Adventures in Content Strategy
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." Benjamin Franklin
If you’re looking for ways to make your work more accessible, you don’t have to start with development. Accessibility in design and content is an important factor! That’s why my colleague James Christie and I gave a webinar last week on accessibility. The focus of the webinar was accessibility in healthcare, but the skills and…
When I’m not thinking about health literacy, I’m typically reading or playing music (not John Cage). I keep an ever-growing list of books to read, and it’s influenced by recommendations from friends, colleagues, and family. Which is how I ended up reading Douglas Hofstader’s book, Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid – and connecting…
How do you create a trustworthy brand? As a content strategist predominantly in the healthcare space, this is something I’ve been exploring for years. It’s a constantly evolving answer. Or, as UX designers love to say (and clients hate to hear), “it depends.” But more and more often, I’m convinced that trustworthy experiences – and…
“Plain language” sounds simple. But as Thelonious Monk says, simple ain’t easy. When we write in plain language, that means writing in a way that makes information: clear and understandable, jargon free, a low cognitive load, easy to act on In essence, it’s what every content creator strives for. But why? Aside from sounding nice,…
It seems that everyone has a reason for why personas don’t work. For example, Intergage suggests many personas are outdated. Whereas InVision sees organizations using personas as an excuse not to speak to users. Nielsen Norman Group thinks teams create personas in silos and impose them on teams. And CMO says they’re not specific enough….
Accessibility for Content Strategists and Designers, by Janell Sims Accessibility is for everyone. People with physical, cognitive, or emotional disabilities, temporary (tendonitis!) or permanent, etc. Harvard has a new digital accessibility policy, and Janell is super excited. Why is Accessibility Critical? Morally, it’s the right thing to do. But also, you will get sued otherwise….
Speak Their Language, by Zara Fishkin With localized products, more people can access your services, and more people can use your services more effectively. Plus it contributes to revenue. On a human level… more people feel represented with localized products. Localization at Facebook Zara writes for the user interface. More than a billion people a…
WCAG 2.1 is a blessing for creating accessible experiences. Yet a lot of the guidelines seem focused on development. Sadly, this leads many designers and content strategists to assume that accessibility is a developer’s job – when in reality, everyone has a role to play. Accessible content and design are just as important as accessible…
At Mad*Pow’s Health Experience Design conference, Jenka Gurfinkel gave a Lunch and Learn on reclaiming technology as a means of health. In her talk, she revisited the topic of UX cruelty. This (typically inadvertent) practice results in millions of poor user experiences – all because the designers are more focused on “delight” than compassion. I’ve…
Voice UI is a hot topic, and one that brings with it a lot of assumptions. Much as Star Trek imagined the first iPad back in the late 1980s, films and television today suggest Voice UI could become a friend, personal assistant, and more. But in reality we’ve a ways to go. For starters, voice…
