Content strategy is the blueprint for delivering the right content to the right audience at the right time. It’s not about writing- it’s about answering these key questions:
Components and design systems are essential tools for implementing a content strategy effectively. Having a well-thought-out content strategy is great, but it becomes meaningless if there aren’t components to structure it or a design system to ensure it’s applied consistently across teams and projects. I’ve recently been exploring component gallery, a website that documents various components and design systems. This resource has been incredibly helpful in deepening my design vocabulary. I’ve discovered the proper names for many components I’ve seen but didn’t know how to refer to. What stood out to me most were the design systems showcased on the site. Some companies that I wouldn’t have associated with great design have robust systems in place. This helped me understand that design systems aren’t just about creating visually appealing interfaces. They’re also crucial for structuring content and ensuring that content strategies are followed correctly. It’s been eye-opening to see how design systems support not just aesthetic goals but also the functional and strategic aspects of content creation.
In today’s class, we had a guest lecturer, Rachel from Big Motive to discuss Content Strategy. I found this talk super valuable and really really interesting. It gave me a much clearer understanding of what content strategy is and why it’s such an important part of design. Rachel broke it down into four main phases: planning, creation, delivery, and management, which made the whole process feel much more manageable. She also highlighted three key pillars of content strategy: understanding user needs, aligning with business goals, and staying true to brand voice. Another thing I found really useful was her explanation of content audits- basically a deep dive into all the existing content. This is such an essential step when redesigning or rebranding, and it was great to see how it fits into the bigger picture. Overall, I really enjoyed this talk and came away with some practical tips I can apply to my own designs. I t was also fascinating to see how Big Motive approaches content design- it gave me a lot of insight into the process.
