Content strategy: the five pillars approach Our guest blogger this month is Rahel Bailie. She writes about her approach to developing content strategy and shares a framework for you to use in your own work. Rahel is a highly experienced content strategist and was formerly Chief Knowledge Officer at Scroll. Content strategy methodology When a […]
Today’s guest post is from new Scroll content designer, Danny Chadburn. He talks about getting his first content design role, has advice for new and aspiring content designers, and explains how Disney princess analogies helped him clarify content about arms embargoes… My first month as a content designer “So we’re all going to have to […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/mug-2586266_640.jpg425640Scroll content designerhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngScroll content designer2019-07-05 11:25:492019-07-12 10:00:05Getting started as a content designer
Our guest blogger is Scroll content designer, journalist and author, Olivia Gordon. She talks about combining her work for Scroll with writing her book, The First Breath: How Modern Medicine Saves The Most Fragile Lives. Writing a book and discovering content design When I started writing a book proposal, in the autumn of 2016, I […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Olivia-Gordon.jpg468695Scroll content designerhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngScroll content designer2019-06-14 11:18:092019-06-19 09:56:12Content design part-time, while writing a book: how it worked for me
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ideas.jpg426640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2019-05-08 16:06:372019-05-08 16:07:25Latest news in content: spring 2019
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crit.jpg476640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2019-03-29 13:48:112019-05-03 09:01:35How to do content crits well
Mapping skill sets to roles in content In this 3-part series, Rahel Bailie explores and maps the various roles, skills and job titles in content today. Rahel is a renowned content strategist and part of Scroll’s management team. In the first 2 articles of this series, we examined how the plethora of job titles in content […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cube.jpg401623Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2019-01-25 10:55:402019-01-25 13:39:56Mapping skill sets to roles - part 3 of 3 about content roles and skills
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bookapart.jpg369432Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2018-12-14 12:20:312018-12-14 12:20:3110 great gifts for content designers
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 […]
What’s in a professional name In this 4-part series, Rahel Bailie explores and maps the various roles, skills and job titles in content today. Rahel is a renowned content strategist and part of Scroll’s management team. Does it matter what a content person is called, as long as they get the job done? In the […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/we-wear-hats.jpg8001200Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2018-08-03 13:39:412019-01-25 11:19:23What's in a professional name - part 2 of 3 about content roles and skills
Exploring the content landscape In this 3-part series, Rahel Bailie explores and maps the various roles, skills and job titles in content today. Rahel is a renowned content strategist and part of Scroll’s management team. Talking about working in the field of content is a bit of a minefield. You can ask what someone does, […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/girl-tourist-read-the-map-1.jpg12801920Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2018-07-06 10:39:582019-01-25 11:15:56Exploring the landscape - part 1 of 3 about content roles and skills
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25 May 2018. That’s very soon and a lot of people are feeling understandably nervous about it… Here’s what we’re doing at Scroll to prepare for GDPR – and why you should care about it. What is GDPR? GDPR is a piece of legislation that […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/eu-3222692_1280.jpg8201280Abby Rudlandhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAbby Rudland2018-05-18 14:57:002018-06-20 19:27:08GDPR: what we did and how
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/start-here-1.jpg4641019Pete Kowalczykhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngPete Kowalczyk2018-04-18 15:23:442018-05-04 14:40:37New to content design? Start here
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ninja-04-desk.jpg400425Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2018-03-16 11:42:372018-03-16 11:43:58Latest news in content: Spring 2018
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/workplace-2805785_640-1.jpg426640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2018-02-09 11:16:002018-02-09 13:04:08How to write a style guide (that people can actually use)
