Content design is a fairly new concept in the world of content and websites. What content design really boils down to are the many different ways one can actually influence and influence their audience. Companies spend millions on these new micro-targeting techniques, while their content creator spends hours trying to make something engaging. This guide will give you tips about creating great content that is user focussed, and will also break down the creative process behind some of these techniques.

So what is content design?
Content design is the process used to put all the pieces together of a user’s experience with your website or application. It can vary depending on the audience you are trying to target, but most of the time you will be trying to make something that is engaging, useful and most importantly something that can really help your users achieve something.
Think about content design in this way, the easy part of content is writing it, but content design will help transform the words into a tool for your users. So content design will take any good content and give it to your users in the way that they will most likely want to use it.
Great Content is Easy to Use and Easy to Access
This pretty much sums up all the elements you need in any piece of online content. It’s easy to use, easy to access and most importantly it should be useful for your users. Create content that engages, educates and is useful. The more engaging it is the more your users will come back for more.
Good Content must have a Catch
Yes it’s true, you do need to add something extra, not just content that is useful but something that is also interesting, easy to access and engaging. You can break these elements down in different ways to make them more accessible and interesting for your users. Put some entertaining images or videos into the piece of content if they are relevant rather then just text. You can also use a lot of different fonts and styles to make the subject matter more interesting and engaging.
Content is Addictive, but not in a Bad way
If you think about a lot of the things that we consume, we don’t just consume it for the information, but also because we just want to keep coming back for more. Our brains are always looking for something new or different so keep this in mind when creating content. The next time you are creating something do it in a way that the person you are making it for will want to come back more.
Content is not only something to read, but can also be an interactive experience
A lot of the content out there is not interactive. When creating content it’s easy to leave out the interactivity, but in a lot of cases this is what people really want. If they are interested in your piece of content they will want to interact with it and make their own decisions on what they think. So don’t just create a piece of content and say “That’s it” but turn it into something that the users can take control of and make something of their own.
The act of creating content is a creative process, so be creative when creating content
If you are a writer you know the feeling, when you sit down to write something it doesn’t come out right away. You have to struggle with what you are trying to say then eventually come up with an idea that works for your audience. This is the same for content design. You have to struggle with all you’re ideas and ideas you come up with next just don’t work. So be creative, whether it’s using images in a different way, or using different fonts and colors to make the subject matter more engaging.
Good content will draw people in and keep them coming back for more. You have a lot of different ways to reach out to people and get users interested in your content. You can create content that is user-focussed, which means it has everything you need for your users and not just how much it will sell. This is the best way to create a long term relationship with your users. Your content should be interesting to your users and be something that is useful to them.
The five steps in content design
We all start off with a blank page and an idea about what we want to create. But we all know that it takes much more than a great idea to make a great finished product. These are the 5 core steps you must take to make great content, your should use as many of these as possible every time you write something new.
1. Brainstorming
When you have an idea or inspiration, use it. If you are starting from scratch then start with a list of everything you want to put in the piece of content. Whether it’s graphics, videos, images, text or all of them combined. Try and get as many different types of content as possible at once. This way you will be able to brainstorm and come up with more ideas for your piece of content.
2. Researching
Use the tools that you have on your computer or phone to research. There are so many different ways to do this, but for example here is a useful tool that you can use called Google. This will help you search around the internet and find different ideas for your piece of content. Start with finding basic facts about what your users are searching for and then move on to researching images, audio and video related to it.
3. Brainstorming again
After you have your researched images, videos and text you can start putting them together to know which ones would work best for your piece of content. You are looking for images that fit the subject matter of your subject and that will really get people interested in what you are writing about. Start with something simple then move on to more things like different fonts, colors or even using videos or audio recordings that can break up the text in a piece of content.
4. Design
Think about where you are going to publish the piece of content. If you are sharing content on social media, then you need something that looks good on the screen. Try and use images, video or any other media that will look good on your social site to use as part of your design. The more creative you get with this part of the process the better your content will be.
These steps demonstrate that design while in the name is just a part of the content design process . There are many other things that go into the creation of a piece of content. Design is just one part of it, the other things include emotion and writing skills and also what you want to share with your users.
5. Creating and publishing
To create content you need to take the time to write or edit whatever you want to put out there for people to see. This might seem simple but this is where many people fail. They spend all their time creating the graphics and do not put any effort into writing the piece of content. Make sure that you spend the time to write the articles because people are going to be reading what you want them to read.
This is also where you need to publish your piece of content. If it’s something on social media like a Facebook blog, Twitter feed or any other type of blogging platform, then make sure that you know how to publish and keep your readers’ attention. Do not think that just because you have created a piece of content that people will just stumble across it all by itself. Take the time to publish it and make sure that you also share it with your friends, family or anyone else who will offer you support.
