Creating a UX Content Guide

The user experience works best when it's consistent across a website or app. 0:00 So if everyone on your team is going to collaborate, 0:04 it would help if they had some sort of guide to align their efforts. 0:08 In this video, let's talk about how to create a UX content guide. 0:12 Basically a UX content guide is a reference for you and 0:17 anyone else, that creates content of any kind for your site or app. 0:20 It provides guidance about how to create an overall experience, 0:24 that's consistent and in line with your core values. 0:29 It should include a definition of your brand personality, 0:32 which could be a list of defining values or attributes or 0:36 the findings from the personality trait exercise we did before. 0:40 It should also include a list of priorities. 0:45 What are you trying to do for your users and why? 0:47 And reference examples of how to write about or 0:51 talk about topics within text or videos is another helpful thing to include. 0:54 If you've ever heard of a content style guide before, this isn't too different. 0:59 Some web sites use a content guide to standardize the writing style and 1:04 design of their blog posts or articles. 1:08 Those guides might define the proper type faces, colors, 1:11 and other formatting to use. 1:15 But the best guides will also answer questions related to content style and UX, 1:17 like what kind of voice or tone should we use in different places. 1:23 One of the best examples you'll find is from MailChimp. 1:28 Their style guide was created for their team, and 1:32 it's inspiring to see how well organized and detailed it is. 1:35 Specifically, check out the voice and tone section, and 1:38 put yourself in the shoes of a writer for their site. 1:42 You'll understand very quickly what kind of personality you're expected 1:45 to use to create content. 1:50 MailChimps voice is human. 1:51 It's familiar, friendly, and straightforward. 1:54 Our priority is explaining our products and 1:57 helping our users get their work done so they can get on with their lives. 1:59 We want to educate people without patronizing or confusing them. 2:04 And it goes on to say MailChimp's voice is fun but not silly, 2:08 confident but not cocky, smart but not stodgy, and so on. 2:13 There are many great points in that short piece, but the best part about it is that 2:19 it helps set boundaries without making the task of creating content too restrictive. 2:23 There is a wide range their content creators could work within to be friendly 2:28 and supportive. 2:32 But they also know which lines not to cross. 2:33 If the writers created instructions that were too detailed or overly friendly. 2:36 It would feel out of place with the rest of the experience. 2:41 Now, while MailChimp's complete guide is expansive, yours doesn't have to be. 2:44 In fact, you could adapt the section we just looked at 2:50 to create the backbone of your own UX content guide. 2:53 Check out the downloadable worksheet we've got and answer these questions. 2:57 How would you describe your voice in three words? 3:01 MailChimp's voice was familiar, friendly, and straightforward. 3:05 That combination of adjectives creates a pretty specific kind of voice. 3:09 Someone familiar is someone you trust, and 3:13 someone friendly treats you with respect and wants to help you. 3:16 But a straightforward person doesn't waste time. 3:20 They get right to the point, because they know your time is valuable. 3:23 So what would be the three words you might use to describe your personality? 3:26 These words should be clear and memorable for 3:32 anyone creating UX content on your site. 3:35 Next, you could answer, when it comes to your users or customers, 3:38 what is your top priority. 3:42 MailChimps is a good one. 3:44 Our priority is explaining our products and 3:46 helping our users get their work done so they can get on with their lives. 3:48 Since MailChimp knows its customers are a busy group, 3:52 it makes sense to prioritize clarity and conciseness. 3:56 So what do you know about your customers? 3:59 What's important to them? 4:02 And what do they need the most when visiting your site? 4:04 If you can create a priority as clear as MailChimp's, your team will 4:07 understand what kind of content they should focus on creating and why. 4:11 And lastly, define some attributes and limits about your personality. 4:16 Take another look at MailChimp's guide, they list an attribute and set a boundary. 4:21 They may be confident, but they're not cocky. 4:26 They're helpful, but not overbearing. 4:28 Think about the best attributes or 4:31 adjectives to describe what your style and personality should be. 4:33 But consider what could happen if you took those traits too far. 4:38 For example, maybe you want to be considered an expert in your industry. 4:42 But you don't want to sound overconfident or be too forceful with your opinions. 4:46 Maybe, be an expert, but not a know-it-all, is the way to describe that. 4:50 So could you come up with three or maybe five of these. 4:57 Find the right attributes and limits, so that anyone on your team can read them and 5:01 understand what it means. 5:06 And if there's any chance of confusion about how to implement your personality, 5:08 write up specific examples and show content creators what you mean. 5:12 For example, Starbucks wants to use a fun and 5:16 trendy kind of tone within it's mobile app. 5:19 When you see calls to action like these in their app, you understand their vibe. 5:22 So if Starbucks includes these examples in their own UX guide, 5:26 members of their team like writers, designers, and 5:31 developers would understand how to design similar interactions. 5:35 So what specific interactions and 5:40 scenarios do you envision for your UX content? 5:42 It might help to make a list of the various paths users might take through 5:46 your site or the features and 5:50 sections that will be valuable to users at different times. 5:52 Think about why they're visiting that section. 5:55 And the questions or challenges related to their visit. 5:58 What are they hoping to do? 6:02 And what might their frame of mind be at the time? 6:04 Choosing the appropriate voice and 6:08 tone could help you immediately connect with them. 6:10 So take a crack at completing the steps we laid out. 6:13 Describing your voice in three words, defining your top priority, 6:18 and defining attributes about your personality. 6:22 If you can organize your ideas and 6:26 come up with helpful content examples writers could use as a reference. 6:28 You'll have the core of a strong UX content guide. 6:32