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CONTENT STRATEGY IN
SERVICE DESIGN

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HANDLES AND HASHTAGS
Twitter:
@Fjord
@ContentSoCal
Instagram:
@Fjordnet
#FjordLA

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Ice Breaker

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our perspective

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CONTENT STRATEGY NEEDS SERVICE DESIGN.
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SERVICE DESIGN NEEDS CONTENT STRATEGY.
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WHY?
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WE LIVE IN A SERVICE ECONOMY.
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AND SH*T IS GETTING MORE COMPLEX.
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WE HAVE MORE AND MORE TOUCHPOINTS.
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AND MORE SYSTEMS.
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AND “LIQUID” EXPECTATIONS.
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AND A CRAPLOAD OF MEDIOCRE CONTENT …
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THAT DOESN’T REALLY MEET THE NEEDS OF
THE USERS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS.
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HOW DO WE DESIGN SERVICE EXPERIENCES THAT
MEET OUR LIQUID EXPECTATIONS …
AND INTEGRATE ALL THESE SYSTEMS …
ACROSS ALL THESE TOUCHPOINTS …
WITHOUT RELYING ON MORE MEDIOCRE CONTENT?

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THROUGH CONTENT STRATEGY AND
SERVICE DESIGN.
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ELEMENTS OF
CONTENT STRATEGY &
SERVICE DESIGN

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What Is
Content Strategy?

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Content strategy
Content marketing strategy
Copywriting
Newsletters, articles or blog posts (or the production of any other pieces of content)
Managing writers
Editing
Voice and tone guidelines (or any set of artifacts — these are tactical outcomes of content strategy)
AN IDENTITY CRISIS

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“planning for the
creation, delivery and
governance of useful,
usable content”
Using the right people,
tools, processes and
systems to effectively
manage it across all
touchpoints.
Content Strategy is

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editorial
architecture
people
process
governance

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Most people think of content as:
Website / app content
• Text copy
• Images
• Videos
• Diagrams
• Animations
• Infographics
• CTA buttons
• Related content modules
• FAQs and Terms & Conditions
• Navigation labels and form field labels
• Error messages, alerts, notifications, confirmations
• Hover text and help text
WHAT IS CONTENT?
Macro content
Micro content

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But it’s also …
A conversation between a service provider and customer
Claims forms
Bills
Internal manuals (e.g. call center how-to guides)
Internal workaround documentation from employee (e.g. sticky notes about boilerplate answers)
An SMS text message
Physical signage
Printouts (e.g. boarding passes, concert tickets, etc.)
Contracts, licenses and coverage policies
Email or direct mail
Satisfaction surveys
Voice command
Audio
Music
WHAT IS CONTENT?

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What Is Service Design?

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The planning and organization of people, infrastructure,
communications and touchpoints needed to facilitate
successful services. It strategically addresses the complexity
of today’s multitouchpoints in terms of human experiences.
SERVICE DESIGN IS

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THE FRONTSTAGE
LINE OF VISIBILITY
THE BACKSTAGE

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people
product
place
process
performance

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“When you have two coffee shops right next each other, and each sells
the exact same coffee at the exact same price, service design is what
makes you walk into one and not the other.”
SERVICE DESIGN DONE WELL

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Content Strategy
Service Design

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ANATOMY OF A SERVICE
Content is created and consumed by people, but it
is managed through the same complex web of
backstage systems and processes.
Content is experienced through touchpoints. A
piece of content may exist on only only one
touchpoint, or it may travel between touchpoints.
The sum of this content across all touchpoints
comprises a content experience. How well this
content works — or doesn’t work — across the
entire ecosystem affects the quality of the service
experience.
The quality of the service experience directly
relates to the quality of the brand.
CONTENT WITHIN A SERVICE
Services come to life through people, but they’re
dependent on a complex web of backstage
systems and processes.
People interact with a service via touchpoints.
The sum of all of these touchpoints comprises a
service experience.
The perception of the service experience
directly relates to the perception of the brand.

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THE UBER FRONTSTAGE
THE UBER BACKSTAGE
User DB Loca,on Tracking Maps / Direc,ons Ride Analy,cs Big Data Capture Payment Gateway Peer Review System
User
Driver
Touchpoints Actors
LINE OF VISIBILITY

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Destination screenshot
Driver
CONTENT STRATEGY WITHIN THE UBER FRONTSTAGE

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User DB Loca,on Tracking Analy,cs /
repor,ng tools
Payment Gateway
(PayPal)
Peer review system
Systems / Technology
Content team
People
CMS & DAM APIs Push no,fica,ons
service
Guidelines
Content
Workflows Content assets Content requirements Taxonomies Strategies Analy,cs
Stakeholders Customer service reps Uber employees
Marke,ng
plaNorms
Training manuals Metadata Governance plans
CONTENT STRATEGY WITHIN THE UBER BACKSTAGE

