Design Thinking Offers a Process for Content Design
Creating content is easy. Creating the right content takes a process.
At its core, design thinking is a process. It's a process for solving problems focusing on the user employing an iterative approach to create innovative solutions.
Sound familiar?
Change a few words and you have a working definition of content design. But it's not the definition of design thinking that's compelling, it's the process and the tangible benefits it offers content design.
Content Design
Content design balances user needs and business goals to shape experiences that bring products to life. A content designer's canvas is content – everything from labels in navigation to the stories, photos, and audio the user consumes on their journey. The job is determining how to best utilize and frame these pieces of content to deliver enjoyable and compelling experiences to users at the right place and time. And of course creating content that sings – easy, engaging, useful and actionable. It's not easy. It requires a process.
Design Thinking
Design thinking is an approach to problem-solving and innovation anchored in human-centered design. While it can be traced back centuries, it gained traction in the business world when Tim Brown, CEO and president of design company IDEO, published an article about it in the Harvard Business Review.
Design thinking is different from other ideation and innovation processes in that it’s solution-based and user-centric. It focuses on the solution to a problem instead of the problem itself. It's far bigger than content design and can be applied to limitless real-world user problems and needs.
Comparing the Processes
Content design process, defined by Morten Rand-Hendriksen in LinkedIn Learning:
1) User and Goals 2) Analysis and Structure 3) Guides and Workflows 4) Creation and Testing
Design thinking process defined by CareerFoundry:
At its core, design thinking is a process. It's a process for solving problems focusing on the user employing an iterative approach to create innovative solutions.
Sound familiar?
Change a few words and you have a working definition of content design. But it's not the definition of design thinking that's compelling, it's the process and the tangible benefits it offers content design.
Content Design
Content design balances user needs and business goals to shape experiences that bring products to life. A content designer's canvas is content – everything from labels in navigation to the stories, photos, and audio the user consumes on their journey. The job is determining how to best utilize and frame these pieces of content to deliver enjoyable and compelling experiences to users at the right place and time. And of course creating content that sings – easy, engaging, useful and actionable. It's not easy. It requires a process.
Design Thinking
Design thinking is an approach to problem-solving and innovation anchored in human-centered design. While it can be traced back centuries, it gained traction in the business world when Tim Brown, CEO and president of design company IDEO, published an article about it in the Harvard Business Review.
Design thinking is different from other ideation and innovation processes in that it’s solution-based and user-centric. It focuses on the solution to a problem instead of the problem itself. It's far bigger than content design and can be applied to limitless real-world user problems and needs.
Comparing the Processes
Content design process, defined by Morten Rand-Hendriksen in LinkedIn Learning:
1) User and Goals 2) Analysis and Structure 3) Guides and Workflows 4) Creation and Testing
Design thinking process defined by CareerFoundry:
Align the two processes and the similarities become apparent.
Content design process: 1) User & Goals 2) Analysis & Structure 3) Guides & Workflows 4) Creation & Testing
Design thinking process: 1) User (empathy) 2) Define (analysis) 3) Ideate (workflows) 4) Prototype & Test
They are similar because they are both creative design processes. Okay, so why does this matter? Keep reading to find out why content design can benefit from leveraging a process the entire cross-functional team can embrace (and remember).
Content design process: 1) User & Goals 2) Analysis & Structure 3) Guides & Workflows 4) Creation & Testing
Design thinking process: 1) User (empathy) 2) Define (analysis) 3) Ideate (workflows) 4) Prototype & Test
They are similar because they are both creative design processes. Okay, so why does this matter? Keep reading to find out why content design can benefit from leveraging a process the entire cross-functional team can embrace (and remember).
Content Design is a Form of Design Thinking
Design thinking focuses on solving a problem. In content design, that problem is information design and delivery.
1. Content design starts with understanding/empathising with the user, leveraging research to identify user needs and behaviors and tools like personas and user empathy maps to guide the design of content.
2. The second step of content design, Analysis and Structure, blends the Define and Ideate phases of Design Thinking. Analysis and Structure begins with synthesizing user needs from the first stage and identifying how content is delivered. Then deliverables like user flows, site maps and wireframes capture where users consume content.
3. The third step, Guides and Workflows takes us from Ideating to Prototyping. We use sitemaps and user flows to develop the actual content, voice and tone and storytelling to connect emotionally with users.
4. The last step, Creation and Testing is about testing, monitoring and iterating on our content. Similar to Design Thinking, content design is cyclical, returning to to earlier phases to continuously improve our content.
