Presentation by Julie Mahoney at UXPA UK July 2103 event

1. Murray Cox
Acting Head of Content Strategy
How Content Strategy and UX can tackle the content
challenge together
Julie Mahoney | Head of Content Strategy, LBi

2. Once upon a time there was an information architect and a
content strategist…
And a long, long time ago, they had less “interesting” problems
than they do today.

3. They got along OK, but never really had many “opportunities” to
work on projects together…

4. But life was still pretty good, until one day an account person
brought in a new kind of project. This one was shiny. And big. Big
enough to rule the world really. It was called portal. And it
wanted to go global.
Insert brand here

5. Luckily, both Kurt and Frank took deep breathes and gathered
their courage before plunging into those portal depths…
“Dude. No
one knows
what I do…”
“Why does
every website
have to be so
self-referential
and use click
here text!”

6. And they did three really good things…
Defined
their
roles
early on
Did a
show
and tell
Agreed
“what
to call
things”

7. They knew they would wear many hats
“Researcher
”
Finder of 3rd party
stats and
competitive insights
Defined
their roles
early on
“Big concept ”
guy
Creator of main categories
“Relationship
maker”
Creator of relating content
types to each other

8. Kurt and Frank did a show and tell of deliverables…
Did a
“show and
tell”

9. And when blending their deliverables, they agreed on a
methodology first
Did a
“show and
tell”

10. Frank created a visual glossary of content types that he and Kurt
refined until they had a universal way of thinking about content
Agreed
“what
to call
things”
This made them totally popular and successful when the project
was delivered in time and on budget

11. But our story doesn’t end there. Over the years, Kurt and Frank rose
through the digital ranks…working their way from place to place, until they
landed in a very nice agency that eventually launched its own content
strategy department…

12. Funny enough…when Frank first joined the agency, most people
had a totally different interpretation of content strategy

13. So Frank had to do roadshows (and socialising and chatting),
educating people about content strategy

14. And Frank did three really good things…
Demystified
the process
Made the
case for
content
Showcased
examples of
amazing
content

15. Sometimes he showed the content strategy in full…

16. Sometimes he showed examples of content strategy
deliverables and how they helped both businesses and users

17. Sometimes he built the case around the commercial value of
content
Metrics!
Case
Studies
!
Research!

18. And sometimes he just got people excited with examples of good
content

19. Meanwhile… a mysterious monster emerged from the deep, dark
internets called POE a.k.a Paid, Owned, and Earned Media

20. But luckily Kurt was still sharpening his collaboration skills
working with more and more content strategists. And Kurt did
three really good things…
Established
regular check
points in a
project
Encouraged
agile sharing
Encouraged
UXers to
think beyond
the sprints

21. He always used a reconciliation process and routine with
creative, user experience, and content strategy all putting up
WIP every Friday

22. He always encouraged agile sharing from everyone…Frank’s
colleague Michael Exon was known to quickly sketch up his
deliverables to show their purpose

23. He always clarified the purpose of his deliverables, knowing that
his sitemap would live on
…dictating content creation and migration…

24. And eventually user-centered content!

25. a more beautiful
answer goes to he
who asks the more
beautiful question
-e.e. cummings

26. A BEAUTIFUL
QUESTION IS ONLY
BUILT WITH UX AND
CONTENT WORKING
TOGETHER