I’ve been working on my portfolio website recently — trying to distil large projects into succinct case studies. In a way it’s been a test of good content design in itself! Something I realised when I was getting this stuff down on paper was there are a few things I tend to do consistently when working on […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/tricks-of-the-trade-e1511804447806.jpg286502Pete Kowalczykhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngPete Kowalczyk2018-01-12 11:16:352018-01-12 11:18:39UX writing and content design - a few tricks of the trade
Two industry experts presented on DAM and taxonomies at the latest meetup for people who take content seriously. In this special one-off event, participants got to experience an eclectic corner of London in an even more eclectic venue. About the venue: Rotherhithe Picture Research Library The Rotherhithe Picture Research Library is an extensive collection of […]
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 […]
Content design and user experience (UX) writing are becoming more commonplace. Digital teams are increasingly using content professionals to make their apps and websites better — but that’s not the whole story. One thing that I think can go unnoticed when a company considers hiring a UX writer or content designer is the tacit training and capacity-building […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/lightbulbs.jpg540960Pete Kowalczykhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngPete Kowalczyk2017-10-30 16:21:102017-11-03 09:52:00Things you get for free when you hire a content designer
Content, Seriously is a meetup for content professionals in London. It’s organised by Rahel Bailie, Scroll’s chief content strategist. Before the latest Content, Seriously event, Rahel polled the meetup members to ask what they wanted to talk about. Content design rose to the top of the list. As the meetup series normally focuses on content […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/be-a-content-designer.jpg314600Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2017-10-02 09:59:422018-06-07 10:10:42Content design in the private and public sectors
For most people joining Twitter, it can feel a bit of an anti-climax at the start. You sign up, you follow people, you learn, you laugh, and then when you muster the confidence to tweet something, it’s followed by…nothing. No retweets. No comments. No new followers. Pure tumbleweed. This is the case for all but […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/twitter-james.jpg539960James Dubreyhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngJames Dubrey2017-09-14 10:22:162017-09-15 08:50:28How we took Scroll's Twitter account from 0 to 1,000+ followers
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, […]
The benefits of content design can often go unnoticed. Until content designers turn vigilante… I’m one of the content designers working at the Education and Skills Funding Agency. As content designers, it’s our job to get to the essence of what people need and then strip everything else away. And in the name of content […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/recycling-bin-labels.jpg12861598Pete Kowalczykhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngPete Kowalczyk2017-07-14 13:03:282017-07-14 16:05:33A rubbish blog post about content design
Scroll places hundreds of contractors in roles every year. I’m Hetty Meyric Hughes, partner at Scroll, and I manage this process. Here’s my advice on what you need to do to get your next contract. How to get your next content design role – advice from a content agency. Click To Tweet What agencies look […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/sprinter.jpg15522362Hettyhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngHetty2017-06-14 15:27:082017-06-15 19:40:25How to get hired - advice for contractors
When companies have large quantities of content – for example, many products, where each one has several pieces of information – that product information probably doesn’t originate from their web content management system (WCMS). The WCMS acts as a ‘presentation layer’ – in other words, a mechanism to display content. The content doesn’t have to live […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/google-data-centre.jpg19872649Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2017-05-25 19:18:372017-05-25 19:20:56Holes in the template: piping content into a web CMS
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sticky-notes.jpg480640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2017-05-17 12:45:442017-05-17 12:46:14Latest news in content: Spring 2017
You’ve been to school – perhaps college or university as well – and studied for some sort of qualifications. You probably still have the certificates somewhere. These qualifications may have helped get you your first job, but they’re not always used at work on a daily basis (I read ‘Paradise Lost’ in a couple of […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/scroll_cpd.jpeg24483696Beck Thompsonhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngBeck Thompson2017-05-08 11:09:512017-06-14 15:35:17What is CPD and why does it matter?
