This document provides an overview of a course on special topics in information architecture called "Content Strategy". The course will be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:20pm in room MGH 228 during winter quarter 2013. The instructor is Misty Weaver. The course goals are to understand the role of content strategy in information architecture practice and to develop content strategy deliverables like a discovery report. Students will work with a real-world client. Assessments include reading summaries, presentations, and a final team project delivering content strategy recommendations to the client.

1. Special Topic in
Information
Architecture
Content Strategy
INFO 498 Winter 2013
T, Th 3:30-5:20 MGH 228
Instructor Misty Weaver
Content Strategy

2. Agenda
Today
• Business
• How this course works
• Objectives
• Assignments
• Intro to Information Architecture
Content Strategy

3. Who I am Membership
User Centered
Misty Melissa Weaver KEXP (DB)
@meaningmeasure NPower (CMS)
Webjunction (IA)
iSchool MLIS 2004, Staff, Academics Administrator Database Overlord
IA Institute Membership & Event Program Manager Content Management
ASIS&T Social Media Consultant System Migrations
Publication
Content Insight Social Media Coordinator Outreach
Social Media
Blogging
Information Architecture
Content Strategy
Content Strategy

4. Crossroads:
How do we connect
users with content
they want and need?
Content Strategy Mitya Ilyinov

5. Guidebook
Guides
Content Strategy

6. What’s Content Strategy
and why do we need it?
Sometimes Architecture and
Design is not enough
Content Strategy

7. Content Strategy
Srategy Daniel Erwin

8. web’s not just disorder it’s a disaster
Content Strategy
Srategy Willy Stöwer ,

9. Have
Tools
Content Strategy
Srategy

10. Be
FEMA Prepared
Content Strategy
Srategy

11. Help
People
Content Strategy
Srategy
Joe Mabel

12. How this course works
Course Goals
• Understand the specific role of content
strategy within IA practice
• Become familiar with how content strategy
research deliverables are created and used
• Develop a content strategy discovery report
and execute key IA/Content Strategy
Deliverables
Content Strategy

13. Achieving Objectives Through
 Building Vocabulary
 Practicing Domain-appropriate Writing Skills
 Practicing IA Deliverables
 Working with a real-world client to
understand Content Strategy in context
Content Strategy

14. Different Every Time
• Real Client
• Research and Discovery
• Everything before the wireframe
• Interviews, Activities & Presentations
Content Strategy

15. How this course works
• Readings: Articles & Textbook
• Buy it now Amazon or Peachpit
• Reading Summaries due every week
starting next Friday – 1 pt each
• Presentations in Week 3 & 4, I will assign
individually – 4 pts
Content Strategy

16. How this course works
Main Course Deliverables – 8 pts each
• Content Inventory
• Client Summary/Business Goals
• Audience/User Analysis = Persona
• Competitive Audit
• Content Audit
• Website Page Description Diagram
Content Strategy

17. Project Summary – 30 pts
The final project is a team paper providing written analysis of research
with recommendations to the client
Outline summarizing research results, analysis and recommendations for client
(each team member will cover one of the areas below)
• Client Goals, Personas
• Content Inventory, Audit and SEO
• Competitive Audit and Analysis
• Page Description Diagrams or other work instruction sample (for example
of website Home Page, About Page, etc.) (one from each team member)
Executive Summary of entire report (every team member turns in individual
version).
Final Presentation of Report – 10 pts
Summarize your proposed strategy and recommendations in person for a non-
technical audience, each student will present the portion they cover in team
paper.
• Client Goals, Personas
• Content Inventory, Audit and SEO
• Comparative Audit and Analysis
Content Strategy

18. The Math
Content Strategy

19. Sweatpants & Spreadsheets
Content Strategy

20. Who are you?
• Name
• Year of Study, Program
• What most interests you about IA?
• What do you most want to get out of
taking this course?
Content Strategy

21. Explaining Information Architecture
Peter Morville and Lou Rosenfeld
http://oreilly.com/catalog/9781565922822
ContentStrategy
Content Strategy The Information School University of Washington

22. Explain IA
http://iainstitute.org/news/001068.php
http://www.flickr.com/groups/explainia/
ContentStrategy
Content Strategy The Information School University of Washington

23. Content Strategy
Srategy murdocke

24. Explain IA
http://www.flickr.com/groups/explainia/
ContentStrategy
Content Strategy The Information School University of Washington

25. Explain IA
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boltron/4329185089/in/pool-1326826@N23/
Explain IA Grand Prize Award-Winning entry for the Explain IA Contest. Shot and
directed by Nate Bolt and Kate Nartker who make these weird videos for fun as Beep
Show. This one was for for Bolt | Peters. Starring Audrey as "daughter" and Frances
James as "mother."
Content Strategy

26. Explain IA videos
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/nform/4332125139/in/pool-1326826@N23/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/magia3e/4330518973/in/pool-1326826@N23/
Content Strategy

27. Future Work Skills 2020
The Future Belongs to Sensemakers
Institute for the Future, University of Phoenix Research
Insitute:
Author: Anna Davies, Devin Fidler, Marina Gorbis Creative
Direction: Jean Hagan
Production Editor: Lisa Mumbach
Design and Production: Karin Lubeck, Jody Radzik
http://www.iftf.org/futureworkskills2020
Content Strategy

28. Content Strategy

29. Skills we will explore
• Sense-making. The ability to determine the deeper meaning or
significance of what is being expressed
• Social intelligence. The ability to connect to others in a deep and
direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions
• Computational thinking. The ability to translate vast amounts of
data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning
• New-media literacy. The ability to critically assess and develop
content that uses new media forms and to leverage these media for
persuasive communication
• Cognitive load management. The ability to discriminate and filter
information for importance and to understand how to maximize
cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques
Content Strategy

30. Content Strategy Myths
It ain’t new, here’s proof
Content Strategy

31. 9 Pillars of Website Design (2003)
Jesse James Garrett
Adaptive Path
Content Strategy
http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/nine-pillars-of-successful-web-teams

32. 9 Pillars of Website Design (2003)
Jesse James Garrett
Adaptive Path
You are Here
Content Strategy