The importance of content in digital design
The challenge of designing future proof and flexible online solutions without even a glimpse of the content you’re designing for is one that I’ve faced more than I’d have liked to recently. To be able to design a platform for dynamic and varying styles of content, then a good understanding of the initial needs as well as the long term plans of the client are required. This has all got me thinking about what is important in digital design; in planning, in concept design and in researching the clients short term and long term goals within content presentation.
Getting your hands on content early
This led to the thought of at which point within the design process did I actually get my hands on this all important content. If my approach to designing for the Digital Platform was so heavily guided by content, then it should be right from the start.
Thinking back over the last few projects I had been working on made me realise that the content was arriving pretty late, at least any that had any real semblance to the finished article. I understand that some Digital projects rely more on content than others and that’s why I think I need to define the types of projects I’m talking about.
Example: A website for a new Eco Town in the South West of England. This was to be the main crux of the proposition’s overall presence, a point of call for press, intrigued locals, architects, business owners and well, the rest of the general public.
After discussions over how ‘socially alive’ the site aimed to be and how dynamic the updates would be, we were under the clear impression that the site would supply a lively discussion space of weekly events and deadlines that any new eco-friendly dwelling would need.
The excitement, as it always does, begins to suddenly dwindle once the words ‘content supply’ start to creep into the email chain. News feeds, Twitter feeds and any worthwhile and meaningful content starts to make its way out of the door and at the same time out of some well thought out design decisions.
Moving the goalposts in supplying content
If the loss of promised content was the only pain that a designer must go through in this process then the job would be a joy. It is when you start to get ideas of ‘dynamic photo slide shows’ and ‘historical time lines’ that the problems start. Now I understand that good project management, specification and client control would lessen the stress here, but the bigger picture shows a problem that I for one come across on a regular basis.
Just designing around content and doing it in a flexible and well thought out way is a lot harder than creating a beautifully crafted, but static web experience. To design a platform that allows for constant movement and growth, as well as clients who understand little of the boundaries you are up against is a skill hard to acquire.
When a project relies on client control through a substantial CMS as well as meaningful and engaging content that calls for ‘designed’ aspects there has to be some give. Over at CraigMod the point has been made about the two categories of content that bring up the differences in the ways we handle content as designers, for print and for the screen.
Formless & Definitive content: Art Directing content
‘Formless Content’ allows for the fluid flow around any given structure. The other, and the type that I am more interested in is ‘Definite Content’. Factual based content that relies on graphs or charts, editorial content that is in need of visual support are just a couple of examples that require the design process to stretch beyond the initial concept stage.
It seems that it has taken the birth of the iPad to wake us up to the fact that online content is in need of the attention that has always been given to its printed equivalent.
Taken from www.appliedworks.co.uk
Apps designed by the likes of Applied Works for The Times make use of data that was in need of bespoke design. This ‘definitive content’ cannot be simply ‘flowed’ within a pre-designed structure. Information such as World cup stats and Government debt rely on the infamous infographic. The same treatment has been given to editorial content for ‘Popular Science+’, giving all web designers a lesson in how digital content needs to take some hints from magazine design (even if the latter is being dominated by the screen).
Gaining and holding attention
Screen shot of www.gregorywood.co.uk A great example of editorial Art Direction-cum-journalism.
The research into modern reading patterns and the lack of concentration skills must surely force designers into thinking harder about how we can handle content in more interesting ways to hold the attention of users. The lack of a constant art direction role on online editorial platforms leaves the content falling behind. In my opinion, the extra work put in by the designer, illustrator or creative director would bring to life some well written content that simply lacks the hook of visual accompaniment.
This could easily be read as a rant to try to gain a bit more work from some clients that believe the initial web design I tend to supply is the end of our relationship. Well that isn’t far from the truth. Both the client and designer need to realise that creativity and design need to accompany and assist the all important ‘c’ word.
This article was initially scrapped and then re-written thanks to the inspiration of the following article over at Not For Paper: http://notforpaper.com/2010/05/its-time-to-design-content-again/