The relationship between Content & Design — Sweet Dream or Nightmare?
There is an ongoing debate about whether content or design should come first. One thing is sure: to create a seamless user experience, content and design have to work together like an orchestra.
Table of contents
- The relationship between content & design
- Comparing a Content-first approach with a Design-first approach
- Tips for effectively pairing content & design
The relationship between content & design
Let’s look at overlaps and possible solutions to the what-comes-first-problem.
In my role as a Designer, my goal is to reduce complexity for users. My responsibility is to make users understand how a product or service works and how they can achieve their goals.
That’s the definition of usability in a nutshell. But none of it is doable without content.
Sure, the right visual cues, hierarchy, and navigational elements can help guide users. But in the end, it’s the content that communicates the value or information.
Design without content is just non-existent. Just as Content without design might be an unappealing wall of text. Hard to understand, maybe, because of lacking visual hierarchy or structure.
Each of the two disciplines has its own distinct goals.
But there are many similarities, as well.
The goal of content might be to convey information or transmit value, while the purpose of design might be to grab and hold attention. However, I see a lot of overlapping goals, like driving action, making things understandable, fulfilling user needs, or providing orientation.
Content-first approach VS Design-first approach
Content and design equally contribute to business success and a seamless UX. Both need to be in synch.
However, we have to start somewhere.
And there are two philosophies to this: Content-first or Design first.
Both have their benefits, and both can lead to successful results, but boy, is there a debate about what should come first.
Design first approach
You start by designing elements or visuals (often with the help of placeholder content). It is a good way of doing things, and it can help provide at least a rough frame for the content. However, this approach involves higher risk. It can work out fine, but extensive rework might be necessary if the content does not fit the design.
Design can have a massive impact on a project. Because Design is not just how things look, Design is how things work.
If the design were only about how things looked, there would be no problems combining content and Design. Because the design has such a significant impact on how things work, we are even debating this.
We often get trapped into thinking of design as a product, a result, or a deliverable. Design is not a product, it’s a process.
If you think about all this, it may seem like a logical option to start with a content-first approach:
Content-first approach
You start with the content and messages you want to convey. The problem is that the content is rarely ready in the early stages of a project, because it takes a lot of time to plan and produce.
For example, who thinks about developing content in the earlier stages of a website relaunch project? And how much should you even create if there is no design yet for orientation?
And this is where the magnificent third option comes into play:
Possible Solution: Developing content & design together.
Whichever one you choose, I would always recommend iterative development. That means developing content and design collaboratively in little steps/sprints.
Each team, content & design, should never bring together their work at the end.
Try to update early prototypes continually with early content drafts. Eliminate placeholder text from your draft as soon as you can.
Tips for effectively pairing content & design
1. Get to know the other side
The best way to work together effectively is to broaden the other side's understanding. You can achieve this with workshops or by spending some time looking over the shoulders of the others.
2. Think in modules & elements
Thinking in modules and not about a web page can help both writers and designers in their work.
Brad Frost wrote a great Book about Atomic Design
4. Establish a community of practice
A community of practice is an informal group of people (within an organization) with a shared interest. They often start organically, with collaboration in related fields.
Lisa Welchman — a leading expert in digital governance, covers the topic in-depth in her online course. She has also covered parts in the Digital Governance and Organizational Collaboration module at the COS program at FH JOANNEUM, Graz.
5. Focus on shared goals & opportunities
It’s easy to get caught up in things that don’t work. Instead, try to focus on commonalities and opportunities.
Let’s face it — nothing works perfectly all the time. But remember that it’s all a process full of learning and growing together.
And is there anything more fun than that?
Further Reading
- Content-First Workflows by t3n (in German)
- Which Comes First? Layout or Content? by NN Group
- Content vs. Design — Which Should Come First?
- COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE — by Elisabeth Reisinger
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