ReduceReuseRestructure

The In-house Content Strategist’s Guide to STRUCTURED

CONTENT Christopher Hess

@crhess

Your content's structure is what either limits or extends your ability to repurpose that content and make rules about where and when it should appear.

-Sara Wachter-Boettcher

STRUCTURED CONTENT IS AN ASSUMED STARTING POINT

Making the case for structured content

Fugazi ~ The Argument

oReuse instead of proliferation and duplication

oFlexibility of presentation and style

oCross-platform and cross-channel usability

oBetter experiences

OMGNOW WUT

o Strategy (migration / new, metadata, reuse…)

o Modeling and the model

o What to do with ito Growing your teamo Doing the thing!

Here’s wut

o In-house Content Strategist

o Recovering writer-editor type

o Brought structured content (and Content Strategy) home from here

Your guide

Christopher Hess@crhess

Briefly: What is Structured Content?

Structured Content isWhat your business needs it to beWhat your CMS and APIs require it to beWhat your taxonomy says it should beWhat your users want it to be

Structured Content isWhat your business needs it to beWhat your CMS and APIs require it to beWhat your taxonomy says it should beWhat your users want it to be

Structured Content isWhat your business needs it to beWhat your CMS and APIs require it to beWhat your taxonomy says it should beWhat your users want it to be

Structured Content isWhat your business needs it to beWhat your CMS and APIs require it to beWhat your taxonomy says it should beWhat your users want it to be

STRUCTURED CONTENT is:

Clearly defined and focused

topics

Separated from any single

presentation

Modular, reusable,

recombinable

STRATEGY

FIRST!

Reuse Christopher

Hess@crhess

GUIDES STRUCTURE

The need for structure follows the rise of reuse. ~Cleve Gibbon

o Integration of content setso Standards!o Change in delivery platformo [Your business needs here]

Other reasons for structure

Now GET STARTED

You know enough. Take the first step

and then the next steps.

ModelingMODELING and the MODEL

Modeling steps

Find your patternsDefine your typesEstablish their relationshipsShare it all

Find your patternsDefine your typesEstablish their relationshipsShare it all

Modeling steps

The Current Model

GTW connects to KBCannot contain any linksCan link to anything

DETAILS

TOPICSPI: LEARNING

ABOUT

PI: AFTER VISIT

PI: PRE- & POST-

Go to Web

MAJOR

MINI

SPECIAL

MED TEST

FOCUS

CONDITION CENTER

SURG DETAIL

DRUG DETAIL

TEST DETAIL

OTHER TX DETAIL

iTOOL WRAPPER

POP-UPS

MMDOC

DEFINITION

DECISION POINT

REF

QUICK TIPS

PERSONAL STORY

FRAMES

PDF/FORM

CSPs

L2E

VIDEO

SYMPTOM

SYMPTOM Topic

disposition

note

The Current Model: Relationships

Asth

ma

trigg

ers

All Asthma Content

Asth

ma

KnowledgeBasePIs

CSPs

L2E

Prin

t Gui

deDuped and redundantacross products

Asth

ma

trigg

ers

Where we’re headed

Educational/Informational Task instructions Actionable Stories Videos Images Messages Option comparison &c.

Patterns = PurposeWhat’s the content’s job?

Modeling stepsFind your patternsDefine your typesEstablish their relationshipsShare it all

Healthwise Topic TypesTopic Type DescriptionInfoConcept Informational, Educational; Available in 3 sizes

Task Instructional, How-to

Action Actionable, non-sequential

When to Call When to call 911 or your doctor

Story Personal stories

Media Images with titles, captions, alt-text

Video Videos with titles and captions

Definition Healthwise definitions

Library topic DITA reuse mechanism

Slideshow Healthwise slideshows

Message For user contact in campaigns

In Development: Decision, Option, Quiz

Topic types—Overview

1. InfoconceptExample and guide

Provides information about one specific aspect of a subject area, such as what it is, how it’s diagnosed, treatment options, etc.

Comes in three sizes: main point, summary, and full detail. May not need all three sizes because sometimes info can’t be boiled down to a main point or summary, and sometimes there’s not enough info to warrant a full detail. Consult with your editor as needed.

Title (for all infoconcept sizes)Usually a standard question (see the standardized titles section for the list of standard titles).

Examples: What is angina? How is heart failure diagnosed? Why is an MRI used?

InfoConcept

Provides information about one specific aspect of a subject area, such as what it is, how it’s diagnosed, treatment options, etc.

Comes in three sizes: main point, summary, and full detail. May not need all three sizes because sometimes info can’t be boiled down to a main point or summary, and sometimes there’s not enough info to warrant a full detail.

Info

Conc

ept

How-to info—steps that need to be done in a specific (i.e., numbered) order.• Each step should be its own bullet. Supporting info for a step goes into separate tags.• Length: No length limits, but the step names (commands) should be short, and the

supporting info should be between 1 and 3 sentences.

