[Mini-Workshop] Content Architecture: Where Humans and Machines Agree
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The document discusses the fundamentals of content architecture, emphasizing the need for a structured approach that aligns with user experiences. It outlines the importance of understanding content modeling, taxonomy, and organizational support in building effective content strategies. The author, Andrea L. Ames, presents a process for developing and applying content models to enhance user engagement across various touchpoints.
[Mini-Workshop] Content Architecture: Where Humans and Machines Agree
- 1. Mini-Workshop Content Architecture: Where Humans and Machines Agree Andrea L. Ames (@aames) Idyll Point™ Group 29 Nov 2017 @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 2. Today’s discussion Let’s get on the same page @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 3. Today’s discussion What enables the best*– and most consistent – content architecture *for your user and content experience @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 4. Today’s discussion How to build it @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 5. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Before we get started…a quick poll: Content Modeling Experience q I’m a pro…I modeled content on clay tablets in cuneiform. q I’m experienced…I’ve been responsible for everything from modeling concrete topics to building abstract models. q I’ve done it a few times…I’ve done some topic modeling for specific information using existing abstract models. q I’m tabula rasa, baby…never done it.
- 6. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Let’s get on the same page
- 7. Let’s start with a controlled vocabulary J Distinguish between data, content, and information Distinguish between content architecture and information architecture @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 8. FromAbby Covert (withacoupleoftweaks) Data facts, observations, and questions about something Content what the user is interacting with or what you are arranging or sequencing Information What the user interprets from the arrangement of the content Information architecture how we arrange the user-facing parts to be understandable as a whole @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 9. Thus… Content architecture is how we arrange the content and not always user-facing @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 10. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Deliverable Topic model Content model Experience framework Personas, journeys... Content types, formats Navigation, search... Metrics, KPS... Let’s level-set on levels … of abstraction
- 11. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Deliverable Topic model Content model Experience framework Personas, journeys... Content types, formats Navigation, search... Metrics, KPS... Let’s level-set on levels … of abstraction
- 12. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Deliverable Topic model Content model Experience model Let’s level-set on levels … of abstraction Taxonomy of your content
- 13. REMEMBER: For our customers It’s more that just content It’s the experience @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 14. And for us It needs to be all about the experience Everything we do should have a direct correlation to the experience we’re building @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 15. In the end… Taxonomy is Rhetoric (again, a la Abby Covert J) There’s no one right way Your organization and classification says something about you Instead, make your taxonomy say something about your user! @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 16. Bad experience @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 17. Good experience @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 18. Factors contributing to sub-optimal experience @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Lack of strategy Lack of plan Silos Politics Lack of user knowledge Unplanned redundancy Inconsistency Inappropriate incentives Lack of measures Disjointed flow Poor navigation design
- 19. Factors contributing to sub-optimal content architecture @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Lack of strategy Lack of plan Silos Politics Lack of user knowledge Unplanned redundancy Inconsistency Inappropriate incentives Lack of measures Disjointed flow Poor navigation design
- 20. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC What enables the best and most consistent content architecture Models! And in particular, content models
- 21. Consistency through systems Organizational support Shared models à processes, goals, incentives, content types, metrics Structured content @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 22. 1. Organization supports and incents integrated content strategy, design, and development 2. Teams plan content using processes, frameworks, models to create a unified content strategy 3. Strategy and design informed by validated research about the customer 4. The right content consistently delivered where, when, and how it’s needed to ensure customer success across the entire journey 5. Effectiveness measured ongoing to determine results Content strategy ecosystem excellence @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 23. Experience framework @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Personas, journeys... Content types, formats Navigation, search... Metrics, KPS...
- 24. Our focus today @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Deliverable Topic model Content model Experience framework
- 25. Content Model Defines standard building blocks, called “types” Scale: From the atomic level to larger deliverables Includes: Any dimensions of types that are important to your user/experience and needed for appropriate author access, storage, and delivery; e.g., subject, context(s), format, etc. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 26. Additional context you will need @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Personas, journeys... Content types, formats Navigation, search... Metrics, KPS...
- 27. Let’s evaluate your current context @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC Interested in a detailed ecosystem evaluation? Contact me: andrea@IdyllPointLLC.com
- 28. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC How to build it (and if we have time, how to apply it J)
- 29. Warning: Curves ahead @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 30. Warning: More curves ahead Process that follows is ideal. Assumes ecosystem support. Your mileage may vary. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 31. Last warning: “It depends” There is more than one way to skin a cat Or to create a content model… top-down, bottom-up Objects in mirror are larger than they appear. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 32. Prereqs: Leverage user knowledge The subjects and units of information your users will need The best ways to structure and combine the information The best presentation style and media to communicate the information The deliverable and delivery vehicle/channel that will work best @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 32 1
- 33. Create a controlled vocabulary Standardize common subjects Capture in taxonomy Standardize common terms for describing content model elements Capture “all appropriate items” @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 33 2
- 34. Identify customer deliverables Define standard, customer- recognizable information deliverables Specify how to combine atomic units of information and common subjects to deliver understandable, stand-alone information products that humans will see and touch Yes, this is a forward-reference J @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 34 3
- 35. Identify content atoms Standardize list of required atomic units of content The information objects that you can’t break down into smaller pieces without making them meaningless Capture as content type elements – required and optional @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 35 4
- 36. Identify delivery mechanisms Identify delivery vehicles Iterate with model defining access mechanisms @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 36 5
- 37. Make it easy to implement Develop presentation templates, indicating how to use to present the information deliverables for human consumption, with required and optional elements Document it! Describe required and optional deliverables with their required and optional elements, how they relate to one another and are used and delivered, and how the content model can be applied to produce offering-specific content @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 37 6
- 38. 38 Validate your model Across several different products, information sets, etc. Test early, test often, during the process of developing your offering-specific content @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 38 7
- 39. Applying your model Models have value when applied systematically Get stakeholder support Train teams Enforce use Govern @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC 39
- 40. @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 41. Questions @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC
- 42. Andrea L. Ames Keynote speaker, author CEO/Founder & Content Experience Strategist Idyll Point™ Group Program Chair & Instructor, Technical Writing & Communication UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley 2016 MindTouch Top 25 Content Strategy Influencer STC Fellow & past president ACM Distinguished Engineer @aames | © Idyll Point™ LLC