Is there any point in blogging? Don’t get me wrong, blogs are great if you want to see oil portraiture of ugly Renaissance babies or Kim Jong Il photoshopped unconvincingly onto North Korean civil engineering projects. But I’ve found in software development, people tend to roll their eyes and ask, “Blogging? what’s the point?” Personally, I […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/bath-duck-574924_1280.jpg8521280Pete Kowalczykhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngPete Kowalczyk2017-04-12 13:33:522017-04-12 12:32:16The narcissism of blogging, and why that’s not a bad thing
New IR35 legislation comes into force I’m a partner at Scroll, where we’ve been hard at work sorting through the implications of the new IR35 legislation. This is a personal interpretation of the new IR35 rules and existing employment ones. I thought it might help to set them out, to order my thoughts and invite […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HMRC-IR-35.jpg230559Hettyhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngHetty2017-04-03 10:55:302017-04-03 11:11:03IR35 and what it might mean for content designers
The Content Strategy Applied 2017 conference (9-10 Feb 2017) ended with a trend-spotting presentation from organisers Rahel Anne Bailie and Lucie Hyde. They brought their collective experience, along with the insights from conference presenters, to the podium. One of the points Rahel made in this presentation was that content professionals today need to constantly work […]
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/lifesaver.jpg640960Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2017-02-03 10:34:522017-02-03 10:35:21Content audit: how to define goals and scope
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Samuel-L-Jackson.jpg480640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2017-01-25 11:27:142017-01-26 18:01:19What's new in content
I was in a user research session recently and it convinced me that ‘lorem ipsum’ should be outlawed. User after user were flying through the screens we were testing until they hit upon a gobbledygook Latin brick wall. It was a part of the site that hadn’t yet been properly designed, but users didn’t know […]
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/computer-screen-reading.jpg476750Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-12-07 22:01:552017-01-05 15:35:26What's new in content
A style guide is a very useful resource for any organisation. It helps everyone communicating in and from that organisation maintain consistency. It doesn’t tell them how to communicate, though. A style guide sets out conventions. It doesn’t tell you how to write, what tone of voice you should use, how to manage content or […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/style-guide.jpg514768Ben Clancyhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngBen Clancy2016-12-01 20:26:362016-12-03 08:57:45Why your style guide should be a style manual
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 […]
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/conflict.jpg6451004Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-11-24 13:10:092016-11-24 13:11:19Trust toolkit – how to build trust with subject matter experts
The complexity of producing and delivering content has grown exponentially over the past couple of decades, as the demands for content have grown. In simpler times, content was produced as a single-channel deliverable. We would write an article for a magazine, or a user guide, or a maintenance manual. There was one piece of content […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/channels.jpg578866Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2016-11-10 11:40:302016-11-17 09:07:51How to cope with the increased demands on 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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/bigger-stand-out.jpg360640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-11-03 11:37:182016-11-03 11:59:16Must-read only: what’s new in content
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/top-25-badge_mindtouch.png600600Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-10-20 14:27:502016-10-20 14:29:39Rahel Bailie named in the top 25 content strategy influencers
In 2009, I started working as a senior editor on the Directgov website. This was a dream job: I liked the public sector and had already spent years working as a web content manager for a regional government organisation most people hadn’t heard of (it doesn’t exist anymore). I wanted to write stuff that mattered […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.png00Beck Thompsonhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngBeck Thompson2016-10-03 16:40:532018-06-07 10:12:47A content designer is not a web editor
For a while, during the earlier epochs of digital evolution, the future looked rather bleak for writers. Extinction seemed the inevitable consequence of an online marketplace whose users expected to get quality content for free. How could such an arrangement be supported; how could a writer make a living out of that? As it turned […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Sponsored-content-pic_1.jpg750957Harryhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngHarry2016-09-15 13:17:412016-09-15 13:17:41Editorial, content marketing, advertorial: are we being clear?