The importance of content design as part of your content strategy
When creating your content strategy having an understanding of content design is important because it helps you to make important decisions about what you are going to publish and how it will be designed. You need to know that if the design is not working for what you want to share with your users then don’t publish it. Also, if the design of the pieces of content is bad then people are going to lose interest in reading or sharing them.
In addition, studying content design is also going to help you plan your social media strategy which will help you reach more people and possibly increase your revenue streams as well. Applying the knowledge that you have read here will help you to create content that is more professional in its tone and style.
Content design is the creation of content. As mentioned earlier, design is just one part of the content creation process. The reason why design is included in this list of five steps is because it’s just a small part of the content creation process. The best thing that you can do when creating content is to create an outline for your post and then when you’re done designing make sure to share it with your friends or family so that they can download it and start working on their piece of content.
Content design is not something that you should take lightly. It needs to be well-planned and this is the reason why you need to plan your content one step at a time. If you’re looking to have people come back to your content then make sure that your content looks neat and organize which will in turn create an overall great user experience for anyone who decides to visit your website or blog.
Content Design Benefits to Business
Content design is something that is very important in the world of business. The reason why this is so important is because companies use content to make their customers understand how they, as a company, operate. The fact that content design plays such an important role in the success of businesses means that businesses cannot afford to skip this step. Content’s role in a successful business can be seen by focusing on one particular method for creating great content for your customers: the user-focused design.
Commercial intent should always be a focus for businesses, hence the importance of content design . It works towards improving the quality of your product or service by making it more enjoyable and useful for your customers. When content is created with commercial intent in mind, businesses will receive returns from this investment in the form of satisfied customers, increased brand awareness and better search engine optimization.
Content design is a key factor in producing an effective strategy for reaching out to customers. By using content as a way to understand your customer’s needs, you’re able to create an experience that is more user-centered and closer to their expectations.
Content design and storytelling
Storytelling is an extremely important part of content design. It’s a way of getting the attention of your customers by creating a relationship between them and your brand. Storytelling is primarily used to engage people in an activity or convey to them something that would make sense to them. There are different reasons why businesses use storytelling as part of their content design strategy, although the most important reason for doing this is because it works towards engaging users within your brand in a way that makes sense.
People are often more likely to take action by using content that is accompanied by storytelling. If you’re creating content and want people to start using it, you don’t want to just have a piece of content that can make sense, you want to use something that will work toward engaging your viewers. Storytelling in a way helps create an emotional connection between the brand and the users who will be asked to tell their own stories.
Research and data – the backbone of content design
If you want to use data to help you in the creation of your content, then make sure that the data that you’re using is data that makes sense and that is relevant to your business. Use industry research as a way of learning more about the needs and desires of your users. For example, if you want to create content that focuses on a particular topic, such as travel, research this subject by finding out what people are searching for online. This will help you get a better idea of what is most popular with users.
If you are working with a website, tap into their analytic tools such as Google Analytics. It will help you find out what users are looking for and what kind of content can help you reach more customers. By incorporating this type of information into your content, you’re then able to produce information that is more relevant to the needs of your users.
Using user research is also a powerful way of engaging customers with your brand. If you’re planning on creating content, make sure that the data you use will work well with the audience that you’re trying to reach. By using information from user research to create your content, you’re guaranteeing yourself a better user experience and thus a greater return on your investment in content design.
The three things every piece of content must have in order to be good
Content has several different mediums that it can be created in such as images, video, text, audio and even code. You want to make sure that the design of your content is something that will attract the attention of anyone who comes across it. In order for you to create great content it needs to have three things:
- Great design – This means that your content has been designed in a way where it will be appealing and engaging for anyone who decides to use it. If you want your users to feel a sense of comfort with what they are reading then make sure that you have designed your content with this in mind.
- Data – The data that you choose to use is very important. It needs to be based around your specific audience or customers if the content is going to be used on a website and it needs to make sense. If you are creating content for the purpose of sharing with your own customers, then make sure that the data you are using is relevant and things will make sense as well.
- Subtext – The subtext of your content is the main or most important part of your writing. It should go along with the theme that you’re planning on creating and helps to give readers a reason to come back for more great content. You want your content to have depth and this is something that will get readers to come back for more. If you’re publishing Google Ads then try and use this tool as one of your main sources of data.
