, according to the author, CS professionals are in a position similar to where IAs were in the mid to late nineties. In a section titled Web Content Strategist vs. Information Architect, he asks whether IAs should handle content responsibilities or whether both roles should be required. This question sparks lively debate on the web and in numerous pubs.

Sheffield devotes seven chapters to phases of the content life cycle:

Discovery: Embark on a fact-finding mission about the organization and its content.
Analysis: Present your findings and make initial recommendations.
Design: Work with graphic designers, content creators, and others to create tools and processes (such as templates, a style guide, and a content matrix) that support the remaining project phases.
Build: Track content development, editing, and approval.
Maintenance: Establish who will maintain the content, how it will be tracked, and how it will be deployed.
Translation: Ensure that content meets the requirements for translation, and where necessary, for localization.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Establish keywords, links, and other findability factors.

Chapter 10, What You Need to Know About Web Content Management Systems ensures that you have a basic understanding of how content management systems work. It also arms you with the vocabulary necessary to keep up with—and contribute to—team discussions about the CMS.

Content Strategy for the Web
by Kristina Halvorson

The author of Content Strategy for the Web is the founder and president of Brain Traffic, “a nationally renowned agency specializing in content strategy and writing for the web” (from the back of the book cover). Brain Traffic employees have authored many excellent online articles and resources. See the end of this post for links.

Halvorson defines the purpose of her book as “an introduction to the emerging practice of content strategy.” She disqualifies the book as the be-all, end-all bible of the practice. As she says, “A lot about content strategy is still being figured out.”

Although she acknowledges that content can include many media, Halvorson focuses on text as content because

“Text is everywhere.” We see mostly text on the web.
“Text is different.” Once we publish it, it needs continued “care and feeding.”
And my favorite: “Text is messy as hell.” It’s constantly changing and has many owners.

Before covering the content life cycle, Halvorson provides a section called Learn. The three chapters in this section (Solution, Problem, and Discipline) serve as a content strategy primer. I especially recommend those three chapters for managers, stakeholders, and anyone who is skeptical about adopting a content strategy.

For example, if your company isn’t ready or willing to make the plunge, maybe you can convince key staff to at least read Chapter 1, Solution. Halvorson introduces it as the chapter for those who “only have the time and attention to read one chapter.” Whoever reads it gets enough information to at least start thinking about content strategy and considering a short course of action.

Halvorson presents her ideas and recommendations in the manner of a workshop facilitator. She identifies problems by asking probing questions. She tackles them with solid, often enumerated answers. Like Sheffield, she walks you through her version of the content life cycle, framed in a slightly different way:

Audit: Understand what you have and get a sense of the scope.
Analysis: Determine how your content will serve your users and how it will improve your competitive position.
Strategy: Recommend “how to create, deliver, and govern web content.”
Workflow: Establish a process to move your content through all necessary channels, including delivery.
Writing: Elevate your web writers above the level of worker bees by making sure that they are recognized as key team members. Involve them in ongoing content maintenance.
Delivery: Consider your delivery channels. Do you need a CMS? Do you need social media?
Measurement: Use web analytics to measure the effectiveness of your content.
Maintenance: Care for your content using a “well-designed process that continues over time.”
Paradigm: Write a strong, convincing business case that proves the worth of your content strategy.

Note: The Paradigm chapter has an interesting section called Push “User Experience Design” Off the Pedestal. This section is guaranteed to spark a lively discussion.

The fact that the author once held positions as both a web writer and a copywriter is no surprise, but her perspective as a business owner and consultant informs Content Strategy for the Web. She strongly emphasizes content that “[s]upports a key business objective” and “[s]upports a user (or customer) in completing a task.” She recommends not necessarily imitating your competitors but being aware of what their content conveys.

As part of the the analysis phase, Halvorson recommends that you determine what messages your company hopes to convey to its customers through its web site. You later recommend how those messages can help to develop and shape user-centered content.

So which book is better?

