By Simone Ehrlich, Content Strategy Manager

由 西蒙·埃利希 ，內容策略經理

Words are cheap. Cheaper than wires; cheaper than mocks. That doesn’t mean words aren’t important, just less expensive to produce as a design asset. So aligning around words has the potential to save time and resources. Enter Content Early, a riff on designing Content First.

話很便宜。 比電線便宜； 比模擬便宜。 這并不意味著文字并不重要，而是將其作為設計資產來生產的成本更低。 因此，圍繞單詞對齊可能會節省時間和資源。 盡早輸入Content ，這是首先設計Content的內容。

Content First, the idea that we can design with words before we ever open a tool like Sketch or Figma, is a hot topic right now, and I’m a huge fan of it. Full stop. Let me repeat — I really love the idea of Content First. However, placing something first implies that something else necessarily comes second. That can put people’s backs up: Why is my area of expertise secondary?

內容首先，在打開諸如Sketch或Figma之類的工具之前我們可以用文字進行設計的想法現在是一個熱門話題，我非常喜歡它。 句號 讓我重復一遍-我真的很喜歡Content First的想法。 但是，將某些內容放在第一位意味著其他內容一定要放在第二位。 那可以讓人支持： 為什么我的專業領域是次要的？

Also, design has a lot of “firsts.” Mobile First, Accessibility First, Machine Learning First — the list goes on. Can a designer really keep everything in mind at once and do it all first?

此外，設計具有很多“第一”。 移動優先，可訪問性優先，機器學習優先-清單還在繼續。 設計師真的可以立即記住所有內容，然后先做所有事情嗎？

And what about the projects that have already started? Does saying “first” imply that if the designer didn’t begin with content, then it’s too late to consider the information needs of the user?

那已經開始的項目呢？ 說“第一”是否意味著如果設計者不是從內容開始，那么考慮用戶的信息需求為時已晚？

For my purposes, I like to talk about Content Early, Often, and Always. We should consider the user’s information needs throughout the design process. Content Early is an invitation to consider those needs at any time. Is earlier better? Yes. Would first be great? Absolutely! However, it’s never too late to start considering those information needs and using them to inform (pun intended) the design.

就我的目的而言，我喜歡談論內容的早期，經常和始終。 在整個設計過程中，我們應考慮用戶的信息需求。 內容提早邀請您隨時考慮這些需求。 早點好一點嗎？ 是。 首先會很棒嗎？ 絕對！ 但是，開始考慮這些信息需求并使用它們來告知(雙關)設計永遠不會太晚。

Language matters, and Content Early feels less prescriptive than Content First. When you’re trying to get folks to try new things, an invitation rather than a prescription seems better. (Unless of course, you’re an MD, and you have the authority to write actual prescriptions.)

語言很重要，與“內容優先”相比，“內容更早”的規范性較低。 當您嘗試讓人們嘗試新事物時，邀請而不是處方似乎更好。 (當然，除非您是醫學博士，否則您有權編寫實際的處方。)

那么，早期的內容是什么？ (So, What Is Content Early?)

It’s a collection of methods to design from scratch (content first) and analyze designs with words (content after you’ve begun designing). We use those methods differently at various points during the design process.

它是從頭開始設計(首先是內容)并用文字分析設計(開始設計后的內容)的方法的集合。 在設計過程中的各個階段，我們會以不同的方式使用這些方法。

These are the methods we’re playing with right now:

這些是我們現在正在使用的方法：

1. Personality Profile — adapted from Aaron Walter’s Design Persona. A guide that personifies the product and provides the foundation for other design decisions.

   個性簡介 -改編自亞倫·沃爾特(Aaron Walter)的設計角色。 擬人化產品并為其他設計決策奠定基礎的指南。

2. Storyframe — Fabricio Teixeira. A narrative that synthesizes what goes on a high-value page.

   故事框架-Fabricio Teixeira。 一種敘述，它綜合了高價值頁面上的內容。

3. Vision Story — Simone Ehrlich, inspired by Storyframe A narrative that shows the user’s experience of a product (in the future) and how it makes them feel.
   視覺故事-Simone Ehrlich，受Storyframe啟發，是一種敘事，向用戶展示(未來)用戶對產品的體驗以及產品的感覺。

4. Conversational Design — adapted from Steph Hay’s Content First, and also inspired by Erika Hall. A conversational exchange between the user and the product, which anticipates and addresses what the user is thinking and feeling as they interact with it.

   會話設計 -改編自Steph Hay的Content First，并受到Erika Hall的啟發。 用戶與產品之間的對話交換，可以預期并解決用戶與產品交互時的想法和感覺。

5. Priority Guide — Drew Clemens. A list of real information, in order of priority to the user, that will appear on a page, plus notes about the related elements and functionality.

