Content design is a way of creating content that starts from what a user needs to do, then decides what to publish, in what format and in what words, so they can do it as easily as possible. The content might end up as a page, a table, a short answer, a form label or nothing at all if the need is better met another way.
How content design works
The discipline was popularised in the UK by the Government Digital Service, the team that built GOV.UK in the early 2010s. It had to replace thousands of departmental pages with one site that members of the public could actually use, and it found that writing nicer copy was not enough. The team had to decide what each piece of content was for before writing it.
In practice, a content designer works through a few steps:
- Find the user need. Evidence comes from search queries, site search logs, calls and emails to customer service, and research with users. Needs are often written in a simple form: “As a [type of user], I need [to do something] so that [outcome]”.
- Decide the best format. A process may suit numbered steps; a comparison suits a table; a quick factual answer suits one clear sentence near the top of the page.
- Write in the user’s words. Use the terms people search for and say aloud, not internal jargon. Plain English is the default, because even expert readers prefer it when they are busy.
- Test and iterate. Watch people use the page through usability testing, see where they hesitate and change it.
Content designers often pair-write with subject experts: the expert makes sure the content is accurate, and the designer makes sure it is usable. The result is checked against both standards.
Why it matters
For a business site, content design closes the gap between what you want to say and what customers came to find out. A plumber’s site that lists “boiler servicing, landlord gas safety certificates, power flushing” in the words customers use, with prices or price ranges and what happens on the day, will usually get better enquiries than one built around a paragraph on the company’s values.
It also overlaps with SEO more than people expect. Writing in the words users search for, answering the question at the top of the page and structuring content so it scans well all help search engines understand and surface the page. Good content design improves readability, which helps people of every ability, and it supports web accessibility. UK public sector websites have specific accessibility duties, and content design is now a common job title across government and many agencies.
Common mistakes
- Starting from a page template or a word count instead of from the need.
- Using internal names for services or products that customers never use.
- Assuming the user reads every word. Most scan for the part that answers their question.
- Treating content design as copy-editing at the end, rather than a decision about what content should exist.
- Keeping content because a stakeholder wants it there, even when no user need supports it.
How to act on it
Pick one important page, such as your main service page. Gather evidence on what people need from it: the queries that lead there in Search Console, the questions customers ask before buying, the reasons people call instead of booking online. Write those needs down.
Then rebuild the page around them. Answer the most common question first, use headings that match the questions, and replace long paragraphs with lists or tables where the content is really a list or a comparison. Finally, ask two or three people who match your customers to use the page while you watch.
Shaping pages around what users and searchers need is a core part of my content SEO and strategy service.