What to expect when you’re expecting a content designer

Congrats! Your team is getting a content designer. Now what?

Since content design is a relatively new focus area (by name, at least), plenty of folks may find themselves working with one for the first time. You could assume it’ll be just like working with a writer, but that would be a mistake (see my earlier piece on how these roles differ). Read on for some insight into how a content designer will integrate with your team, and how they may work with each role. 

If you’re on the design team

This is the easy one. You are +1 designer! You’ve got even more brainpower to help tackle the challenges in front of you and come up with creative solutions.  Collaboration between designers can bring a wider set of perspectives to consider, and deeper strengths in specific focus areas. A content designer looks at all the ways a design communicates information to users, helping to shape the user journey with structure, visuals, and messaging. They also keep user and stakeholder needs front and center, and rely heavily on data from user research to make decisions and recommendations. 

A content designer can work with you on: 

• User flows by incorporating the perspective of end users and content authors 
• Wireframes and prototypes by developing brief descriptions that provide context for usability testing without requiring full, final copy 
• Templates for structured data by creating content models to ensure information is consistent, and can be easily reused within the site and other integrated systems 

If you’re a product manager

Since you’ve expanded the power of your design team, you may be able to glean more user insights, speed up iteration time, and more. Bring your content designer into the process early, even before there’s anything to design. With a strength in information architecture, a content designer is particularly helpful during your discovery period, analyzing existing content on websites, apps, or other structures. Additionally, they can help analyze the content governance process. And as advocates for the user, their perspective is vital in identifying goals, framing user stories, and even starting documentation.

A few more things a content designer can help you with: 

• Journey mapping by outlining what information a user needs at each touchpoint, how they may feel, and what they may do 
• Heuristic analysis by conducting a detailed review of a current website, form, or application to identify usability challenges 
• Persona development by leveraging data from user research to write up personal profiles that represent core user groups 

If you’re a subject matter expert

Depending on the project, content designers may aim for a lot of face time with subject matter experts. I’ve found that it can go a very long way in understanding the goals and user needs of not just the end user, but internal stakeholders as well. It’s especially beneficial if the product focuses on a highly specialized area that the design team may not have much background in, such as scientific or legal work that involves a lot of unfamiliar concepts and jargon. A content designer can create glossaries for necessary terms, and “use this not that” sheets to provide plain language substitutes for industry jargon. More than just a handy tool for writers, resources like these can be a great benefit to everyone on the project team 

A content designer can assist with; 

• Translating jargon from subject matter experts into plain language for the team and users
• Translating technical jargon from the team to subject matter experts

If you’re a researcher

A content designer will want as much information about the user experience as possible. Their core skills, as well as their laser focus on the user, can make them a great help to researchers, especially on projects with fewer resources or very heavy research loads. They can collaborate on research methodology and brainstorm areas to test. Bring them into your conversations early, and I can almost guarantee they’ll be enthusiastic to help out.

A content designer may also be able to assist with:

• Framing research questions by ensuring that users aren’t getting questions that could be leading or confusing
• Data analysis by bringing a content design perspective to identify possible problems and solutions
• Writing research summaries by distilling hours of interviews into clear, concise insights 

If you’re a developer 

It may not be an intuitive pairing, but as a content designer, I’ve always enjoyed working closely with developers. We come at the same work from such different perspectives, and often have insights or questions that the other would never have thought of.  Especially on projects that deal with a lot of structured content, talking through taxonomies and content models with a developer early on can prevent a lot of re-work. And learning about any system quirks or limitations can help a content designer create solutions that will be easier and more efficient to put into place. 

Content designers can work with developers on: 

• Clarity by explaining the choices for copy and microcopy, and offering alternatives if needed
• Solutioning by adapting designs based on best user outcomes and most sustainable code
• Context by giving developers insight into the user needs behind design decisions
• Long-term project health by creating documentation of systems, decisions, and processes
• Accessibility by creating plain language content with clear structures and detailed alt text for supporting imagery 

As you integrate a content designer into your team, the most important thing is to recognize that this isn’t a role that you only bring in when there’s writing to do. They’re a design partner who specializes in how information is communicated — and the earlier you loop them in, the more value you’ll get. Share what you’re working on, introduce them to the right people, and let them find connections. You might be surprised where they show up.