Content First

A content-first approach puts the content of a digital product before the function or form. By working with real content, rework later in the process is avoided. It also assures that the live application will actually work, and that the design is not limited to a static pretty picture. Moreover, by collecting and prioritising content before ‘design’ comes into the picture, stakeholders are forced to define the core of the product (without running into design related discussions).

How to take a content first approach

There are several ‘levels’ or ways to apply the principles of content-first design. Below a few are listed.

Method 1: collect and write out all content (structure & page level)

The most extensive method is to collect and write out all content for a project before turning to design. This can be done by working in a shared document with all content creators. The structure and navigation of the application can then be taken from the structure of the content. In this case it is helpful to appoint roles for writing and commenting, as well as planning moments to discuss and structure the content during the writing process.

Method 2: collect and organise topics (structure level)

very large project, and the design team works in paralel with content creation. In this case you can choose to make an inventory of all possible content, without writing everything out straight away. This can for example be done in a session together with stakeholders. You can collect topics, have a card sorting exercise to organise the topics, and do a core model exercise to determine the content of a few core pages.

The downside of this method is, that when you have all the content complete, you can find that the aspired structure actually does not match the written out content.

Method 3: collect example content (page level)

Next to having an understanding of the content of an application as a whole, so you can create a logical structure, it is also important to know the content of each page. Especially in (internal) technical tools or those with extensive forms, it can be hard to figure out all the parameters that can be displayed. You can achieve this by supplying your stakeholders (those with knowledge on the content) with an excel sheet that they need to fill out. When all stakeholders have given their input, you can organise a session to discuss, prioritise and eliminate the provided content.

Tips

• If you are designing content first, still make your design scalable. Content might change over time, there might be edge cases you haven’t covered and so on. Build your design around the available content, but make sure it also works in other situations.
• When you are collecting and making content before the design, the possibilities for the content creators can seem endless. Make a content strategy, in which you prioritise topics and set guidelines for writing. In this way the content is the basis of the design, and you get structured and relevant content.
• Even when not all content is available upfront, still spend time on content structure and vocabulary (set up a shared glossary for example). This helps get all stakeholders on the same track and makes sure the structure of the application represents the content. Also see: Object Oriented UX.

Learn More

• Content First by Jeff Zeldman (video)
• Content-first approach - case study (video from nomensa)
• Steph Hay - Content-first UX Design (video interview)
• Content first: what & why by Clockwork (article)
• Layout vs Content by NielsenNormanGroup
• A complete beginners guide to content strategy by UXBooth
• The elements of content strategy by Erin Kissane

Methods that can help in applying content first design principles.

• Content audit
• Priority guides
• Scope session
• Card sorting
• Core model
• Object Oriented UX analysis
• Expert interviews
• Storytelling

Deliverables that are a part of a content-first approach

• Content Strategy