Content Modeling: Where Strategy, Design, and Tech Converge

Prepared by Seth Giammanco

1. Content Modeling
2. Who am I? Seth Giammanco Minds On Design Lab
 Principal, Business and Technology Lead @sethgiammanco
 @mindsondesign http://mod-lab.com ! Architecting, building, and using the web since about ’95 I like Aikido Content Modeling
3. Goals What we’re covering • What is a content model? • How is it created? • Why does it matter? • What could go wrong? • Why does it matter the sequel: The now and future tech Content Modeling
4. What is a content model? “A content model helps clarify requirements and encourages collaboration between the designers, the developers creating the CMS, and the content creators.” - Rachel Lovinger, Content Strategy Director, Razorfish NYC - 
 http://alistapart.com/article/content-modelling-a-master-skill Content Modeling
5. What is a content model? Technical documentation for your digitally delivered content. • What are the different types of content? • What are the elements that comprise each type? • What are the relationships between types of content? Content Modeling
6. What is a content model? What does it 
 look like? A content model can take many forms. Blog 1 1 Title 2 Body Blog 2 1 Title 2 Detail Image & Summary 2 Body Content Modeling
7. How is a content model created? “Content models appear to be the black sheep of information architecture. They are seldom done.” - Cleve Gibbon, CTO, Cognifide - http://www.clevegibbon.com/content- modeling/what-is-content-modeling/ Content Modeling
8. How is a content model created? Content first You need to get intimate with the content. Make it romantic
 It’s not about numbers and it is not a sitemap! Getting to know content is not “We have 100 pages” and certainly is not a spreadsheet with page titles. Content Modeling http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/spotlight-the-st-regis-aspen-resort/27159
9. How is a content model created? What are the different types of content? • General Page • Blog • Event • News • Press Release • Impact Story • … Content Modeling
10. How is a content model created? Explore similarities between content News = Press Release = Blog? Content Modeling Explore relationships between content News -> Event Schedule -> Event Speaker -> Event
11. How is a content model created? Define the structure of content • Event - Title - Start Date - End Date - Summary - Description - Detail Image - Location - … Content Modeling
12. What and how Break it down Content modeling involves reviewing content intimately and documenting types, relationships, and elements. Content Modeling https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-break-it-down-20/
13. Why does a content model matter? “Create one that is too complex and full of distinctions without meaningful differences 
 and you wind up with unwieldy content management systems (CMSs) and unhappy content creators. But if you don’t break the hard rocks of the given subject matter you wind up with an unstructured blob of content that is hard to reshape and reuse.” - Anthony Kosner, Contributor to Forbes.com. Developer and designer, content strategist, producer and web editor. -
 http://contently.com/strategist/2013/03/12/content-modeling-and-the-art- of-the-database/ Content Modeling
14. Why does a content model matter? Cyclical influence • Strategy • Graphic Design • Technology Your Content Model influences and is influenced by the above. Content Modeling http://catblogforhumans.tumblr.com/
15. Why does a content model matter? Content Modeling Strategy
 A content model can ensure that blog content has a summary, campaign content has a pitch, or that every news entry has a detail photo. Design 
 A content model allows an image or testimonial to be showcased in a unique way. It can ensure a sponsor logo is presented respectfully. Technology
 A content model allows a publish/ edit form to scaffold an author with context and directions that make sense to the content he/ she is working on.
16. Why does a content model matter? In action 1. Topic Title 2. Topic Subtitle 3. Topic Summary 4. Detail Image Title of presentation goes here on these lines 1 2 3 4
17. Why does a content model matter? In action 1. Topic Title 2. Topic Subtitle 3. Topic Summary 4. Detail Image Title of presentation goes here on these lines 1 2 3 4
18. Why does a content model matter? Content Modeling In action 1. Home Page - Featured 2. Action Topic List 3. Action Topic Detail 1 2 3
19. Why does a content model matter? Break it down Content modeling impacts the delivery of your strategic messaging, visual design possibilities, and technology efficiency and ease of use…to name a few. Content Modeling https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-break-it-down-20/
20. What can go wrong? “Content modeling is one of these lonely ungrateful jobs, that nobody notices, except if something goes wrong.” - Albert Warnecke, Bandikutmedia - http://www.bandikutmedia.de/eintrag/ content-modeling-the-tip-of-the-iceberg Content Modeling
21. What can go wrong? WYSIWYG If your answer to modeling different content is a WYSIWYG that looks like this, what you will get is a really sad brand manager. Content Modeling ckeditor.com/demo#full
22. What can go wrong? Content Frankenstein’s monster • News • Article • Press Release • Blog Content Modeling • Update • Action Alert • Happening • Impact Story http://mets360.com/?attachment_id=18219
23. What can go wrong? CMS ease of use This is the form entry for your blog, event, page, staff member, board member, product, story, … Doesn’t help the author much. Content Modeling
24. What can go wrong? Break it down Content modeling gone wrong impacts flexibility, maintainability, brand alignment, and most of all quality of web publishing life. Content Modeling https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-break-it-down-20/
25. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech “...we need to shed the notion that we create layouts from a canvas in. We need to flip it 
 on its head, and create layouts from the content out.” - Mark Boulton, A Richer Canvas - http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/ a-richer-canvas Content Modeling
26. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech API madness Digital content travels beyond the confines of your website to apps and spaces where they have not gone before. • RSS for blobs • API is modeled way Wordpress 4.1 REST API http://wptavern.com/json-rest-api-slated-for- wordpress-4-1-release Drupal 8 Web Services - Built-in Web Services
 https://www.drupal.org/drupal-8.0 Content Modeling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Step_Beyond...
27. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech Responsive design is not a fad Content Modeling http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/post/this-is-the-web/
28. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech Responsive and performant • Content as discrete and easily targeted entities for responsive and performance optimizations • Media Handling - One Image … many versions - Responsive, Retina, and Performance - Video - Other embedded media Content Modeling
29. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech Imagine if you will… “Your content should inform the design of your email, not the other way around.” - Campaign Monitor - https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/post/4211/ introducing-canvas-a-new-way-to-build-emails ! A small revision to broaden the scope “Your content should inform the design of your email, website, and/or application, not the other way around” … “ and your technology should make that easy to do.” - My version Content Modeling
30. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech Content blocks Content Modeling http://www.newfangled.com/ the_way_you_design_web_content_is_about_to_change
31. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech Content blocks: We have the technology • Craft CMS - http://buildwithcraft.com • Wordpress - Divi - http://www.elegantthemes.com/gallery/divi/ - Advanced Custom Fields - http:// www.advancedcustomfields.com/add-ons/flexible- content-field/ • Drupal - Layout - https://www.drupal.org/project/layout Content Modeling
32. Why it matters the sequel: The now and future tech Break it down Content modeling can lead to more effective distributed use of content, increase accessibility and optimization, and liberate publishers. Content Modeling https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-break-it-down-20/
33. Strategic design and technology mod-lab.com