Case study: Creating content models
Starting from scratch, I spearheaded the creation of content models for individual content types and for the overall system that powers Atlassian help and support content at scale.
What was the problem?
After selecting our new content management system (CMS) vendor, my team needed to create content models that reflected the following:
the types of content Content Design needed
the relationships between content types
functionality that supported content migrating from our legacy system and that set us up to move toward more intelligent, automatable information architectures
functionality that supported parity with the legacy site’s end-user experience during the migration process
The new CMS came with no templates for such content models. My team was creating this entirely from scratch.
Who was involved?
CORE TEAM
Our core group operated under the “triad model” in which three different roles formed a leadership team.
Project manager
John Collins (content strategist/architect)
Engineering manager (One person transitioned out of this role and another replaced them during the project.)
Senior UX/service designer (part of the core team for only part of this project)
CONSULTED TEAM
Lead content designer
Vendor’s customer success team
INFORMED
All of Content Design
How was the problem solved?
The triad of the core team took part in on-site workshops in Austin with the vendor’s customer success team.
Those workshops sparked clarity for the triad about how to model the overall relationships between content types. Still, many discussions and debates ensued. Realizing that debates could continue indefinitely, the team and I started building prototype system-level content models.
I drove the evolving creation of models for individual content types. The models changed as I tackled authoring experience design and content design for focus areas like URLs and metadata. I led work on these focus areas through specific design sprints that I planned, with participation from various Content Design “champions.”
I created and still maintain a detailed content model specification.
What was the outcome of this project?
Launched a User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment to get Content Design feedback. 71% of content designers at the time logged in and tried the system out.
The UAT launch helped us realize that some of the relationships between content types made it either impossible or computationally prohibitive to build a website. The team made a few adjustments to the system content model to address those issues.
Launched the first set of documentation powered by the new content models.
Consulted with other Atlassian teams considering the CMS. Gave intro to content modeling, explored content model options, or provided feedback on content models. Helped expedite their implementations.
We’ve continued to iterate on the content model, tweaking existing content types and adding new content types to enable new capabilities for authors and experiences for end users.
Competencies demonstrated
Strategic
planning
Gathered information from stakeholders
Collected insights from content audits
Compiled best practices from industry publications and thought leaders.
Distilled all that into a vision for Content Design’s content management platform
Partnered with my product manager to break the work into manageable chunks.
High-impact communication
Used internal pages, blogs, meetings, and presentations to communicate about the content modeling work.
Careful to take a step back to give context or make concepts more concrete.
Took time to have 1:1 discussions with folks at a whiteboard to help them understand or spar ideas.
Building relationships
Disagreed with the two other members of the core team triad about how to model content, made a case for why it was a problem, listened to their side, and ultimately the triad made a strong, healthy compromise.
Reached out to Content Design for members of “Brains Trust” or “champions” to help co-design parts of the content models.
Continued building relationship with SEO team and seeking their input.
Facilitated participatory workshops with content designers in Sydney.
Guiding team success
Passionately advocated for the integrity of the content, relationships between types of content, and also for the needs of the authors who would use the content models daily.
Repeatedly sought feedback from Content Design, SEO, and others.
Brought in Content Design stakeholders to participate in design, both remotely and during in-person workshops.
Shifted schedule to overlap more with Sydney to help content designers migrate to the new CMS.
Continuous improvement
Iteratively refining ideas and making a backlog of ongoing enhancements that can made to the content models.
Sought feedback from a variety of sources, including the project team, Content Design, SEO, and the vendor’s success team.
Applied
reasoning
Balanced building a future-ready system with the pragmatic needs of migration from an older system and the need to make tangible progress toward shipping.
Coaching
Helped senior designer get up to speed on content strategy and content management when she joined the design work on the team.
Clarified division of workstreams between myself and the senior designer.
Frequently sparred design work with senior designer.