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I'm talking about how we destroyed content design at @Intercom today at #SofaConf
You can see the slides and all related resources in the link
...but read on for why you should destroy content design in your org, too... https://noti.st/jcolman/yI2rEQ/how-we-destroyed-content-design
You can see the slides and all related resources in the link
...but read on for why you should destroy content design in your org, too... https://noti.st/jcolman/yI2rEQ/how-we-destroyed-content-design
Here's the thing: most content designers, content strategists, and UX writers are made to work on several products at once: 3, 5, 10, or more.
Last year, a content strategist at a well-known company told me they work with over 100 (!) designers at the same time.
Last year, a content strategist at a well-known company told me they work with over 100 (!) designers at the same time.
And yet their closest colleagues—product managers, product designers, and engineers—almost always just work on one product.
Only one!
Only one!
This creates serious problems for the content designer:
- They can't focus and have to constantly switch contexts
- They don't have the same level of product knowledge as others on the team
- They can't attend all of the team's rituals
- They can't focus and have to constantly switch contexts
- They don't have the same level of product knowledge as others on the team
- They can't attend all of the team's rituals
But wait, there's more!
- The team barely sees them, so it doesn't know what they do, how they do it, or why
- They can't work as deeply on product problems as others on the team
- Their work isn't seen, values, recognized, or rewarded
- They're burnt out
- The team barely sees them, so it doesn't know what they do, how they do it, or why
- They can't work as deeply on product problems as others on the team
- Their work isn't seen, values, recognized, or rewarded
- They're burnt out
And, of course, they're paid less than everyone else on the product team. 
It also causes problems for teams and product orgs because they don't get anywhere near as much value out of content designers as they could.
And yet all of this is normal in most product orgs... But it really shouldn't be.
And yet all of this is normal in most product orgs... But it really shouldn't be.
So at @Intercom, we destroyed content design. Here, our content designers:
- Work on just one (1!) product at a time
- Attend all of their team's rituals
- Co-lead their product teams
- Work on end-to-end design from the very beginning
- Don't do any "office hours"
- Work on just one (1!) product at a time
- Attend all of their team's rituals
- Co-lead their product teams
- Work on end-to-end design from the very beginning
- Don't do any "office hours"
Our content designers are also:
- Accountable for the same expectations as product designers
- Recognized by leadership as being as impactful as product designers
- Paid the same as product designers and PMs by level and experience
- Accountable for the same expectations as product designers
- Recognized by leadership as being as impactful as product designers
- Paid the same as product designers and PMs by level and experience
That's right! Our content designers don't just write the words.
They're expected to contribute to product strategy, direction, and vision. They're expected to contribute to roadmaps, goals, and prioritization, too.
Y'know, just like product designers.
They're expected to contribute to product strategy, direction, and vision. They're expected to contribute to roadmaps, goals, and prioritization, too.
Y'know, just like product designers.
We expect them to practice "full-stack" design from strategy and scope up through the structure and all the way to the surface, just like @jjg shows in the planes of UX.
Yes, our content designers do interaction design, prototyping, and visual/UI design, too.
Yes, our content designers do interaction design, prototyping, and visual/UI design, too.
So content designers work in clearly identifiable and well-understood ways across the double diamond process of design.
Their colleagues know what they do and why it matters. And they're grateful for them.
Their colleagues know what they do and why it matters. And they're grateful for them.
Overall, we've blurred the lines between product design and content design so much that you can't tell where content ends and design begins.
That's the magic you get when you work on just
one product at a time
That's the magic you get when you work on just
one product at a time
Our content designers are essentially just "capital-D Designers" now, with the same expectations and impact as product designers.
This is normal for us now.
And that's how and why we destroyed content design. You should, too! https://noti.st/jcolman/yI2rEQ/how-we-destroyed-content-design
This is normal for us now.
And that's how and why we destroyed content design. You should, too! https://noti.st/jcolman/yI2rEQ/how-we-destroyed-content-design
But there's one more thing...
Two of our content designers were laid off due to impacts on our business from COVID-19.
If you want to transform your content design team to work like ours, you should hire them! They were a huge part of making this happen at @Intercom.
If you want to transform your content design team to work like ours, you should hire them! They were a huge part of making this happen at @Intercom.
You should hire @OBrienEditorial!
She's a hybrid product/content designer specializing in chatbot design and automation based in London, UK
https://www.kellyobrien.me/
She's a hybrid product/content designer specializing in chatbot design and automation based in London, UK
https://www.kellyobrien.me/
You should hire @meredithcastile!
She's a hybrid product/content senior designer specializing in conversation design based in San Francisco, USA
https://www.meredithcastile.com/
She's a hybrid product/content senior designer specializing in conversation design based in San Francisco, USA
https://www.meredithcastile.com/
Both @OBrienEditorial and @meredithcastile are world-class, capital-D designers. You'd be lucky to have them as leaders on your team.
They'll both level up everyone they work with—including you! Please reach out to them or let me know if you want an intro.
They'll both level up everyone they work with—including you! Please reach out to them or let me know if you want an intro.
Love these #SofaConf sketchnotes from illustrator Zsofi Lang! 
You can find her at https://www.instagram.com/zldrawings/
You can find her at https://www.instagram.com/zldrawings/
i've never felt so SEEN
