Train your technical writers in UX writing – join our training day on February 10. Book your seat.
Train your technical writers in UX writing – join our training day on February 10. Book your seat.
UXCC CEO Patrick Stafford explaining the Content Design 3.0 framework during an April 2024 webinar.
It’s always tempting to make too much of a moment. But so much is happening in content design — and has happened in the past 2 years — that I think we’re dealing with a complete paradigm shift in how we approach our discipline.
The number of content designers, UX writers, and content strategists has exploded. We have several conferences. There are content design departments and practices at the largest organizations in the world. New technology is demanding involvement with content — and we have more opportunities to influence and impact work at the highest levels.
Our connection to the design process has never been more important. But things are changing.
To be clear, layoffs, hiring, and new technology — these are all trends that have happened before and will happen again. But the recent shifts in how we work are so dramatic that I think they require a new approach in the way we think — and the way we do our jobs.
Content has always been, and will always be, critical. But how we go about creating and governing that content is changing.
There will be great opportunities for content designers, UX writers, and content strategists who are willing to adapt and embrace new ways of thinking.
Before we start talking about what phase we’re in next, we need to talk about where we’ve been. Even though digital content strategy has a history that spans decades, I’ve broken the discipline into two stages for simplicity. Each is defined by different technologies.
This phase is defined by the development of early protocols, infrastructure, and frameworks that defined how content was delivered through software, and then websites. Tools like information architecture frameworks, technical writing standards, and other types of early content modeling played a huge role here.
As the digital landscape evolved, so did the principles of content organization. The focus was not only on documentation but also on structuring content for the emerging web platforms. This era saw the development of foundational web technologies such as HTML and XML, which were crucial for setting the standards for how content was consumed and organized online.
The discourse around information architecture during this period highlighted its overlap with web design. We saw influential publications like “Information Architecture for the Web,” which is still relevant in its fourth or fifth edition, and other critical works such as “Managing Enterprise Content” and “Content Critical.”
It’s also important to note that at this point, the term “content design” did not exist and “content strategy” was the preferred term.
With the arrival of smartphones around 2008 or 2009, content design began to adapt to the constraints and possibilities of mobile software. This period marked a significant shift as the practices established in the first phase were applied to mobile apps, enhancing the user experience in the compact formats of mobile devices.
Content strategy matured into a formal discipline during this time, evidenced by the first content strategy conference in 2009 and seminal publications like “Content Strategy for the Web.” Major companies like Facebook recognized the importance of structured content strategy, hiring their first content strategists and integrating UX writing roles, which were further developed at tech giants like Apple and Android.
As the discipline grew, the terminology evolved from content strategy to UX writing and finally to content design (although all coexist somewhat right now).
The late 2010s saw a notable shift in professional titles, with companies such as Facebook and Shopify transitioning their roles from content strategists to content designers. This period also saw the enrichment of content design literature with works like “Elements of Content Strategy” and the practical applications demonstrated on platforms like Gov.UK, which played a significant role in popularizing the term “content design” (coined by Sarah Winters).
I think this phase culminated in the hiring spree we saw during COVID, and then finally the shrinking of the market we all experienced as part of the post-COVID layoffs — alongside the public release of Large Language Models.
It’s at this point that I think we’ve entered a new era for content design. Much like the shift to early web technology heralded the beginning of phase 1, and the advent of the smartphone for phase 2, the beginning of phase 3 is triggered (but not wholly defined) by AI.
In this phase, I think content designers need to think differently about their roles in order to succeed. Old ways of approaching content won’t work, and may actually detrimentally impact user experiences.
At this point, I should underscore that none of what I’m describing changes how we approach UX or content in general.
Traditional ways of understanding UX, or content, such as the “Elements of User Experience” or the “Content Strategy Quadrant” are still relevant. The shift to Content Design 3.0 isn’t about changing “how” we solve problems, but specifically “what” problems we’re solving.