It depends. The two books complement each other. Aspiring or working content strategists will want to read both for the varied but useful perspectives. In fact, in her own Workflow chapter, Halvorson refers to Sheffield’s guidelines for designing content workflow. She refers to his book as “an excellent primer for anyone who is trying to get their organization’s web content under control.”

If you need concrete examples of many deliverables that are required for a content strategy project, start with The Web Content Strategist’s Bible. It provides an example of how you might structure a content audit worksheet. It also includes suggestions for how to construct other project and strategy documents.

If you want your manager or any company stakeholders to read one word on content strategy, I recommend Content Strategy for the Web. While the book certainly speaks to the content strategist, it is also geared to a wider business audience.

Relevant links

Slouching Towards Ditaville

Eddie — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:52:37 +0000

Interested in learning more about the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)? I recommend that all information developers at least break the surface. Regardless of whether you plan to adopt DITA, you can benefit from studying it. You can even borrow from its lean, efficient writing model.

I have been a fan of modular, “chunked” writing since I took an Information Mapping (IM) course years ago. Although I see value in using IM, I prefer DITA’s open, simplified, XML-based model. I appreciate its emphasis on standardization and content reuse. I like the flexibility for using specialized information types. Although none of my clients have adopted DITA, I study it because I have a driven fascination with information architecture and structure.

Toe in the water or swan dive?

Most of the available information about DITA is on the web, but at least three DITA-related books have been released (as far as I know). Each of the following titles is a great resource for neophytes who find the formal specification a bit intimidating but who would like to learn more about—and possibly even experiment with—DITA.

DITA 101: Fundamentals of DITA for Authors and Managers

This 2009 release is written by Ann Rockley, Steve Manning, and Charles Cooper, three esteemed members of the Rockley Group. The book provides a straightforward introduction to DITA without becoming mired in technical details. It provides an overview of the DITA architecture, explains the benefits, and gives advice for planning a DITA implementation. It includes just enough “Advanced Stuff” (the name of the final section) to orient you toward the language of DITA. Best of all, it’s written in the same crystal clear style as Managing Enterprise Content, also a Rockley publication and one of the best books on content management.

DITA 101 is a “toe in the water” book. If you need to make a business case for DITA or compose an elevator speech, this book is your best resource.

Practical DITA

Author Julio J. Vazquez places more emphasis on the planning and execution of DITA projects. In Practical DITA, he encourages authors to start with a visual map of their information set and refer to the map throughout the information development process. He emphasizes the importance of audience and task analysis.

Of the three books discussed here, Practical DITA offers the most detailed writing advice. Vazquez introduces the basic DITA information types and explains the role of each. For example, he lists questions that a concept topic should answer. He recommends that cognitive tasks be written as concepts. He emphasizes the importance of writing “generically” and limiting related links to external content.

Practical DITA also exposes readers to the basic mechanics of DITA. The author covers such specifics as semantic naming and common semantic elements, syntax diagrams and how to create them, filtering and flagging, and linking relationships.

If you are committed to DITA adoption or simply want to develop a test project, I recommend Practical DITA as prerequisite reading. This is your “starting to dog paddle” book.

Introduction to DITA:
A User Guide to the Darwin Information Typing Architecture

Introduced in 2006 by Comtech, this book is a comprehensive tutorial. After a brief overview of the DITA architecture and the core information types, it plunges headlong into hands-on exercises. You open your XML editor and build topic examples. You work with DITA maps. You learn techniques for content reuse and specialization. You install the DITA Open Toolkit and build output.

Note: Introduction to DITA was first published three years ago, so if you buy and use the book, visit the DITA Open Toolkit site for the most up-to-date information about the current version of the Toolkit.

Introduction to DITA is your “starting to swim” book. This book is the choice for information developers who want experiential guidance in DITA content creation. You not only learn by doing, but you also become acquainted with many DITA elements. Although I recommend this book for practice, I give equal weight to Practical DITA for its sound advice.

Ready to take the plunge?

