I street art.

What does this have to do with content strategy?

Sometimes we use guerrilla tactics.

Sometimes we play in hidden spaces.

We’re trying to make our world a better place.

Sometimes we have to “gain real power from perceived power.”

–Shepard Fairey

This Presentation is About Process(Workflow)

Process is the establishment, but it can be infiltrated.

How do we do it?

• Invite everyone to the table

• Identify ways everyone can benefit

• Gain trust over time

• Become workflow gurus

“…workflow defines how content is requested, sourced, created, reviewed, approved, and delivered.”

– Kristina Halvorson, Content Strategy for the Web

What is Workflow?

How Do You Know You Need Workflow?

Does your organization:

• Design first and then fit the content in later?

• Love Lorem Ipsum?

• Skip that part where you talk about content goals?

• Create new content without thinking about what the user wants?

Dominant Processes

Content Gets Overpowered

Multi-Device, Multi-Channel Reality

• Content creation process goes more smoothly

• Content quality improves

• More thought given to how content fits into the larger site structure

• Content influences design, user experience, functionality

• Content strategy becomes a team sport

Benefits of Content-First

Distributed Content Model

Must-Have Content Task List

• Content migration inventory and audit

• Content strategy brief

• Asset recommendation list

• A page- or module-level scope document

Negotiations

Support for Distributed Model

• Training

• Documentation

• Templates

• Consultation

Sprint System at Autodesk

Sprint System at Autodesk

Quick Fix

Tacking Content to the End

• Crazy workarounds

• Poor integration of design, functionality, content

• Content held responsible for epic timeline

• Editorial gets squeezed

An Integrated Approach

Hybrid Between Agile and Waterfall

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Bring People Together

Document Tasks

Interviews

Socialize

Make it Less Scary

Maintenance

Master Task List by Sprint

Master Task List Categories

Parallel & Waterfall Tasks

Recap

• Negotiate for distributed model if necessary

• Create training and templates to support content tasks

• Bring people together from across teams

• Position content tasks earlier in the process

• Integrate content cycles into larger workflow

• Try it out, iterate, socialize, keep updating

Figure It Out As You Go

Testimonies

The sprint workflow process has been great at improving collaboration and reducing churn. Now we decide as a team which items we need to accomplish for each sprint cycle. —Chris Franz, Director of OEX

When content decisions were made earlier in the process, key structural and layout decisions were made earlier, bringing more clarity to my work and more opportunities for collaboration between content and UI.—Joanna DeJarnett, UI Designer

It was a great tool to have visibility into what other people are doing and identify dependencies for the entire team.—Midori Irie, Product Manager

The early content strategy exercises helped the whole team understand our users better—and this resulted in a more cohesive, more effective product. –Audrey Zekonis, Writer