Not Using UI but Word Documents

#acc/ux
Before I start this, I want to ask you to "love this for 5 minutes," then you can react.

In the act of working with clients, we often take the content documents we are offered, and our reaction to doing IA is to take that content and shoehorn it into UI to satisfy the client.

Background

For years and possibly decades, I have taken content documents and shaved off a word or two. However, I have come to realize the immense detriment I have been doing to the strategic approach to content creation by skipping to the UI answer. Instead of merely using 'Styled UI' to reshape, mutate, and hide content, we should focus on enhancing the content to bolster the user experience by solving the underlying issues that users might face with the content that was initially delivered.

Theory

I have a different opinion on why we shouldn't create wireframes this early in a project. For the sake of speed, we, myself included, often skip the IA step, rushing to return to the client with wireframes. We then cleverly force their content into blocks and hidden areas on the page. The downside of internalizing the IA within the team and applying layouts and UI to content is that it directs our conversations with business lines toward solutions, rather than focusing on improving the content on the site. This undermines the value that IA discussions can bring. Jumping straight to UI wires limits our ability to challenge how we receive and refine raw content. We should at least help them transform it before we start applying UI.

I want to ensure there is a moment when clients are encouraged and guided to evaluate the provided content. Content strategists can have the greatest impact by unlocking the potential for more effective and engaging content.

The "Old Way" Undermines What We Can Do

Here is an example of what happens when we skip straight to UI. The wireframes react to the content as it is provided. In the team's review of overwhelming content, we responded by using accordions in the UI to hide excess information. This was a superficial fix that masked the issue—that the content was too lengthy and not concise. No changes were made to the content itself because we had already hidden it.

Now we have introduced a situation where our users are forced into a discovery mode, and we haven't solved the problem that the content was too much or not aligned with the actual goals of the page.

Changing Our Process Empowers More Impact

To maximize the effectiveness of content, we need to change our approach. Instead of rushing into UI design, we should follow a structured process:

  1. Content Evaluation: Review the content before doing any design work. Understand the purpose of the content and whether it aligns with the project's goals.
  2. Information Architecture (IA) Application: Use IA to refine, organize, and simplify the content into a logical structure. Ensure that the content is easily navigable and user-friendly.
  3. Content Transformation: Apply appropriate hierarchies and organize the text logically. If necessary, split the content across multiple pages to make it more digestible.
    • This should be a word document
    • You can outline that content is either series on the page or is in parallel.
    • Should denote page breaks and how it is wired between pages.
  4. Content Presentation: Share the revised content with the client. Encourage them to review it in a Word document format so they can engage with the material and provide feedback.
  5. Content Refinement: Based on client feedback, refine the content further. Make sure it is concise, clear, and aligned with the project’s objectives.
  6. UI Design: Only after finalizing the content should we begin designing the UI. At this stage, the content will be well-organized, aligned with user goals, and ready to be integrated into the page layout.

By following these steps, we ensure that the content drives the design, not the other way around. This structured approach leads to better user experiences and more effective communication.

  • Where does this go?
  • Should this be another page?
  • What is this content saying?
  • Should we hide this from the user?
  • What is the point of this page?
  • What are the goals, and does this content support them?

Let’s encourage our clients to review the content in a Word document. It’s important for them to read through the information and share their thoughts. This step is crucial to ensure that the content matches the project’s goals and is easy for users to understand. As content strategists, we should lead this conversation by presenting our findings and showing our dedication to delivering top-quality content.

Only when we have finalized the content can we move on to page designs and work on the UI.