Good luck on your DITA journey! I have provided links for online DITA resources and for each of the three books discussed here. If you have additional resources or comments to share, please write.

Explore some online resources

Buy a book

Fun, Sun, and Juicy Little Books

Eddie — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:07:31 +0000

I have been out of circulation for a couple of weeks as I have moved my home and office to Alexandria, VA. I’m still living out of boxes and wondering where to find some of my stuff, but at least I’m here and it’s here, wherever it is.

I’m trying to establish the optimal office setup for the new space. It’s a larger space but forces a different arrangement. I may need to hire a feng shui consultant.

To reward ourselves for surviving the move, my partner and I are spending next week with family on the North Carolina coast. I plan to do a lot of reading and relaxing. And I expect to be berated by my family for my choice of reading material. They don’t consider what I read to be conducive to relaxation. I simply like to read non-fiction and technical books. So as I select books to take along, I have considered subjects ranging from sociology to usable design to taxonomy development.

Yes, you read that correctly. I might read about taxonomy development while on vacation.

Even though we donated boxes of books to a local library before moving, the remaining number of books were a major burden. We have many voluminous titles. Yet, as I browse for books that I can conceivably finish while on vacation, I notice that many of the more recent books—especially technical titles—are significantly smaller and more focused on specific aspects of a subject.

For example, note the page counts for the following books. Each count includes the index:

Donna Spencer’s Card Sorting: 9 x 6 inches and only 162 pages
Rockley, Manning, and Cooper’s DITA 101: 9 x 6 and only 133 pages
Richard Sheffield’s Web Content Strategist’s Bible: 8.5 x 5.5 inches and only 209 pages. This book is hardly a “bible” in the sense of the huge, all-inclusive, door-stop-sized tomes from Wiley. Even so, it’s rich with information on content strategy, while many of those other “bibles” have a lot of fluff.

I refer to these smaller, more focused titles as my “juicy little books.” I appreciate their size and the quality of the information. All three are available as downloads (PDF), and DITA 101 is available by print on demand (POD) on Lulu.com.

Another juicy little book is Scriptorium’s classic, Technical Writing 101: A Real-World Guide to Planning and Writing Technical Content. Authors Sarah O’Keefe and Alan Pringle have updated the book to include information on Web 2.0 and DITA. The recently updated third edition is available as a PDF download from the Scriptorium site or as a POD paperback from various sites. You can also read a great review of the book by Keith Soltys.

I haven’t yet become a Kindle user, but I can envision a day when I use a Kindle or similar device and start recovering some living space. In the meantime, I’ll reclaim more space with my juicy little books.

Goodbye to DocTrain

Eddie — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:54:39 +0000

Today I received the stunning news that the DocTrain conference series is no more. PUBSNET, Inc., the company behind the series, is going out of business. This summer’s DocTrain DITA conference has been canceled.

I am stunned and saddened. Our industry has lost one of its best educational events. DocTrain conferences offered sessions on forward-looking topics, focused on advanced practice but offering multiple levels of learning.

The conference cost even included pre- and post-conference training. The first and last days featured morning and afternoon hands-on workshops with engaging topics and speakers.

I am grateful to have been a volunteer staffer at DocTrain East 2007 and 2008 and at DocTrain West 2009. I am especially grateful to conference director Scott Abel of The Content Wrangler and Eileen Savary of PUBSNET for giving me the opportunity to work with them. I made valuable business connections. I made rich, enduring friendships. I learned more than I can convey.

The demise of DocTrain is an example of how the economy is affecting our precious learning resources. In an article that I have recommended at the end of this post, Scott Abel gives the big picture on the state of conferences and trade shows. He also offers some encouraging news about free online learning events coming this summer.

I welcome your comments about how cutbacks have affected your learning opportunities. How are you filling the gaps? What online learning communities are you finding useful?

To get the full story about the death of DocTrain, read Scott Abel’s article on the Content Wrangler site.

For the perspective of a DocTrain presenter, read Thoughts on DocTrain by Scott Nesbitt of DMN Communications.