Why does it matter if we enter a new “phase”? Why is it useful to think about our discipline like this?
There are a few reasons why:
In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a huge shift in Large Language Models. What’s been interesting to note is that the supposed erasure of content design jobs due to AI has not occurred. Instead, we’re seeing content designers actually lead in taking part in these models.
Content designers are using these tools in their day-to-day work, and more job postings are calling for content designers who understand AI. It’s still early in this change, but I think we’ve now reached a point where we are existing alongside this new technology that we thought would threaten jobs.
There will still be instances where generative technology may take the place of content design roles. But demand for the discipline exists and is growing.
Just a few years ago, job descriptions for content designers were focused on ensuring content or content-adjacent experience. Now those same job descriptions ask for experience in Figma, rapid prototyping, usability testing, specialized topics like accessibility, etc. The assumed experience and capability of a junior level content designer has increased.
It isn’t just that content designers are using generation-defining technology, we’re helping define it. Content designers are working closely on AI models at some of the largest organizations in the field. Not only that, but the nature of the technology means content plays a critical role in success. These models do not work without quality content training.
Each phase of content design requires new ways of thinking and new ways to adapt. The changes I’ve described indicate we’ve reached another turning point, similar to the shift to mobile in 2008-09.
Here are the five key pillars that I think characterize Content Design 3.0:
Again, these five principles of Content Design 3.0 do not replace the foundational principles of content strategy and UX design but build upon them. They encourage a more dynamic, inclusive, and strategic approach to content design that is essential for navigating the challenges and opportunities we face right now.
Let’s break each one down.
We’re moving to an environment where we focus less on the individual output of what we create and more about the parameters to shape those outputs.
So much of our effort has been writing individual deliverables like strings. The big change we see now is that content is scalable. Previously output was defined by the extent of our ability to write. Now, our output is defined by our ability to create quality instructions for models to write on our behalf.
This opens up new possibilities, like extreme personalization. A future scenario where UI strings are no longer individually created but dynamically generated then poses a question: who guides the dynamic creation of UI content at scale?
Of course, product content is more than just words inside a user interface. The creation of all content in a software experience is now subject to scalability. This requires a profound shift in focus from being mere creators to becoming architects who design the parameters and systems that guide content generation.
In some ways, this is nothing new. We understand how to create guides for tone and voice and other characteristics. However, content designers need to embrace this shift by focusing less on manual delivery and more on developing and managing the systems that produce content. This involves a deeper understanding of information architecture, the ability to design effective system prompts for AI-driven interactions, knowledge graphs, and a comprehensive grasp of how different components within a tech stack interact to deliver content dynamically.
Many content designers experience a challenge where colleagues write content on their own without gaining “approval.” Rogue UX content is a big problem. We’re now entering a situation where generative content models allow that problem to grow exponentially. Everyone isn’t just a writer — they’re a writer who can create more words a day than they could ever think of before.
This is where the issue of scalability in the first principle extends to the second. Imagine a future scenario where design systems combined with content guidelines can dynamically create content as designers place them together in Figma.
The designer doesn’t need to “think” about creating the content. It simply happens during the design process. In many ways, principle 2 is the reason why principle 1 is important: content creation is becoming democratized, ergo we need guidelines to ensure quality at scale.
This becomes a business differentiator. If organizations are able to produce quality content at scale, they win.
Content designers who hold on to antiquated notions that we alone are content creators, now risk becoming irrelevant. Instead, future-thinking content designers need to embrace democratized content creation and ensure quality at scale.
I don’t want to overstate how much AI could change the industry. But I do think it’s clear LLMs aren’t just a trend, they’re changing the way we do things.
We are now seeing content designers work hand-in-hand with engineers to work on fine-tuning and release specialized models for specific business cases. So much of what we need to define these models and make them work is content.
