PlanAssignroles•Writers•Managing Editor•Copyeditor•Approvers(legal,compliance,subjectmatterexperts)•Technologists•Visioneer•Project Manager•The Diplomat(workingw/stakeholdersandcontentowners)•The Negotiator(betweenIT/teamandbusinessowners)

Contentinventory

•Tracksstatusofeverypage•Columnsincluded: Work,Status,Sitemapnumber,Pagename,Filename, Pagetype,Modules,Comments,Images,Contentinput•Onepersonshouldmaintainthecontentinventory•Writers,editorsanddesignersmustbeconsistentinhowthey communicateupdates

Editorialcalendar

•Givesdeadlinesforwriters,editors,approversandpeople inputtingcontent•Organizecontentintodropsandstaggereddeadlines•Writing,editing,approvingandinputtingshouldhappen simultaneously•Thefirstandlastdropsshouldbetheeasyones

IAs and Content Publishing:Expandingyourinfluencetoensuredesignsuccess

Whyshouldyoucareaboutcontentpublishing?•Nothingcandestroyagreatdesignlikeapoorlyplannedandmanagedcontentprocess.•Goodcontentisoftenwhatstandsbetweenagreatdesignandagreatsite.•Mostcompaniesare“accidentalpublishers;”theyknowevenlessabouttheprocessthanyoudo.•Youmightbewrong!(Yourdesignmayworkintheory,butnotinpractice.)

Whatcanyoudotoexpandyourinfluence?•Planforcontentcreationandmigration•Overseethisprocess•ProtecttheintegrityofIAwhencontentandtechissuesarise

Here’swhatwedid:Hotwashiredtoredesigna300-pluspagecorporatesiteforalargespecialtyretailer.Ourclient’sITteamwasimplementingthenewdesignwhilesimultaneouslylaunchinganewcontentmanagementsystem.Nooneonthebusinesssidehadpreviouslyleadacontentmigrationbefore.Wewereaskedtohelpmanagethisprocess.

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Write&EditWordtemplate•Forwritersandeditors•Givesstandardformatandinstructionsonwhatinformation toinclude•Oursincluded: Pagetitle,Bodytext,Moduletext,Keywordsformetadata•Instructionsonfilenames(usenamingconventionslistedin thecontentinventory)•Wheretosavedocument•Don’tmakethistoohardorpeoplewon’tdoit

Contentneedsanalysis

•Partofourstrategyprocess•Usedtoshowstakeholderswhysomeoftheirrequestswere addressedbutotherswerenot•Simplyusedasawaytoshowhowdecisionsweremade•Shouldlook“finished”–i.e.,thiswillnotchange!

Schematics•Wireframesthatshowkeypagesandpagetypes•Becomesatoolforwriterssotheycanenvisionhowtheir contentfitsin•Giveonlyrelevantpagestoeachteamofwriters•Whenappropriate,giveguidelinesfortextlength•Givesuggestionsforpage“modules”•Namingconventionsshouldmatchcontentinventoryand styleguide

Contentinventory•Writersgetasubsetofthecontentinventorysotheycansee whatpagestheyareresponsiblefor•Teamsofwritersdividedworkamongthemselves•Wegavedeadlines•Onepersonmanagesthe“uber”contentinventory

ReviseReviseschematics&contentinventory

•ChangestocontentcanleadtochangesinIA•Bothdocumentsmustbeupdated,orchaosensues•Ifdiscrepancy,contentinventorytrumpsschematics•Onepersonshouldowneachdocument•ITteamalsoneedsupdatedversions

MigrateApprovedcontent•Editors,writersanddesignersareallinvolved•CMSreleasedone“template”atatime•Inputtingprocessbrokenintofourparts: Bodycontent,Modules,Images,Keywords•Atthesametime,wewereQA’ingtheCMSinterface (notrecommended!)

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Hot Studio Inc.|848FolsomStreet,Ste201|SanFrancisco,CA|94107|www.hotstudio.com

Hot Studio Inc. KatrinaAlcornDirectorofuserexperienceQuestions?Sendthemtokatrina@hotstudio.com

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Questions?Sendthemtokatrina@hotstudio.com

Outcome:Insteadofthrowingourdesignsoverthefenceandhopingforthebest,weweretherewhentechnicalandcontentissuesarose,andwemodifiedthedesignasneeded.Theclientwashappybecausewedidn’tleavethemtosolvedesignproblemsontheirown.Wewerehappybecausewewereabletoensurethein-tegrityofouroriginalvision.Afewmonthsafteritlaunched,thesitewona2005StandardofExcellenceWebAward.