Task

Actionable content. Tips-type info that you want to keep together as one list.

Note: Action topics may be accompanied by main point and summary infoconcepts (no full detail). Each tip should be its own bullet. Supporting info goes into separate tags. Length: No limit, keep the tip itself short and try to limit the supporting info to 1 to 3

sentences.

Acti

on

A triaged list of symptoms. Covers call 911, call now, and call your doctor.W

hen

To C

all

Stor

yPersonal stories include image, teaser, pull quote.

Modeling stepsFind your patternsDefine your typesEstablish their relationshipsShare it all

Healthwise Topic TypesTopic Type DescriptionInfoconcept Informational, Educational; Available in 3 sizes

Task Instructional, How-to

Action Actionable, non-sequential

When to Call When to call 911 or your doctor

Story Personal stories

Media Images with titles, captions, alt-text

Video Videos with titles and captions

Definition Healthwise definitions

Library topic DITA reuse mechanism

Slideshow Healthwise slideshows

Message For user contact in campaigns

In Development: Decision, Option, Quiz

CONREF

Type: Stem Topic

Type: InfoconceptSU

CONREF

CONREF

Type: InfoconceptSUAll Content Reference

Type: When to CallAll Content Reference

Type: Stem TopicAspect: afterVisitConcept: Pinkeye

Type: InfoconceptSUAspect: careInstructionsConcept: Pinkeye

Type: InfoconceptSUAspect: selfCareConcept: Pinkeye

Type: WTCAspect: WhenToCallConcept: Pinkeye

PI MAPMetadataAspect/Concept:HWID: ??

Type: Stem TopicAspect: afterVisitConcept: Pinkeye

Type: InfoconceptSUAspect: careInstructionsConcept: Pinkeye

Type: InfoconceptSUAspect: selfCareConcept: Pinkeye

Type: WTCAspect: WhenToCallConcept: Pinkeye

Footer? Logo? GtW?

Topicrefs

Library TopicSelf-care treatment info• Item• Item• &c.

Library TopicWhen to Call info• Item• Item• &c.

CONREF

Pre-Op / Pre-Procedure PI

{Surgery name}: Before Your Surgery

What happens before surgery?

What happens on the day of surgery?

What is {a/an surgery name}?

Boilerplate: follow-up

Going home

When should you call your doctor?

Topic type: InfoconceptConcept: Aspect:Notes: Boilerplate language conreffed here? What about title?

Topic type: Infoconcept SU or FD? (Or Care Instructions?)Concept: [procedure—subject of the PI]Aspect: OverviewNotes: Boilerplate conreffed here conditionally?

Map Title? Stem topic?

Topic type: Infoconcept SUConcept: [procedure—subject of the PI]Aspect: How to PrepareNotes: [Eventually conreffed from library topic of self-care]

Topic type: When to CallConcept: procedure—subject of the PIAspect: When to CallNotes: Conreffed from library topic; reusable elsewhere

{Surgery name}: Before Your Surgery

What happens before surgery?

What happens on the day of surgery?

What is {a/an surgery name}?

Boilerplate: follow-up

Going home

When should you call your doctor?

Topic type: Infoconcept SUConcept: [procedure—subject of the PI]Aspect: How doneNotes:

Topic type: Infoconcept SUConcept: [procedure—subject of the PI]Aspect: aftercareNotes:

Pre-Op / Pre-Procedure PI

Modeling stepsFind your patternsDefine your typesEstablish their relationshipsShare it all

Provides information about one specific aspect of a subject area, such as what it is, how it’s diagnosed, treatment options, etc.

Comes in three sizes: main point, summary, and full detail. May not need all three sizes because sometimes info can’t be boiled down to a main point or summary, and sometimes there’s not enough info to warrant a full detail.

Info

Conc

ept

Your Content Model

EditorialDesign

UX

IAProductSales

Connect:

Editorialo Meaning informs structureo AnalyzeAnalyzeAnalyzeo Find patternso Choose best / most prevalento Adapt to those

Content Development

o Team

o Tools

o Process

o FLEXIBILITY

Designo Modular and scalable, too

o Atomic design + SC = !!!!!!!

o Object-oriented

o Structure-aware

o Purpose Purposeful

UX

Possibilities AND constraints

They get influence, too

Product and sales

YOUR TEAMo New demands, same peopleo Help build skills while

acknowledging strengths and legacy

New roles

o Extending roleso Changing dutieso Adding skills

STRENGTHS Interests

Strate

gy

Operat

ions

ChangeMake it happen

Make it matter

Make it manageable

So WHY do this, again?

?

FlexibilityAdaptabilityReusabilityConsistencyQuality

WHY to do this

Where to go from hereThink bigStart smallKeep movingLearn as you go

Christopher Hess

@crhess