About this Tutorial
Data should be central to content creation. It can tell you a huge amount about your users and how they’re engaging with your content. But things may not always be as they seem. High traffic doesn’t always mean content is valuable or successful. And conversely, lower usage levels aren’t always an indicator that a piece of content isn’t important.
You’re writing for people, not for numbers. It’s important to use data as the basis for questions and hypotheses, but move beyond it to build a complete picture of your users.
Drawing on real life examples, this session will explore the potential pitfalls of designing only with data, and show you how you can use it as the basis for further research to interrogate or validate your assumptions. This can lead to content decisions that might seem counter-intuitive or risky, but make a better experience for your users.
You will learn how to:
- look beyond the ‘headlines’ and get to what the data is really telling you
- combine data with qualitative research and evidence on user behaviour to validate your assumptions
- use your findings to make great content decisions
- use your evidence and data to sell those decisions to your stakeholders
- judge the ongoing success of content decisions - and know when it’s time to change tack
This session will be of interest to anyone involved in researching, designing or advocating for user-driven content.
About the Speakers
Hannah Horton
Hannah is a lead content designer for Co-op Digital. She works closely with teams across the business to design products and services that meet the needs of colleagues and customers. Previously, she played a pivotal role in Citizens Advice’s transformation of digital advice content for the public and advisers. This included championing the use of data and evidence to drive content decisions and leading content teams.
Hannah has more than 15 years’ experience of creating and advocating for user-driven content, in roles as diverse as motor racing journalism, media relations for Church of England bishops and internal communications lead for an international aid agency.
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Joanne Schofield
Joanne is a content designer for Co-op Digital, creating simple, easy and understandable content for customers and colleagues alike. As well as helping to create the Co-op design manual, content style guide and a new website for food store colleagues, she’s also helped redesign the Co-op wills service, using clear content to communicate complex concepts and opening up the service to a new audience.
Previously she worked in content roles for Manchester City Council and the Department of Work and Pensions, using content design to make some of the most difficult public services accessible for the people who need them the most.
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