Designing a world-class How to build a content design team

Jonathon Colman @jcolman Senior Design Manager, Intercom

Download this deck go.inter.com/ worldclass

2001

Jesse James Garrett The Elements of User Experience

2009

Kristina Halvorson Content Strategy for the Web

2019

§ Overworked § Underpaid § Spread too thin § Little recognition § Lack of influence § Poor credibility § Poorly understood

§ Overworked § Overly reactive § Underpaid § High context shifting § Spread too thin § Low impact § Little recognition § Unfulfilling work § Lack of influence § Hard to advance § Poor credibility § Harder to lead § Poorly understood § Burned out AF

We have unfulfilled potential

WARNING

WARNING STRONG OPINIONS AHEAD

STOP

1 Stop working on more than one product at a time

2 Stop holding “office hours” and other ad hoc support

3 Stop running content-only critique sessions

4 Stop running content-only performance reviews

START

5 Start letting some or more products launch without content design

6 Start using the same job expectations for content and product design

GET THIS AT intercom.design

7 Start empowering content designers to work deeply across all five planes of UX

work, how they are controlled, and the “ “ Design is concerned with how things nature of the interaction between people and technology.

8 Start paying content and product designers the same by level and experience

THEN

9 Incentivize content and product designers to focus on product, not design

TRADEOFFS

1 Product quality decreases without content design support

2 Blurred lines between content and product design

3 It’s much harder to work holistically across everything

4 Content design impact is more closely scrutinized

5 It’s much harder to invest time in content ops

6 Content design team feels more like a design team

7 Content design costs more, which can slow headcount growth

8 It’s harder to recruit/hire content designers who can work like product designers

OUTCOMES

1 When content design is on, it’s REALLY ON

2 Teams with content designers know what they do and why it matters

3 Teams without content designers are incentivized to become advocates

4 Content design impact is recognized—and there’s more of it

5 Content designers feel more fulfilled in their work

6 Content designers feel more included in product

7 Content designers get equal pay for equal work

8 We realize more of our true potential on products

CONCLUSION

1 Work on one product at a time

1 2 Work on one product at a time Hold content and product designers accountable for the same expectations

1 2 3 Work on one product at a time Hold content and product designers accountable for the same expectations Pay both roles the same

Designing a world-class How to build a content design team

Jonathon Colman @jcolman Senior Design Manager Intercom

Download this deck go.inter.com/ worldclass