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/genius-1.jpg389613Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-09-01 10:20:572016-09-01 10:28:06Get the best bits! The latest thinking in content design and content strategy
If you’re surprised to hear that the biggest impact you can have on your translation budget lies with your source content, you’re not alone. Shoring up your source content seems counter-intuitive, but it’s exactly the right strategy to get the most value from your translation and localisation projects. Organisations can achieve 50% to 80% reduction […]
What would it be like to produce content in a total data vacuum? Picture yourself working in soundproofed blacked-out box with a computer that can only send but never receive information. You have a brief to design some content, but you haven’t been given much information about your users. You’re going to have to […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Data-protection_colour.jpg11761568Harryhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngHarry2016-08-03 10:04:052016-08-04 12:33:32What happens when content design crashes into the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
First week at Scroll – introducing myself This week, I joined the Scroll central team. I’ll be helping to look after Scroll clients and content designers, scoping out projects and providing editorial guidance and quality control – amongst other things. I’m really excited to be doing this role: I’ve worked alongside Scrollies in 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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.png00Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-07-14 16:29:072016-07-14 17:02:44Don't miss this - advice, tips and tricks for content strategy and content design
A common time for organisations to take a long, hard look at their content is during a ‘web refresh’ project. This is when an organisation wants to update the look and feel of its website. It’s usually prompted by a business need – new functionality, rebranding after an acquisition or merger, or a simple update […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.png00Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2016-06-30 13:08:002016-06-30 13:08:00Prevent content from being a project blocker
We all want quality content. Nothing is more likely to lose an audience than badly designed, poorly written, uninformative content – and no-one sets out to produce that. But what is quality? How do we know when we are getting it right? How can we measure it? Content is the difference What we do know […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/quality.jpg233375Harryhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngHarry2016-06-16 18:55:212016-06-20 08:58:59How to produce quality content
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: […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/webinar-on-content-delivery.jpg457810Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-06-16 13:36:592016-06-16 13:36:59Webinar: Delivery - the misunderstood piece of the product content puzzle
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/order-out-of-chaos.jpg486640Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2016-05-12 11:36:552017-10-30 12:19:45How to write tangle-free government guidance
Marketing Week reports that nearly half of CMOs claim social media has below average impact on profitability. As Marketing has led the charge on Social Media adoption, it’s time to learn how social media measurement can make much bigger impact to business by avoiding impressions, followers or engagement rates as your main KPIs.
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.png00Rahel Bailiehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngRahel Bailie2016-04-07 14:00:412018-05-29 15:05:59Better metrics for social media
Fewer than 10% of content managers use analytics to drive decision-making. Adrian Kingwell explodes a few myths and explain how to use numbers to make better content decisions. From his presentation: Analysis paralysis: how I conquered my fear of numbers and learned to love Google Analytics.
No one likes stale content. That’s why we do our best to give it a long life, making it interesting and relevant to our audience in ways that could endure weeks, months or even years. The same goes for content design, but this has the added difficulty of going past its sell-by date because of […]
Content. We hear that word all the time. But think for a minute, what does ‘content’ mean to you? The way we think about content has a profound effect on how we approach content-related problems – and how we solve them. For some, content is a commodity to be packed, packaged, displayed and (we hope) consumed. If it’s […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.png00Harryhttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngHarry2016-02-09 07:40:392016-03-31 12:59:24Buzzzzt! Content is energy
There is a lot of talk about evidence-based design these days. A quick search for evidence-based design, or EBD, returns results mostly focused on health care and the construction industry. Both of these professions have a vested interest in developing an empirical understanding of how people interact with their environments so that their practices can […]
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 […]
https://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.png00Angela Moorehttps://www.scroll.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Scroll-white.pngAngela Moore2015-09-17 13:28:532015-12-03 14:19:32Be brave with your content design
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 […]
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 […]
Content strategy methodology
/in Content strategy /by Rahel BailieContent strategy: the five pillars approach Our guest blogger this month is Rahel Bailie. She writes about her approach to developing content strategy and shares a framework for you to use in your own work. Rahel is a highly experienced content strategist and was formerly Chief Knowledge Officer at Scroll. Content strategy methodology When a […]
Getting started as a content designer
/in Advice for contractors, Content design /by Scroll content designerToday’s guest post is from new Scroll content designer, Danny Chadburn. He talks about getting his first content design role, has advice for new and aspiring content designers, and explains how Disney princess analogies helped him clarify content about arms embargoes… My first month as a content designer “So we’re all going to have to […]
Content design part-time, while writing a book: how it worked for me
/in Advice for contractors, Content design /by Scroll content designerOur guest blogger is Scroll content designer, journalist and author, Olivia Gordon. She talks about combining her work for Scroll with writing her book, The First Breath: How Modern Medicine Saves The Most Fragile Lives. Writing a book and discovering content design When I started writing a book proposal, in the autumn of 2016, I […]
Latest news in content: spring 2019
/in Content design, What's new in content /by Angela MooreHow to do content crits well
/in Content design /by Angela MooreContent 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 […]
Mapping skill sets to roles – part 3 of 3 about content roles and skills
/in Content design, Content strategy /by Rahel BailieMapping skill sets to roles in content In this 3-part series, Rahel Bailie explores and maps the various roles, skills and job titles in content today. Rahel is a renowned content strategist and part of Scroll’s management team. In the first 2 articles of this series, we examined how the plethora of job titles in content […]
10 great gifts for content designers
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreA 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
/in Content design /by Angela MooreA 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
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreContent design for services: what’s it like?
