Content Convergence

Rahel Anne Bailie© 2008 Intentional Design Inc.

Content convergence is

a move away from content silos.

Paired with content integration, which is

combining content from multiple sources.

Together, they have powerful communication potential.

Content convergence means portability.

Content can be mixed-and-matched to fit new contexts.

To be portable, content needs to:

• Be structured

• Have semantic properties

• Be findable (searchable)

• Conform to standards

Portable content makes context more important.Portable content makes context more important.

Content must support multiple contexts.

Complex contexts demand concise content.

Shape content around a single concept.

Context changes content.

The ability to re-use content across contexts increases content value.

Content is not isolated.Content is not isolated.

Content does need to be self-contained.

Portable content can look like this

•Blog posts

•Images (in blog posts)

•Twitter posts

•Upcoming conference gigs

•User-generated content

•Visitor log

•Subscription information

www.salimismail.com

Or it can look like this

•Blog posts

•Images

•Twitter posts

•Upcoming product releases

•User-generated content

•Visitor login

• Ratings information

• Ecommerce data

• Audio files

• Product descriptions

www.allmusic.com

Portable content creates value

Content is integrated from:

• Airline booking

• Hotel booking

• Car rental booking

• Google maps

• Weather network

• User-generated content

… and more.

Convergence is automated, generating an automatic, customized itinerary.

This convergence of content provides a value-add service to the user.

www.tripit.com

Portable content creates efficienciesPortable content creates efficiencies.

Content must support multiple contexts.

When architected well, it happens seamlessly.

Information portal

TechComm

content

User-generated content

Engineering content

CRM content

Support center content

Marketing content

RSS feedsSubscriptions

Training content

Convergence creates possibilities.

The end goal is user satisfaction.

Users demand more, better, faster.

Users demand it

Organic content convergence

World of Warcraft

• Some users dissatisfied with documentation provided.

• Built their own database.

• Better quality, more features.

Apple

• Search for “iPhone help” and observe the results

• Search for an error message by number (e.g. “error message 12846”) and observe the results

• Users will create their own documentation.

•Their sites will come up higher in search engines.

• Your reputation suffers.

• Brand management issues arise.

World of Warcraft

wow.allakhazam.com/

The market demands it

• Organizations need to deliver more content, faster, cheaper.

• The content needs to work for many similar products.

• There is a need to deliver to multiple markets , sometimes in multiple languages.

• There is too much content to deal with, to create linear content.

HP

• HP knowledge base has integrated all content into a single page

• Highest result in the search engines

• Well designed convergence experience for users

HP Knowledge Center

h30413.www3.hp.com/SupportServices/country/us/en/support/T1100.html.htm

The move away from single-use, linear content is happening fast.

Every day, the bar is raised a little higher.

The pressure is on to devise strategies for portable content.

You snooze, you lose.

Strategies are business-dependent

There is no formula.

• The solutions are as unique as the business and the reasons for needing the strategy.

• It means changes in technologies.

• It means change in processes.

•It means change in skill sets.

• There needs to be a strategy.

• The strategy needs to be rooted in business requirements.

Treat content as a valuable corporate asset.

It means rethinking the nature of content.

Content should be a corporate strategy, designed by a content strategist.

Designing content ties into experience design

Subsets of experience design are:

• Multi-channel experience

• Digital experience design

• User experience

• User-centered design

• Service design

• Usability

No matter what you call it, the end goal is to improve the experience for the end user.

T-shaped thinkers are particularly adept

at convergent, synergistic thinking.

www.davidarmano.com/thought.html

Think outside the site

• What are the touch points

• What can be automated for users

• What are the preferences of your audiences

• How creative can you be?

• What is the best you can provide, in practicality?

Think holistically; act boldly.

Contact Info and Acknowledgements

Presentation © 2008 Intentional Design Inc.

www.intentionaldesign.ca

Presenter:

Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist

+1.604.837.0034

Photographs used under Creative Commons:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/