When you’re working to create a content strategy, there are typically two priorities: creating exceptional visual content and building content that is more engaging. If you have great content, it can still appear to be boring without a touch of design. Plus, it’s been shown that more than 50 percent of people retain information better when it includes an image.
However, just as content isn’t enough without design, the same rings true the other way around. If you’re looking for a way to convert customers, both design and content need to be considered together. That means that your designers, content strategists, marketers, and other team members need to act collaboratively to achieve a shared goal.
Below are a few tips that help you pair these two things together to get the best results.
Be aware of the purpose of both design and content
Even if you know what you want your design team and content employees to achieve, that doesn’t mean that they do. It’s best to consider which things can be done together and which are better approached separately. Your goals might be to increase revenue, generate leads, and keep customers by providing useful information. However, you’ll need to define that further.
Some people want to engage an audience, others want to educate them, and some want to convince the audience that they should take some type of action. The purpose of design might be to draw in the audience’s attention or highlight specific text points. The design and content should be thought of together in all formats and channels you plan to use.
Offer plenty of chances to brainstorm together
If your design and content teams aren’t accustomed to working together, it can take some time to get things running smoothly. In the meantime, there should be some prep time before a project gets underway if schedules allow for it. Both teams can bring their perspectives and research to a workshop and talk things out together.
Get everyone together, shut the door, and let the conversation happen. Write down all the ideas on whiteboards without letting biases creep in. This is the perfect way to get insight and consult on what each team’s goals happen to be. Then those goals can be combined so that everyone is on the same page.
Decide the right place to start
Many people get stuck at a point of wondering whether design or content should come first. In most cases, the latter is the best option. When the content is already available, design becomes more straightforward. It also makes it easier to find design constraints before they become problems later down the line.
If you were to start with design without content, you’d be left using filler text that has to be changed later on. Once the content is created and stable, the design process can be streamlined so that everyone is happy. Let the content guide the design and provide direction in the later stages of the project.
Utilize workflow management to keep up with deadlines
Both the design and the content team need to know how long it takes the other team to work through a project. Understanding the workload and how the process works for the other team can prevent missed deadlines. The environment should be one where employees feel safe to let others know if the workload is too much.
Putting a tracking or project management system in place can help with communication. When the workflow is managed, the entire team is likely to be on top of deadlines coming up. Everyone involved in the process should have a say to ensure that things get done when and how they should be.
Consider tools and resources to help
Having the right tools and resources for the design and content team can streamline a project on both sides. We talked about project management systems, but those aren’t the only tools to help merge design and content teams.
Any bootstrap website-building tool provides the means to handle the design and content sides of a website project all in one place. Both parts of the team can do their work while having input from the workers around them. These templates make it easier to do both parts of the job.
Great content and design offer users a better experience. When collaborating is challenging, ensure the purpose is understood, the content is started before the design, and everyone stays on top of deadlines. If the designers and content team understand each other and the visuals and text are consistent with the brand, it will result in higher success levels.