Latest news in content: summer 2018
/0 Comments/in Content design, What's new in content /by Angela MooreWhat’s in a professional name – part 2 of 3 about content roles and skills
/in Content design, Content strategy /by Rahel BailieWhat’s in a professional name In this 4-part series, Rahel Bailie explores and maps the various roles, skills and job titles in content today. Rahel is a renowned content strategist and part of Scroll’s management team. Does it matter what a content person is called, as long as they get the job done? In the […]
Exploring the landscape – part 1 of 3 about content roles and skills
/in Content design, Content strategy /by Rahel BailieExploring the content landscape In this 3-part series, Rahel Bailie explores and maps the various roles, skills and job titles in content today. Rahel is a renowned content strategist and part of Scroll’s management team. Talking about working in the field of content is a bit of a minefield. You can ask what someone does, […]
GDPR: what we did and how
/0 Comments/in Content strategy /by Abby RudlandThe General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25 May 2018. That’s very soon and a lot of people are feeling understandably nervous about it… Here’s what we’re doing at Scroll to prepare for GDPR – and why you should care about it. What is GDPR? GDPR is a piece of legislation that […]
New to content design? Start here
/in Content design /by Pete KowalczykLatest news in content: Spring 2018
/0 Comments/in Content design, What's new in content /by Angela MooreHow to write a style guide (that people can actually use)
/in Content design /by Angela MooreUX writing and content design – a few tricks of the trade
/in Content design /by Pete KowalczykI’ve been working on my portfolio website recently — trying to distil large projects into succinct case studies. In a way it’s been a test of good content design in itself! Something I realised when I was getting this stuff down on paper was there are a few things I tend to do consistently when working on […]
Digital asset management (DAM) at Content, Seriously
/in Content Seriously meetup summary series, Content strategy /by Rahel BailieTwo industry experts presented on DAM and taxonomies at the latest meetup for people who take content seriously. In this special one-off event, participants got to experience an eclectic corner of London in an even more eclectic venue. About the venue: Rotherhithe Picture Research Library The Rotherhithe Picture Research Library is an extensive collection of […]
Latest news in content: autumn 2017
/in Content design, What's new in content /by Angela MooreNews, 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 […]
Things you get for free when you hire a content designer
/in Content design /by Pete KowalczykContent design and user experience (UX) writing are becoming more commonplace. Digital teams are increasingly using content professionals to make their apps and websites better — but that’s not the whole story. One thing that I think can go unnoticed when a company considers hiring a UX writer or content designer is the tacit training and capacity-building […]
Content design in the private and public sectors
/2 Comments/in Content design, Content Seriously meetup summary series /by Rahel BailieContent, Seriously is a meetup for content professionals in London. It’s organised by Rahel Bailie, Scroll’s chief content strategist. Before the latest Content, Seriously event, Rahel polled the meetup members to ask what they wanted to talk about. Content design rose to the top of the list. As the meetup series normally focuses on content […]
How we took Scroll’s Twitter account from 0 to 1,000+ followers
/in Social media /by James DubreyFor most people joining Twitter, it can feel a bit of an anti-climax at the start. You sign up, you follow people, you learn, you laugh, and then when you muster the confidence to tweet something, it’s followed by…nothing. No retweets. No comments. No new followers. Pure tumbleweed. This is the case for all but […]
Latest news in content: Summer 2017
/0 Comments/in What's new in content /by Angela MooreA 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, […]
A rubbish blog post about content design
/in Content design /by Pete KowalczykThe benefits of content design can often go unnoticed. Until content designers turn vigilante… I’m one of the content designers working at the Education and Skills Funding Agency. As content designers, it’s our job to get to the essence of what people need and then strip everything else away. And in the name of content […]
How to get hired – advice for contractors
/in Advice for contractors /by HettyScroll places hundreds of contractors in roles every year. I’m Hetty Meyric Hughes, partner at Scroll, and I manage this process. Here’s my advice on what you need to do to get your next contract. How to get your next content design role – advice from a content agency. Click To Tweet What agencies look […]
Holes in the template: piping content into a web CMS
/in Content strategy /by Rahel BailieWhen companies have large quantities of content – for example, many products, where each one has several pieces of information – that product information probably doesn’t originate from their web content management system (WCMS). The WCMS acts as a ‘presentation layer’ – in other words, a mechanism to display content. The content doesn’t have to live […]
Latest news in content: Spring 2017
/in Uncategorized, What's new in content /by Angela MooreA 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 […]
What is CPD and why does it matter?
