Confessions of a Copywriter #20
Introducing the Confluence Method; a creative collaboration tool for copywriters and designers.
Confessions of a Copywriter; a blog dedicated to openness, humility and growth. The final post of the series. I’m sharing a way of working with designers that’s easier, faster (and way cooler) than the one you’re using.
The question is the answer
Elon Musk once said to someone at a party “I think a lot about electric cars.” Well, I think a lot about content creation. Specifically the similarities and relationships between copywriters and designers.
Some of it is nuanced, like ‘When it comes to typography, text formatting and styling, where should a writer’s work end, and a designer’s work begin?’
Some of it’s deep and meaningful, like ‘If designers can create completely new shapes, and structures, while writers can only work with pre-existing patterns of language, who’s the real creative?’
And some of it is really deep, like ‘How comes designers can listen to episodes of S-Town while they work and all we can listen to are instrumentals and Classicfm.’
It’s this kind of questioning that led me to ask myself, ‘How might we create an ideal process for copywriters and designers to collaborate more effectively?’
I confess, a few months ago I probably would’ve said smashing a copy doc into a design file and hoping for the best. That’s the status quo.
BUT… I’ve discovered a new way of working that’s completely changed my perception of the perfect creative process. It’s called the Confluence Method.
Paved with good intentions
Before I explain what it is, let me build the narrative tension by telling you how much creative soul searching it took to get there.
Last year I worked at a finance company as the global copywriter. Within the first few weeks of getting to know my design partner, he moved back to Australia and was working from the Sydney office.
What’s the big deal, right? Haven’t I ever heard of remote working?
Yes, working with someone a different time zone is nothing new. But have you ever worked with a designer who literally lives on the other side of the world?
No? Don’t.
When I was starting my day, he was clocking off. When he was starting, I was nodding off. Whole days in lead time were reduced to hours. All the social etiquette that lays the foundation for a strong working relationship disappeared as I squeezed a list of questions from the previous day into an email on my morning commute.
And it didn’t help that the content process looked like a London Tube map.
But even when working in the same country, city and building, creative cohesion is never guaranteed.
Earlier this year, I worked with a skilled designer who was incredibly anal about the finished product being absolutely pixel perfect. You know the type.
Every time I sent copy over, I could count down the seconds to the moment where she’d say, “Tahi, can you come over for a sec?” The problem?
- A character too long
- A character too short
- Line breaks in funny places
- Doesn’t fall right on mobile
- Orphans, widows and foster children… the whole lot.
Pent up and worn out after days of going back and forth, I was forced to produce work that I wasn’t entirely proud of, simply because of this widely accepted but grossly imperfect way of working.
On the straight and narrow
But since using the Confluence Method, I’ve been able to repeatedly produce work that I’m incredibly proud of — faster and more efficiently. Without the constant back and forth there’s far less compromise from both of us. The best part? I’ve never had a designer ask me to rework my copy. Interested?
Here’s how it’s done.
01 briefing
The brief for the work comes in.
02 planning
Copywriter and designer create a super high-level hierarchy of information. The copywriter might create a bullet list while the designer sketches a page with sections for each key message and objective. This low-fi approach lets you get early feedback from stakeholders and apply it with a small effort-to-reward ratio.
03 structuring
Once agreed, this hierarchy is used to create a more solid mock up, either by sketching or prototyping. This goes beyond the outline of information and investigates how it might be ordered and arranged. Designers might create a high-level wireframe, the copywriter might write a storyframe.
Together they agree on the basic information architecture, but not necessarily how the end product will look or read. This is another good point to get feedback from stakeholders and ensure all relevant considerations have been made.
04 drafting and designing
The copywriter and designer part ways. The copywriter drafts the full content using a word processor, the designer designs in their software of choice. Most importantly, the copywriter gets a copy of the wireframe for reference. Where possible, the copywriter gives a storyframe to the designer.
05 editing and refining
Once they’re done, the pair come together again. The designer then gives the writer a copy of her design file. Now, the next bit requires you to have some basic knowledge of navigating the design software. I’ve used the Adobe Suite and Sketch for a while now but if you aren’t familiar it’s worth asking your designer to give you a quick rundown on it.
The copywriter then drops the writing into the design file (while the designer spends time refining icons and graphics).
This is important for two reasons:
- Traditionally, designers either fit their designs around the copy or ask the copywriter to adjust the length of the text. This forces the copywriter to make changes outside of situ, not knowing how many characters it needs to be increased or decreased by, or where the line will break. Writers will then tend to play it safe, even to the detriment of the work. But by working within the design file, copywriters can experiment with greater accuracy and find a way for the text to fit the environment without compromising on the message, clarity or tone.
- When building a web page, best practices suggest the same copy across desktop, tablet and mobile. Designers by their very nature are ill-equipped to sync large amounts of text across three responsive views. They will look to cut the copy without the expertise of copy editing. But by handing the Sketch file to the copywriter, he can negotiate spacing to find a universal solution, while maintaining the impact of the message.
The result is that design avoids heavy compromise and copy can reach a solution using informed choices.
06 finalise
Finally, the copywriter sends the file back to designer. They drop in the new, refined graphics and make final adjustments.
It’s as simple as that. And this:
And the benefits are:
- Better quality work
- More enjoyment and creative fulfilment
- Faster turnaround
Getting started
If you’re a copywriter in a creative team, ask your partner for some basic training on Sketch or InDesign. It’s worth adding the basics to your skill set and taking on a new challenge.
If you don’t have a creative partner, Inspect Element is a good place to start. You can edit pages that are already live to see exactly how the end product will look. This is even more precise than working in a design programme.
Leave responses below and let me know your experiences. Together we can crack the ultimate question: ‘How might we create an ideal process for copywriters and designers to collaborate more effectively?’
This is my final Confessions of a Copywriter. Thanks everyone who clapped, followed, shared and responded to the last 20 posts. Like Mayweather, I may come out of retirement for the right price and start another blog series soon.
Stay in touch @tahigichigi