Examples Of Content Design In Action
There are many different things that content designers can use in their designs to make them more appealing to users. Let’s take a look at Content Design in action with 4 amazing examples:
1. Facebook
One of the most famous platforms Facebook is one of the great users of content design. When it comes to search results for users, Facebook uses Facebook Exchange Places which is a place where all user-created content is shown. This content is then ranked based on how much time people spend on their website.
User-generated content on Facebook works in a way that you can see right away if it’s relevant to your target audience. If this type of content is important to your users, then they will most likely spend more time using the site and keeping up with your community.
2. Pinterest
Pinterest also uses the content design strategy of showing user-generated content for users. This is a popular pinning platform where users share content from around the web. Content that is pinned is shown as a board and can be seen by anyone who visits Pinterest. The pins are arranged in an algorithm which displays your best pins at the top of your profile.
3. Netflix
Content design is at the forefront of Netflix, how they use their website to encourage people to use the service and then when they use it. This site will show you a message letting you know that a new movie or show is coming out soon. It helps users promote Netflix and get more people to use it.
4. Instagram
Instagram also uses a large amount of user-generated content in its content design strategy. Instagram’s feed is shown in a way that reflects the interests of the users. This level of popularity has made Instagram one of the most popular social media platforms and it has gained millions of users each month.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your content design and make it relevant to your users, then use one of these sites as an example. Each of these sites relies on user-generated content to create a community where people can connect with each other, as well as with businesses.
How do you learn about content design?
To create great content that will attract your target audience and help you to reach more customers you need to learn the art of content design. The best way of learning about this is by taking the time to read about it and how it can be used in relation to your business.
Another exercise you should consider doing is creating your own piece of content using this technique so that you can see firsthand what it’s like to use it and try out different designs for yourself. You might also want to read some of the books that have been written about it so that you can learn more in depth.
Another great way to go about studying content design is to join a group on social media and message other members asking them if they could point out some of the best content that they have seen. There are a lot of different groups that do this type of thing so just search for them and you should find one that suits your needs.
Then we have courses. Of course you can visit places like Coursera and Udemy, but of course we are in the midst of developing our own short course on Content Design which you can get early access to here, we will send it to you as soon as its ready:
Content Design Tools
Now that we have discussed the basics of content design, let’s take a look at some great tools that you can use to create awesome content. Here are 5 tools all content designers should have:
Readibility Testing Tools
If you’re looking for a way to make sure that your content is read, then you need to try out readability testing tools. This tool will be able to tell you how difficult or challenging it will be for users to read your content. You’ll also get a score which is meant to show you the amount of time it’ll take for people to finish reading your content.
Content Tracking Templates
If you’re looking for a way to make sure that your current content is being used correctly and reaching your target audience, then this is the perfect tool for you. You can use it to track which pages are most popular with users and how they are ranked using Google Analytics.
Content Audit Templates
This tool will help you to track which pages are viewed most often and what the common issues are. You’ll be able to find out what your users want and then give them what they’re looking for.
Writer.com
Writer.com is an amazing tool which will help you to write content for your website. It’s a free tool that has been created by some of the best writers in the industry and has received a lot of high ratings from people who have used it. It also comes with some great features that are completely free to use such as templates and spellcheck.
Content Briefing Templates
This tool is all about helping you with your content design strategy and can be used for any type of content such as product descriptions, press releases and much more. You’ll be able to create amazing content that makes sense to your users and you’ll be able to get the most out of it by using this tool.
The future of content design
Content design is here to stay and it’s going to continue to be something that will be used as a strong point of reference for businesses. It’s going to keep being used as a way of keeping people informed about the product or service that your business is offering. Businesses are now using content design in the areas where they previously would have used an advertisement or some other means of gaining more users.
As you can see, content design is something that can benefit any business or individual who decides to use it. You can use it to create content that is user-focused and more appealing to your audience, which will in turn help you gain more customers.
If you’re looking to create content for your business, it’s a good idea to follow the steps of an expert content designer. Using this type of a strategy can be extremely beneficial for you and the business as a whole. It will help you increase traffic and lead generation from potential customers which means that there is great money potential in this business strategy as well.
Conclusion
Content design is the future of marketing, and you can use it to create exciting content that will grab the attention of potential customers. This type of a strategy can be beneficial for any business whether it’s a big or small company. If you’re looking to increase your business then this is definitely something that you should consider using.
There are many tools on the market that will help you in your content design journey and we recommend taking some time out to check them out. This is the best way of being able to create awesome content that will make sense to each and every single person who comes along.
If you’re looking for a way to start improving your content design and putting the designs in place then don’t hesitate to register for our upcoming free course on content design. It will help you go from beginner right through to an expert in no time at all.
If you have made it this far, you’re one step closer to mastering content design.
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