/in Content design, Training course /by Beck ThompsonYou’ve been to school – perhaps college or university as well – and studied for some sort of qualifications. You probably still have the certificates somewhere. These qualifications may have helped get you your first job, but they’re not always used at work on a daily basis (I read ‘Paradise Lost’ in a couple of […]
The narcissism of blogging, and why that’s not a bad thing
/in Content design /by Pete KowalczykIs there any point in blogging? Don’t get me wrong, blogs are great if you want to see oil portraiture of ugly Renaissance babies or Kim Jong Il photoshopped unconvincingly onto North Korean civil engineering projects. But I’ve found in software development, people tend to roll their eyes and ask, “Blogging? what’s the point?” Personally, I […]
IR35 and what it might mean for content designers
/0 Comments/in News, Uncategorized /by HettyNew IR35 legislation comes into force I’m a partner at Scroll, where we’ve been hard at work sorting through the implications of the new IR35 legislation. This is a personal interpretation of the new IR35 rules and existing employment ones. I thought it might help to set them out, to order my thoughts and invite […]
Trends in content strategy
/in Content strategy /by Rahel BailieThe Content Strategy Applied 2017 conference (9-10 Feb 2017) ended with a trend-spotting presentation from organisers Rahel Anne Bailie and Lucie Hyde. They brought their collective experience, along with the insights from conference presenters, to the podium. One of the points Rahel made in this presentation was that content professionals today need to constantly work […]
Content audit: how to define goals and scope
/in Content strategy /by Angela MooreA 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
/in What's new in content /by Angela MooreThis 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 […]
Lorem ipsum: why it’s the worst thing ever
/in Content design /by Pete KowalczykI was in a user research session recently and it convinced me that ‘lorem ipsum’ should be outlawed. User after user were flying through the screens we were testing until they hit upon a gobbledygook Latin brick wall. It was a part of the site that hadn’t yet been properly designed, but users didn’t know […]
What’s new in content
/in What's new in content /by Angela MooreThis 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 […]
Why your style guide should be a style manual
/in Content design /by Ben ClancyA style guide is a very useful resource for any organisation. It helps everyone communicating in and from that organisation maintain consistency. It doesn’t tell them how to communicate, though. A style guide sets out conventions. It doesn’t tell you how to write, what tone of voice you should use, how to manage content or […]
Content Strategy Applied
/0 Comments/in Events /by Angela MooreContent 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
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreOne 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 […]
How to cope with the increased demands on content
/in Content strategy /by Rahel BailieThe complexity of producing and delivering content has grown exponentially over the past couple of decades, as the demands for content have grown. In simpler times, content was produced as a single-channel deliverable. We would write an article for a magazine, or a user guide, or a maintenance manual. There was one piece of content […]
Must-read only: what’s new in content
/in What's new in content /by Angela MooreToo 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
/in Content strategy, News /by Angela MooreScroll’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 […]
A content designer is not a web editor
/in Content design /by Beck ThompsonIn 2009, I started working as a senior editor on the Directgov website. This was a dream job: I liked the public sector and had already spent years working as a web content manager for a regional government organisation most people hadn’t heard of (it doesn’t exist anymore). I wanted to write stuff that mattered […]
Editorial, content marketing, advertorial: are we being clear?