   優先級指南 — Drew Clemens。 按用戶優先級排序的真實信息列表將顯示在頁面上，以及有關相關元素和功能的注釋。

6. Intent Frame — Simone Ehrlich. A wireframe that establishes the layout based on the purpose of each element in it. (There’s no real content at all, just the intention, from the perspective of the designer, of why the element is there.)
   意圖框架-Simone Ehrlich。 一種線框，可根據其中的每個元素的用途建立布局。 (從設計者的角度來看，根本沒有真正的內容，只是意圖是為什么存在該元素。)

Rather than explain each method in detail, as the practitioners above have done eloquently, I’ll tell you instead how we’re using this collection of methods differently, and what benefits we’re seeing at Workday. Stay tuned for the series of in-depth blog posts on each method.

就像上面的從業人員雄辯的那樣，我沒有詳細解釋每種方法，而是告訴您我們如何不同地使用這組方法，以及在Workday上看到什么好處。 請繼續關注每種方法的系列深入博客文章。

盡早使用內容 (Using Content Early)

These methods have the greatest impact when used with a cross-functional group — a designer, researcher, PM, and content strategist. This diversity of perspective, coupled with the lo-fi nature of the methods, means we get to make decisions efficiently, in real time.

與跨職能小組(設計師，研究員，項目經理和內容策略師)一起使用時，這些方法的影響最大。 視角的多樣性以及方法的低保真性意味著我們可以實時高效地做出決策。

從頭開始設計 (Design from Scratch)

We start with research and what we know about the user. We use the methods to design from scratch, before moving to visual sketches.

我們從研究以及我們對用戶的了解開始。 在使用視覺草圖之前，我們使用這些方法從頭開始設計。

We write the story, the conversation, the intent of each element, and use these to guide the design process. We use words to create a design asset that then translates into more traditional sketches, wireframes, and mocks. This then, is the same as a Content First approach.

我們編寫故事，對話，每個元素的意圖，并使用它們來指導設計過程。 我們使用文字來創建設計資產，然后將其轉換為更傳統的草圖，線框和模擬。 然后，這與“內容優先”方法相同。

Indeed, Content Early includes designing Content First.

實際上，Content Early 包括設計Content First。

Let’s take, for example, a vision story about a user’s experience of the product in the future. We align as a group on who we’re designing for (our character), their needs, and the problem we’re attempting to solve. We review other products and note our likes and dislikes. We plan the story, identifying what we want to highlight about the product, and how it makes the character feel. We write and refine it. Then, based on the story, and what type of feedback we need and from whom, we create any number of other design assets:

讓我們以一個關于用戶未來產品體驗的視覺故事為例。 我們會根據我們要為誰(我們的角色)，他們的需求以及我們要解決的問題設計一個小組。 我們會審核其他產品，并記錄我們的好惡。 我們計劃故事，確定我們要強調的產品內容以及它如何使角色感覺。 我們編寫并完善它。 然后，根據故事以及我們需要什么類型的反饋以及從誰那里獲得反饋，我們創建了許多其他設計資產：

• A Google site where we can put up the story and get feedback
  一個Google網站，我們可以在其中發布故事并獲得反饋
• A storyboard that breaks the story into panels
  將故事分解為面板的情節提要
• UI sketches or wires based on elements of the story, to illustrate possible ways the story could come to life in product
  基于故事元素的UI草圖或連線，以說明故事在產品中的栩栩如生的可能方式

By writing the story first, we align on the experience we want to create. That informs the design iterations to come.

通過首先編寫故事，我們可以與想要創造的體驗保持一致。 這通知了即將進行的設計迭代。

分析 (Analyze)

We also use the methods to analyze an existing design asset. It might be a sketch, a wire, a mock, in any level of fidelity. We write down what the design is “saying” — what story it’s telling, what conversation a user might have with it, what the intent of the design is, or what the order of information is communicating now. We highlight opportunities to evolve the design and change it, so that it better meets the user’s needs as we understand them from research. With these insights, we iterate on the existing design asset or start fresh with a new Content Early asset that we design from scratch.

我們還使用這些方法來分析現有的設計資產。 在任何級別的保真度下，它可能都是草圖，導線，模擬。 我們記下設計在說什么-它講的是什么故事，用戶可能與之進行的對話，設計的意圖是什么，或者現在正在傳達的信息順序是什么。 我們重點介紹了改進設計并進行更改的機會，以便我們通過研究了解它們可以更好地滿足用戶的需求。 借助這些見解，我們可以迭代現有的設計資產，或者從我們從頭開始設計的新的Content Early資產重新開始。

To use the example of a Vision Story again, we analyze the current product by writing a narrative of one user’s experience of it and how it makes them feel. We do this if we need to gain buy-in for why we need to redesign a product or build a completely new one. In the story, we show the pain points of the current experience or workarounds the character engages in. We write this “downer” story so that we can then contrast it with the more positive vision story in which we address the pain points.

要再次使用“視覺故事”的示例，我們通過撰寫有關一個用戶的體驗及其對用戶的感受的敘述來分析當前產品。 如果我們需要獲得買主的支持，那么我們就要這么做，因為我們為什么需要重新設計產品或構建全新的產品。 在故事中，我們展示了角色當前所經歷的痛苦點或解決方法。我們編寫此“沮喪”故事，以便隨后將其與更積極的愿景故事進行對比，以解決痛苦點。

早期內容最佳實踐 (Best Practices for Content Early)

The design best practices that make Content Early a success are not unique to content.

