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Graphic designers, content writers, copywriters, programmers, and web designers are all part of the standard roster for creating and running a website. However, a lot of people forget one crucial member of the dream team to tie it all together–the content designer.
But what is content design? And how does it play into your business’ success?
In this article, we’ll go over what content design is and 5 best practices you can implement.
Content design is your website’s content strategy, including text, images, maps, videos, and other graphics that aim to communicate with your audience.
The goal of content design revolves around understanding user journeys and crafting content that speaks directly to their needs, desires, and pain points.
In the digital realm, “content design” and “UX writing” are often used interchangeably, but they serve unique roles in improving user experience. While they work towards improving user engagement and satisfaction, each plays a distinct part in this journey.
UX writing is creating the text users encounter while navigating through a website, app, or software. This includes:
Content design goes beyond the text on a button or an instruction label. It involves:
Content designers are writers, editors, strategists, and architects all rolled into one. They combine content strategy, journey mapping, marketing, UX writing, and other facets of website optimization to present information most logically and engagingly possible.
Here’s a deeper look into what content designers do:
Content designers start with data. They sift through analytics, user feedback, and market research to build a comprehensive understanding of their target audience. This process includes:
This data-driven approach ensures that content strategies are not based on guesswork but on accurate insights into user behavior and preferences.
Content designers organize information architecture to ensure users can easily navigate digital products. This includes:
The goal is to remove any barriers that might prevent users from accessing and understanding the content, enhancing the overall user experience.
Content designers do not work in isolation; they are part of a multidisciplinary team. Their role involves:
This collaborative approach ensures that content is not only well-designed but also strategically aligned with business goals and user needs.
At the heart of content design is the creation of content itself. Content designers:
Good content designers are skilled communicators, adept at translating complex ideas into clear, compelling, and actionable content.
Great content design is the backbone of an effective user interface (UI) and optimized user experience (UX), which, in turn, are essential aspects of a conversion funnel that works.
Both content designers and UI/UX writers contribute to your business’ success by:
One of the primary goals of content design is to ensure that users can find what they’re looking for with minimal effort. Content designers strategize the organization of information to align with user expectations, using familiar navigation patterns and clear, descriptive labels.
Content design is crucial in how information is laid out on a page, contributing significantly to a logical flow that users can easily follow. Content designers prioritize hierarchy and structure by using headings, subheadings, bullet points, and paragraphs effectively to create a hierarchy that guides the user’s eye through the content logically.
Context matters, too. Content designers create solutions ensuring content is presented in context, with related information grouped and advanced concepts built upon foundational knowledge. This structured approach not only aids comprehension but also enhances the overall usability of the digital product.
A consistent brand voice across all platforms is vital for building trust and recognition. Content design ensures that every text reflects the brand’s personality and values, from the homepage to the error messages.
The content designers’ process will create designs while keeping brand identity in mind. A unique, consistent voice helps establish a strong brand identity that users can relate to and remember. Furthermore, when the brand voice is consistent, it creates a seamless experience for users across different platforms and touchpoints, reinforcing the brand’s message and values.
Content designers work closely with brand teams to encapsulate and express the brand’s essence through every word on the digital platform.
At its heart, content design is about creating engaging experiences that drive users to take the desired action. This involves developing content that captures interest and encourages users to engage more deeply with the product, whether through reading, sharing, or exploring.
Similar to copywriters and content writers, a content designer will design CTAs that are compelling and easy to find, guiding users toward conversion points like purchases, sign-ups, or downloads.
By focusing on engagement, content designers play a direct role in improving key metrics like dwell time, bounce rates, and conversion rates.
You can tell your content design is great if it resonates with your target audience. But just like any other aspect of website optimization, creating an effective content design strategy is not that easy.
That said, here are our top five content design best practices to help you get started:
As you can see, content design is not exactly a straightforward process. It requires efficient collaboration across multiple teams and constant analysis to anticipate user needs. Additionally, your branding must be solid from the get-go to ensure your strategies remain consistent.
With all that in mind, how can you make the content design process easier?
Web analytics is the go-to solution for many web design processes and something you should always have in your toolbelt. It can streamline your content design strategy by:
Web analytics provide a window into the user’s experience and offer actionable insights that can drive significant improvements in content design.
With an effective web analytics tool like FullSession, your content designers won’t have to rely on intuition or third-party data. You get direct access to valuable metrics and powerful tools like:
The FullSession platform offers a 14-day free trial. It provides two paid plans—Basic and Business. Here are more details on each plan.
If you need more information, you can get a demo.
It takes less than 5 minutes to set up your first website or app with FullSession, and it’s completely free!
Absolutely! By improving user engagement and reducing bounce rates, content design can positively impact your SEO efforts.
While it’s crucial for digital platforms, the principles of content design apply to any medium where information needs to be effectively communicated.
Regular reviews are key. The digital landscape changes rapidly, so staying on top of user feedback and the latest trends is essential.