The document discusses content types, which define standardized kinds of information entities and their structure. Content types are important for search, cross-linking, consistent presentation, and reuse of content. The document examines key considerations for defining content types such as elements, metadata, workflows, lifecycles, relationships, and rules of operation. It provides examples of real content types and checks for properly identifying content types. Overall, the document emphasizes how defining the right content types leads to better organization and findability of information.
Content types: The glue between content strategy, user experience, design, and technology
1. Content Types:
The Glue Between Content
Strategy, User Experience, Design,
and Technology
Hilary Marsh, Chief Strategist & President
Content Company, Inc.
1
12. What is a content type?
From Drupal:
A single web site could contain many types of content, such as
informational pages, news items, polls, blog posts, real estate
listings, etc. In Drupal, each item of content is called a node, and
each node belongs to a single content type, which defines various
default settings for nodes of that type, such as whether the node is
published automatically and whether comments are permitted.
à Article, basic page, blog entry, book page, forum topic, poll, or
custom
https://www.drupal.org/node/21947
13. Definitions by my students
• Basic page with rotating header image
• Content page with left image
• Information page
• Sub-landing page
18. What is a content type?
A specification for a
structured, standardized,
reusable, and mutually
exclusive kind of
information entity.
--Jonathon Colman,
The Language of Content Strategy
19. What is a content type?
…the actual thing a user
would read or use, like an
article, a recipe, or a help
guide entry.
---Sara Wachter-Boettcher
Content Everywhere
and a conversation on Slack
20. What is a content type?
I believe it’s most useful
to look at a content type
as the ontological Thing
you’re publishing,
regardless of how the
Thing is being expressed
design-wise.
---Sara Wachter-Boettcher
46. 6. Rules of operation
• When is this content type appropriate, and when
should you not use it?
• Voice/tone and writing notes
47. Real-life list of content types
Article
Author guidelines
Backgrounder
Bibliography
Book
Call for submissions
Conference paper
Contract report
Day in the life
Expert report
Expert report related resource
Experts list
FAQ
General
Glossary
Landing page
Listing
Login form
News listing
News release
Publication mission
51. Collections
Content “roll-ups”:
• Magazine issue made up of articles
• Podcast made up of episodes
• Photo gallery made of individual images
• Etc.
Are these content types?
56. 56
Let’s dig deep
h$ps://www.pinterest.com/pin/86483255319117458/
57. Let’s take a look at some of them
• http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Focus-Areas/Product-
Development-and-Ingredient-Innovations/Nanoscience/
Nanotechnology-Backgrounder.aspx
• http://www.ift.org/Knowledge-Center/Learn-About-Food-Science/
Food-Facts/About-FS-and-T.aspx
• http://www.kent.edu/coso/commuter-corner
• http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/
solutions-managing-your-practice/coding-billing-insurance/cpt/cpt-
editorial-panel.page
• http://www.floridarealtors.org/GettingStarted/NewToSales/
index.cfm
58. If you get it wrong…
• One-offs – no pattern
• Can’t create business rules
• Content ROT
• Inability to surface related content
• Ineffective search filtering
60. • Does it have a unique set of elements?
• Does it require unique metadata, or would it use
only some of the entire taxonomy?
• Does it have unique workflow needs?
• Does it have unique lifecycle needs?
• Does it have unique relationships?
• Is it created following the rules of operation?