We are also witnessing content designers move from traditional “content design” roles to “AI model design” roles. These are very much still content roles but are slightly changing their focus. It isn’t just for people at larger organizations. Any generative AI experience needs content parameters and someone to identify “good” or “bad” answers.
Think back to principle 2: defining good content at scale then feeds into AI experiences.
Again, the skills needed here are often classic content strategy, information architecture, knowledge graphs, and other types of content organization tools are crucial for these models to succeed.
Much like how content designers and UX writers helped work on definitive smartphone technology, I believe content designers in this phase will have leading parts to play in any type of generative AI experience.
I believe Content Design 3.0 will see — and has already seen — more content leaders adopt generalized UX leadership positions.
This isn’t just about achieving some form of “success” for the industry. I believe this shift will ultimately filter to junior and intermediate positions and raise expectations for quality. Proving impact is now table stakes. Product thinking and strategy will become a part of early content roles more than they have previously.
Expectations at an “intermediate” level may now be more expected at a “junior” level. I expect more hiring managers will want to see portfolios that feature strategic thinking (and solving problems related to scaling identified in the first 3 principles), rather than just UI strings.
Ever since the retraction in the hiring during COVID, there has now been a distinct focus on growth and proving impact. And while this may just be a temporary shift, I actually think it’s a signifier of something slightly more permanent, which is that over time, we are going to see fewer generalist content design roles and more content design roles that are attached to specific functions.
That doesn’t mean that having a wide skill set is no longer important. It’s actually more important, I would argue, than ever, but it means that the actual function of your work will be slightly more specialized than before.
There’s nothing new under the sun. Even though the principles I’ve outlined here describe a significant amount of change, many of the skills required to adapt to this change are tried and tested.
I’ve broken down a list of the skills I think content designers need for each stage:
The shift towards dynamic systems necessitates a robust understanding of how content can be structured and delivered dynamically. Content designers must familiarize themselves with information architecture and knowledge graphs, which help in organizing content that adapts to user interactions.
Another crucial skill is designing system prompts for AI tools, ensuring these prompts are contextually relevant across the entire system, not just at isolated points of interaction. Additionally, dynamic delivery of content requires a deep dive into the technical aspects of the platforms being used, such as understanding the tech stack, APIs, servers, and databases.
In other words, content designers should understand more of the technical infrastructure that underpins the software they work on.
With content creation tools becoming more accessible, content designers need to ensure high-quality outputs across the board. This involves setting and enforcing robust design systems and dynamic content rules that uphold quality regardless of the creator. Understanding and implementing system prompts for AI tools in this process can help manage the scalability of content without compromising its integrity.
Content designers are increasingly involved in the development and refinement of AI technologies. To effectively guide these advancements, it is crucial to understand how AI models work, including the principles of Large Language Models (transformer architecture, vectors) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). I think some practical engagement with the tech, such as experimenting with Python to manipulate chatbots or delving into detailed knowledge graphs, is recommended.
As content designers move into leadership roles, they must develop a strategic mindset akin to that of product managers, focusing on proving the impact of their work through rigorous testing and research. This involves not only end-stage testing but continuous assessment throughout the design process to demonstrate and enhance the value of content — both qualitatively and quantitatively.
The need for specialization is growing as the complexity of content-related challenges increases. Content designers should look to specialize in areas such as conversation design or specific growth-focused content strategies that require rapid experimentation and testing. These specialized skills will allow designers to address specific business needs more effectively and stand out in a competitive job market.
This comes alongside ensuring knowledge in key areas like accessibility, localization, and other specializations.
All of what I’ve just described is one person’s opinion. But even if what I’m describing here isn’t quite correct, the truth is that content designers are experiencing a significant amount of change. The best possible position — for individuals and the discipline as a whole — is to lean into that change and embrace it.
Patrick Stafford is the CEO and cofounder of the UX Content Collective.
UX writers and content designers reveal their biggest challenges, how they work, learn, and much more…
We’ll also send you news, discounts, job listings, and more
