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Using links in guidance content
Content designer and long-term Scrollie, Angela Moore, on why it might be time to think differently about how we use links.
Content design weeknotes
What do content designers actually do? We all know what skills a content designer needs, and there are job descriptions and blog posts aplenty – but what is it actually like, day-to-day? What do content designers do? Well, I’m a content designer working on a service and this is a weeknotes-style record of some of […]
Latest news in content
Too good to miss: summer 2019 A round-up of the best advice, thinking, tools and news in content. This has all appeared in the fortnightly Scroll newsletter. (Sign up on the right, never miss out again…) Practical tips and how-tos Writing good UI Some good rules of thumb for writing labels, buttons and other bits […]
How to do content crits well
Content crits are an excellent way to improve your work, share good practice and establish standards in a team. Other than 2i (second pair of eyes), crits are probably the single best thing you can do for your content. What is a content crit? A content crit (content critique) is when a content designer shows […]
10 great gifts for content designers
A list of things that any discerning content designer would be delighted to unwrap this Christmas. 1. ‘Oxford library’ candle Evoke sliding ladders, spiral staircases and leather-bound books. Best customer review of this says it “smells like a freshly showered Sherlock.” If this is all a bit clubby for your taste, try ‘Reading at the […]
Latest news in content: autumn 2018
A round-up of the best advice, thinking, tools and news in content. This has all appeared in the fortnightly Scroll newsletter. (Sign up on the right, never miss out again…) Practical tips and how-tos Use words at the start of the design process How to use the right level of content in different stages of […]
Content design for services
Content design for services: what’s it like?
Latest news in content: autumn 2017
News, thought pieces, advice Content designers add value (just by doing their job) Just having a content designer on your team means you get training, capacity development, mentoring and user-centred design advocacy for free. Content designers are AMAZING. Map a content ecosystem There is no better way to work out where your content stands. Then […]
Latest news in content: Summer 2017
A round-up of the best advice, thinking, tools and news in content. This has all appeared in the fortnightly Scroll newsletter. (Sign up on the right, never miss out again…) Enjoy your summer! News, thought pieces, advice Content and emotions Rule #1 for emotion-driven content: never assume you know how your user is feeling. Rather, […]
Latest news in content: Spring 2017
A round-up of the best advice, thinking, tools and news in content. This has all appeared in the fortnightly Scroll newsletter. (Sign up on the right, never miss out again…) News, thought pieces, advice Structured content saves lives US doctors had to use a huge reference book when they diagnosed cancer. This case study explains […]
Content audit: how to define goals and scope
A good content audit is the cornerstone of many web projects. But starting a content audit can be scary. It’s like standing on a high board, preparing to dive into a sea of raw data. If you want to avoid drowning in data, you need to invest time in defining the goals and scope of […]
What’s new in content
This blog is a round-up of the best of the Scroll newsletter in January. The newsletter is itself a round-up of the best advice, thinking, news and events in content strategy and content design. Sign up on the right, never miss out again… News, thought pieces, advice Why lorem ipsum is the worst thing ever Proof […]
What’s new in content
This blog is a round-up of the best of the Scroll Training newsletter in November. The newsletter is itself a round-up of the best tools, tips and tricks in content strategy and content design. Sign up, don’t miss out… News, thought pieces, advice It doesn’t matter what you call it Struggling to explain what content strategists […]
Content Strategy Applied
Content Strategy Applied: 2-day conference Theme: Benchmarking content 9 and 10 Feb 2017 London Scroll is delighted to sponsor this year’s Content Strategy Applied content conference. The focus is on the practice of content strategy – problems, solutions and case studies that professional content strategists are dealing with now. The aim is that you can […]
Trust toolkit – how to build trust with subject matter experts
One of the most important skills for a content designer is the ability to manage relationships with subject matter experts (SMEs) and other stakeholders. That’s because content designers are at the sharp end of digital transformation. It might be the CEO who sets the grand digital strategy but it’s up to us to implement it […]
Must-read only: what’s new in content
Too much internet to wade through before you find the worthwhile stuff? Never fear – we read it for you, cut the dross and keep the best. Then we put it all together in this round-up of the latest thinking, advice, tools and events in content strategy and content design. (Hint: you can get this straight […]
Rahel Bailie named in the top 25 content strategy influencers
Scroll’s own content strategy guru, Rahel Bailie, has been named one of the top 25 content strategist influencers 2016 by MindTouch. MindTouch evaluated thousands of content strategists and created a measurement that took into account a wide range of metrics, including internet presence, influence, community engagement and participation. This is a snapshot of what’s happening […]
Get the best bits! The latest thinking in content design and content strategy
Here’s what you might have missed while you had your ‘Out of Office’ on (metaphorically or not) for a sunny, summery August. This blog is a round-up of the best of the Digital Content Academy newsletter in August. The newsletter is itself a round-up of the best advice, thinking, news and events in content strategy […]
Don’t miss this – advice, tips and tricks for content strategy and content design
Here’s what you might have missed last month while you were busy with Brexit and related drama… This blog is a round-up of the best of the Digital Content Academy newsletter in June. The newsletter is itself a round-up of the best advice, thinking, news and events in content strategy and content design. The newsletter […]
Webinar: Delivery – the misunderstood piece of the product content puzzle
Content professionals spend a lot of time talking about the content creation and content management phases of the content lifecycle, but they seldom talk much about delivery. That’s because delivery is often misunderstood. And, it can be challenging. It requires a different skill set and specialized tools designed for the job. Webinar with Rahel Bailie: […]
How to write tangle-free government guidance
It’s easy to get in a tangle writing guidance for GOV.UK. Usually, it’s because too many people want too many different things from one piece of content. As a content designer, you need to know how to manage this. Tangled webs of guidance, policy and spin Imagine the government is launching a big new scheme […]
Be brave with your content design
The role of the content designer has changed. Before, a business or a subject matter expert used to write something then hand it to us for a few hours copy-editing before it went live. This just doesn’t cut it anymore. The competition for readers’ attention online is now so intense that no-one can afford to publish poor content. To […]
Using links in ‘how-to’ content
When should you use a link in copy? How many links should you use on a page? What happens when a user sees a link? We know lots about the technical aspects of using links on websites. But it’s hard to find solid advice for copywriters about when to use a link and where to […]
People don’t read
It’s true! People don’t read. At best, they’ll read less than 30% of your (brilliantly researched, skilfully crafted, elegantly honed) copy. We all know this, right? We all know about the F-shape – users scanning briefly down a page, only reading across when something salient grabs their attention. We know that they hop around in sentences, like […]