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Back to our perspective

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CONTENT STRATEGY NEEDS SERVICE DESIGN.
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SERVICE DESIGN NEEDS CONTENT STRATEGY.
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WHY?
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WE LIVE IN A SERVICE ECONOMY.
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AND THAT SERVICE ECONOMY IS ONLY GOING
TO GROW.
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CONTENT IS WHAT FACILITATES A SERVICE.
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CONTENT STRATEGY IS THE MECHANISM THAT
ENABLES THAT SERVICE TO BE DELIVERED
HOLISTICALLY AND CONSISTENTLY.
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IT IS WHAT MAKES OR BREAKS A SERVICE.
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LET’S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE.
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SERVICES GONE BAD.
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AMERICAN AIRLINES SERVICE FAILS
1. Seat selection online didn’t save due to “glitch” in the system. AA suggests I reserve via phone next time;
when I do, rep sends me back to Web to avoid paying a fee
2. Forced to check carry-on, though I had priority boarding and was among first to board
3. Flight attendants arguing in back of plane
4. Ran out of food on a 8 p.m. flight during first round of in-flight service
5. 2 diff. reps told me different information regarding status challenge fees, resulting in me overpaying.
6. Flight delayed 4x, extremely rude rep at gate
7. Wi-Fi went out for half of flight duration during cross-country flight
CONTENT AND SERVICE FAIL
CONTENT AND
SERVICE FAIL
SERVICE FAIL
CONTENT AND SERVICE FAIL
CONTENT AND SERVICE FAIL
SERVICE FAIL
CONTENT AND SERVICE FAIL

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AIR TRAVEL TOUCHPOINTS
During
After
Before
*Not comprehensive

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AIR TRAVEL TOUCHPOINTS
During
After
Before
x x x
x
x
x
x
xxxx
x
x
*Not comprehensive

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SERVICES + CONTENT STRATEGY GONE GOOD.
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60Kiosk: Check-in app
VA Rep:
Conversation
Branding:
Mood lighting & red tape Digital Signage:
Wayfinding
Physical Signage:
Wayfinding &
instructions
CHECK-IN COUNTER

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AT THE GATE FLIGHT DISPLAY
Flight Status
Date & Time
Destination
weather
VA Rep
customizable
message
Flight Information
Branding

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Paper menu &
safety info
“Red” (IFE system)
Content: movie,
drink & food menu,
games, chat
Plane signs
Content:
wayfinding
IN-FLIGHT Branding:
Mood lighting
Passengers
Content:
conversation
Drinks &
snacks

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Copywriting
Microcopy
Navigation labels
CTA buttons

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Times Square Display
Content: Safety videoPOST-FLIGHT

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AIR TRAVEL TOUCHPOINTS
During
After
Before
*Not comprehensive

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AIR TRAVEL TOUCHPOINTS
During
After
Before
*Not comprehensive

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Service
Design
Content
Strategy
WHEN SERVICES GET IT RIGHT

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When you have two coffee shops airlines right next each other,
and each sells the exact same coffee itinerary at the exact same
price, service design + content strategy is what makes you walk
into choose one and not the other — over and over again.
WHEN SERVICES GET IT RIGHT

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Methods to our madness

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DESIGNING SERVICE EXPERIENCES
DeliverDiscover Define Develop
Ethnographic research
Content
landscape
analysis
Journey maps (w/
content)
Service blueprint
Compe<<ve audit
Content ecosystem
Prototyping
Content audit
Service roadmapping
Desirability tes<ng
Personas (w/
content)
Change management plans
Content / message
tes<ng
Performance
Assessment
CMS documenta<on
Guidelines
Ongoing tes<ng
Stakeholder interviews Storymapping
Comps

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activity

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You have been tasked with reimagining the service experience of a Meetup
event. The goal is to ideate on how to holistically improve the service
experience through content.
Using tonight’s experience as a starting point, we’ll guide you through two
activities to gather research and map the user journey.
THE BRIEF

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Assign 1 person in your group to be “storyteller” and 1 person to be the
“interviewer.”
• STORYTELLER (1 person): Describe the process of getting to today’s
Meetup. Walk through every step in excruciating detail.*
• INTERVIEWER (1 person): Ask the storyteller open-ended questions
about the process. Keep the conversation going. (“Yes, And …” may
come in handy!)
• NOTETAKERS (Rest of group): Using Post-its, document the details
from the story. Keep it to 1 idea per Post-It.
DIRECTED STORYTELLING (5 MIN.)

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1. One by one, combine each notetaker’s Post-its into one diagram, grouping
similar ideas together.
2. Collaborate as group to agree on clusters and then name the clusters.
3. Vote on the top three themes from the clusters that could differentiate the
service experience if it was reimagined.
AFFINITY DIAGRAM (5 MIN.)

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1. Using the documented research as guidance, identify each stage of the
Current State user journey.
2. Identify the user’s actions, touchpoints, thoughts/emotions and any other
relevant stakeholders.
3. Identify the frontstage content elements -- content needs, content types and
formats, channels and key messages.
4. IF TIME PERMITS: Focus on one or two areas of opportunity that would
improve the experience.
UNDERSTAND THE USER JOURNEY (15 MIN)

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Take a moment to find your group and introduce yourself to your
teammates.
LET’S GET INTO GROUPS

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Group share

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Content Strategy:
Books:
• Content Strategy Toolkit
• Enterprise Content Strategy: A Project Guide
• Content Everywhere
Organizations / Communities:
• Content Strategy Alliance:
contentstrategyalliance.com
• Content Strategy Forum: csf.community
• Content Strategy Google+:
https://plus.google.com/1037193103554866816
Other Awesome Books:
• The User’s Journey: Storymapping Products That
People Love
• Design for Real Life
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES / THANK YOU’S
Service Design:
Books:
• Service Design: From Insight to Implementation
• This is Service Design Thinking: Basics-Tools-Cases
• The Service Innovation Handbook
Organizations / Communities:
• Service Design Network:
service-design-network.org
• Service Design Tools: servicedesigntools.org
• Service Design Books: servicedesignbooks.org
Special Thanks:
Special thanks to The Noun Project for the icons as well as
the the LA User Experience and Service Design meetups for
cross-promoting this event.

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“If something is important enough, you should try,
even if the probable outcome is failure.”
- Elon Musk
FINAL THOUGHTS

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THANK YOU