Design thinking focuses on solving a problem. In content design, that problem is information design and delivery.
1. Content design starts with understanding/empathising with the user, leveraging research to identify user needs and behaviors and tools like personas and user empathy maps to guide the design of content.
2. The second step of content design, Analysis and Structure, blends the Define and Ideate phases of Design Thinking. Analysis and Structure begins with synthesizing user needs from the first stage and identifying how content is delivered. Then deliverables like user flows, site maps and wireframes capture where users consume content.
3. The third step, Guides and Workflows takes us from Ideating to Prototyping. We use sitemaps and user flows to develop the actual content, voice and tone and storytelling to connect emotionally with users.
4. The last step, Creation and Testing is about testing, monitoring and iterating on our content. Similar to Design Thinking, content design is cyclical, returning to to earlier phases to continuously improve our content.
Content Design Process
How the Design Thinking Process Benefits Content Design
1. Aligns our process with that of the broader cross-functional team
Successful content design is a collaborative process with designers, researchers, product managers, and developers working together to create cohesive interfaces that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and deliver information in compelling ways. Excellent. However, can any one of these disciplines define the content design process? No, and that's a problem.
Collaboration requires alignment and what better way to align a cross-functional team than to share a process. By leveraging the design thinking process, content design can align with the cross-functional team, collaborate more effectively and create a bigger impact.
2. Offers a step-by-step process
Does content design need a step-by-step process? Ask five content designers what their process is and I think you will see the answer.
Too often, content design lacks a clear process—a process that can be easily articulated in kickoffs and easily tracked by the team.
When content design does have a clear process, it rarely aligns with product design or the overall cross-functional team, rendering it outside of project planning and timelines (read: irrelevant). Content design benefits from having a process that parallels that of design and the cross-functional team. We can speak to the timeline, provide thought leadership at key stages and collaborate for greater impact.
3. Positions content design at the front-end of projects
Content design is too often compromised by starting too late in the project. This is often after the user/s and need/s have been identified, and worse yet, the basic flow established. Entering this late significantly compromises the impact of content design. The work becomes writing into boxes – all the content without the strategy! We are designers and need to start the project when design starts.
"I didn't know when you wanted to be included," is a refrain echoed across tech companies by product managers (and it's true, by the way—they don't know). However, product managers do know the design thinking process. At your next kickoff say "I will be following the design thinking process to stay in alignment with product design and the overall cross-functional team," and watch the reaction.
4. Promotes constant collaboration with product design
Content and design are consumed together and can be leveraged differently to over- or under-weight each depending on the need. If product design lays out a flow first, the content is compromised because it must "fit" the design. The synergy is lost.
When content design and product design share the same process, they take a step closer to the goal of constant collaboration. Constant collaboration enables content design and product design to identify the user, needs and a strategy together and tackle the remaining stages in sync. Content appears in every comp reviewed, adding efficiency and clarifying the role of content design.
1. Aligns our process with that of the broader cross-functional team
Successful content design is a collaborative process with designers, researchers, product managers, and developers working together to create cohesive interfaces that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and deliver information in compelling ways. Excellent. However, can any one of these disciplines define the content design process? No, and that's a problem.
Collaboration requires alignment and what better way to align a cross-functional team than to share a process. By leveraging the design thinking process, content design can align with the cross-functional team, collaborate more effectively and create a bigger impact.
2. Offers a step-by-step process
Does content design need a step-by-step process? Ask five content designers what their process is and I think you will see the answer.
Too often, content design lacks a clear process—a process that can be easily articulated in kickoffs and easily tracked by the team.
When content design does have a clear process, it rarely aligns with product design or the overall cross-functional team, rendering it outside of project planning and timelines (read: irrelevant). Content design benefits from having a process that parallels that of design and the cross-functional team. We can speak to the timeline, provide thought leadership at key stages and collaborate for greater impact.
3. Positions content design at the front-end of projects
Content design is too often compromised by starting too late in the project. This is often after the user/s and need/s have been identified, and worse yet, the basic flow established. Entering this late significantly compromises the impact of content design. The work becomes writing into boxes – all the content without the strategy! We are designers and need to start the project when design starts.
"I didn't know when you wanted to be included," is a refrain echoed across tech companies by product managers (and it's true, by the way—they don't know). However, product managers do know the design thinking process. At your next kickoff say "I will be following the design thinking process to stay in alignment with product design and the overall cross-functional team," and watch the reaction.