/0 Comments/in Content Seriously meetup summary series /by HarryFor a while, during the earlier epochs of digital evolution, the future looked rather bleak for writers. Extinction seemed the inevitable consequence of an online marketplace whose users expected to get quality content for free. How could such an arrangement be supported; how could a writer make a living out of that? As it turned […]
Get the best bits! The latest thinking in content design and content strategy
/0 Comments/in Digital Content Academy newsletter best bits /by Angela MooreHere’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 […]
Good translations start with good source content
/0 Comments/in Content strategy /by Rahel BailieIf you’re surprised to hear that the biggest impact you can have on your translation budget lies with your source content, you’re not alone. Shoring up your source content seems counter-intuitive, but it’s exactly the right strategy to get the most value from your translation and localisation projects. Organisations can achieve 50% to 80% reduction […]
What happens when content design crashes into the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
/0 Comments/in Content design, Content Seriously meetup summary series, Content strategy /by HarryWhat would it be like to produce content in a total data vacuum? Picture yourself working in soundproofed blacked-out box with a computer that can only send but never receive information. You have a brief to design some content, but you haven’t been given much information about your users. You’re going to have to […]
Scroll welcomes new staff member Beck Thompson
/0 Comments/in News /by Beck ThompsonFirst week at Scroll – introducing myself This week, I joined the Scroll central team. I’ll be helping to look after Scroll clients and content designers, scoping out projects and providing editorial guidance and quality control – amongst other things. I’m really excited to be doing this role: I’ve worked alongside Scrollies in content design […]
Don’t miss this – advice, tips and tricks for content strategy and content design
/0 Comments/in Content design, Content strategy, Digital Content Academy newsletter best bits /by Angela MooreHere’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 […]
Prevent content from being a project blocker
/0 Comments/in Content design, Content strategy /by Rahel BailieA common time for organisations to take a long, hard look at their content is during a ‘web refresh’ project. This is when an organisation wants to update the look and feel of its website. It’s usually prompted by a business need – new functionality, rebranding after an acquisition or merger, or a simple update […]
How to produce quality content
/0 Comments/in Content Seriously meetup summary series /by HarryWe all want quality content. Nothing is more likely to lose an audience than badly designed, poorly written, uninformative content – and no-one sets out to produce that. But what is quality? How do we know when we are getting it right? How can we measure it? Content is the difference What we do know […]
Webinar: Delivery – the misunderstood piece of the product content puzzle
/0 Comments/in Events /by Angela MooreContent 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
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreIt’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 […]
Better metrics for social media
/0 Comments/in Content Seriously meetup summary series /by Rahel BailieMarketing Week reports that nearly half of CMOs claim social media has below average impact on profitability. As Marketing has led the charge on Social Media adoption, it’s time to learn how social media measurement can make much bigger impact to business by avoiding impressions, followers or engagement rates as your main KPIs.
Applying science to content analytics
/0 Comments/in Content Seriously meetup summary series /by Rahel BailieFewer than 10% of content managers use analytics to drive decision-making. Adrian Kingwell explodes a few myths and explain how to use numbers to make better content decisions. From his presentation: Analysis paralysis: how I conquered my fear of numbers and learned to love Google Analytics.
Content strategy tips for future-friendly content
/0 Comments/in Content Seriously meetup summary series /by HarryNo one likes stale content. That’s why we do our best to give it a long life, making it interesting and relevant to our audience in ways that could endure weeks, months or even years. The same goes for content design, but this has the added difficulty of going past its sell-by date because of […]
Buzzzzt! Content is energy
/0 Comments/in Content Seriously meetup summary series /by HarryContent. We hear that word all the time. But think for a minute, what does ‘content’ mean to you? The way we think about content has a profound effect on how we approach content-related problems – and how we solve them. For some, content is a commodity to be packed, packaged, displayed and (we hope) consumed. If it’s […]
Evidence-based content strategy and design
/4 Comments/in Content design, Content strategy /by Rahel BailieThere is a lot of talk about evidence-based design these days. A quick search for evidence-based design, or EBD, returns results mostly focused on health care and the construction industry. Both of these professions have a vested interest in developing an empirical understanding of how people interact with their environments so that their practices can […]
Be brave with your content design
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreThe 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
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreWhen 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
/0 Comments/in Content design /by Angela MooreIt’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 […]