4. Promotes constant collaboration with product design
Content and design are consumed together and can be leveraged differently to over- or under-weight each depending on the need. If product design lays out a flow first, the content is compromised because it must "fit" the design. The synergy is lost.
When content design and product design share the same process, they take a step closer to the goal of constant collaboration. Constant collaboration enables content design and product design to identify the user, needs and a strategy together and tackle the remaining stages in sync. Content appears in every comp reviewed, adding efficiency and clarifying the role of content design.
Design Thinking Process
Design Thinking Process for Content Design
Practicing content design within the process steps of design thinking looks like this:
1. Empathize with the user to understand the user’s needs
The content design process starts with understanding the user, and their motivations and goals. We use primary and secondary research to identify target users and to learn about their attitudes, goals, needs, and behaviors around what kind of information is delivered, and how. Our focus on the user builds empathy because we learn to care about our users and see them as real people. This starts with research. It can also start with a white board session with the PD, CD, UXR and product manager to align on project goals requirements.
Possible deliverables:
Pro tip: Craft a problem statement that frames the need in a way that is actionable.
Practicing content design within the process steps of design thinking looks like this:
1. Empathize with the user to understand the user’s needs
The content design process starts with understanding the user, and their motivations and goals. We use primary and secondary research to identify target users and to learn about their attitudes, goals, needs, and behaviors around what kind of information is delivered, and how. Our focus on the user builds empathy because we learn to care about our users and see them as real people. This starts with research. It can also start with a white board session with the PD, CD, UXR and product manager to align on project goals requirements.
Possible deliverables:
- User personas
- User empathy maps
- Research summary in a “What we know” document
- Content audit
Pro tip: Craft a problem statement that frames the need in a way that is actionable.
Problem Statement
2. Define the problem
After research, content design must succinctly define the problem the user faces. Only then can we think about a solution and opportunities for innovation. We can benefit from partnering with product to define this and then socialize it with the cross-functional team.
Possible deliverables:
Pro tip: Share the content brief with the cross-functional team for feedback.
3. Ideate ideas and possible solutions
Content design is an iterative process and this step is about exploring solutions and drafting content. All too often, this stage is where many content designer start their process, but we shortchange our craft by drafting content too early.
Possible deliverables:
Pro tip: Collaborate constantly with product design and leverage God’s gift to content kind: the design tool Figma.
After research, content design must succinctly define the problem the user faces. Only then can we think about a solution and opportunities for innovation. We can benefit from partnering with product to define this and then socialize it with the cross-functional team.
Possible deliverables:
- Creative brief (summarizing user, need and research)
- Content brief (summarizing strategy and tactics)
Pro tip: Share the content brief with the cross-functional team for feedback.
3. Ideate ideas and possible solutions
Content design is an iterative process and this step is about exploring solutions and drafting content. All too often, this stage is where many content designer start their process, but we shortchange our craft by drafting content too early.
Possible deliverables:
- Wireframe
- Figma webflow
- Deck summarizing steps 1-3 with possible solutions for feedback
Pro tip: Collaborate constantly with product design and leverage God’s gift to content kind: the design tool Figma.
Figma Drives Collaboration with Design
4. Prototype as you iterate
Once we start iterating on content, it’s important to “flash” the work in front of fellow designers and take it to “crits” for feedback. We use this feedback to create detailed wireframes, prototypes, sitemaps etc.
Possible deliverables:
- Figma prototype
- Sitemap
- Prototypes
Pro tip: Learn how to create a prototype (live flow) in Figma. It’s easy and it will skyrocket your ability to show your work.
5. Test solutions
After we have created the prototypes its time to test them with our users and stakeholders. Here we uncover insight and gather feedback to see if our designs solve the user problem.
Possible deliverables:
- Test results
- Updated deck with test results and comps to show for final feedback
Pro tip: Test the content itself and not just the overall design.
What it all means
Design thinking is bigger than content design, yet surprisingly similar. At its core is a process—a process robust enough and revered enough to elevate content design.
Resources:
- https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/design-thinking-process/
- https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process
- https://medium.com/@iamdanandrews/design-thinking-with-a-solid-content-strategy-9d55a2e6f646/
- https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/content-strategy-explained/
- YouTube: UX Content Strategy with Karen McGrane
- https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ux-foundations-content-strategy
Geoffrey O’Brian
Geoffrey is a Content Designer and creative leader who uses content design to champion user needs and help businesses create user-driven content.