使內容早期開發成功的最佳設計實踐并非內容獨有。

聽 (Listen)

We listen to the team. We find out where the project is at, and meet the team where they are.

我們聽團隊。 我們找出項目所在的位置，并與他們所在的團隊會面。

That tells us which method or combination of methods to use, as well as whether we’ll be designing from scratch or analyzing.

這告訴我們要使用哪種方法或方法的組合，以及是否要從頭開始設計還是要進行分析。

包含，包含，包含 (Include, Include, Include)

Just as CE encompasses content Often, Always, we include teams and stakeholders early and often, and always keep their interests in mind.

正如CE包含“經常，始終”的內容一樣，我們盡早并經常包括團隊和利益相關者，并始終牢記他們的利益。

Including doesn’t mean designing by committee — we’ve done many of these methods with just a Content Strategist and a designer. But the power of Content Early is in the alignment of both team and stakeholders through words. Using language to design provides a unique opportunity for people who don’t think of themselves as “designers” to design.

包括并不意味著要由委員會進行設計-我們僅由內容策略師和設計師來完成許多方法。 但是Content Early的力量在于團隊和利益相關者通過語言保持一致。 使用語言進行設計為那些不認為自己是“設計師”的人們提供了獨特的機會。

創造 (Create)

We create the initial Content Early design asset with a small core group, then review with everyone else.

我們使用一個小的核心小組來創建初始的Content Early設計資產，然后與其他所有人進行審查。

We’ve found sometimes everybody wants in on the creative action. Have you ever tried to cook a meal with 20 people in the kitchen? It requires more orchestration than it’s worth, and dinner gets served at midnight.

我們發現有時候每個人都希望參與創新行動。 您是否曾經嘗試過與20個人一起在廚房做飯？ 它需要進行的編排超出了其應有的價值，晚餐要在午夜送達。

Unless we have a magical group (and we have had such groups), it’s better to create with just a few people so we can move more rapidly and show something for quick feedback in short order. Then everyone feels good about the process, instead of feeling tired and hungry because of the midnight dinner.

除非我們有一個神奇的小組(而且我們有這樣的小組)，否則最好只與幾個人一起創建，這樣我們才能更快地行動起來，并在短時間內展示一些可以快速反饋的內容。 這樣，每個人都會對這個過程感覺很好，而不是因為午夜晚餐而感到疲勞和饑餓。

評論 (Review)

We review with stakeholders as soon as we have something to show. While we do ensure that our artifact captures the essence of what we want to communicate (and get rid of any typos that might distract), we don’t try to make it perfect. The point of Content Early is lo-fi.

有事情要顯示時，我們會盡快與利益相關者進行審查。 雖然我們確實確保我們的工件捕獲了我們想要傳達的內容的本質(并消除了可能分散注意力的任何錯別字)，但我們并未嘗試使其完美。 早期內容的重點是lo-fi。

We make that clear when we introduce the Content Early method (usually with a brief 5 minute deck). We then take the stakeholders through the process we used to create the content early artifact and explain that what they’re about to see is a jumping off point, an invitation to co-create. We let them know that we want to iterate with their feedback. Then we dive into the artifact, emphasizing that the words are not final copy intended to appear in the product.

當我們引入Content Early方法時(通常只有5分鐘的簡短介紹)，我們就清楚了。 然后，我們帶領利益相關者完成用于創建內容早期工件的過程，并解釋他們將要看到的一個起點，一個共同創建的邀請。 我們讓他們知道我們想重復他們的反饋。 然后，我們深入研究工件，強調這些單詞不是要出現在產品中的最終副本。

The reactions we get in reviews are invariably positive. Stakeholders immediately understand what we are trying to communicate and provide targeted feedback that helps to guide the team better.

我們在評論中得到的React總是積極的。 利益相關者立即了解我們正在嘗試傳達的內容，并提供有針對性的反饋，以幫助更好地指導團隊。

重復 (Iterate)

We iterate with stakeholder feedback, sometimes real time. More often, we take notes or add comments, and then iterate offline. We have also shared the artifacts with stakeholders, and asked them to make comments right in the Google doc or Figma file.

我們會根據利益相關者的反饋(有時是實時的)進行迭代。 我們通常會做筆記或添加評論，然后離線進行迭代。 我們還與利益相關者共享了這些工件，并要求他們在Google文檔或Figma文件中發表評論。

驗證 (Validate)

Iterating on stakeholder feedback is different from iterating based on validation with end users. We’re just beginning to validate content early assets with end users. In one example, we shared a vision story with a customer advisory group. The PM read the story to the group while showing some lo-fi visuals in a slide deck. He also handed out printouts of the story so that participants could provide written feedback.

對利益相關者反饋的迭代與基于最終用戶驗證的迭代不同。 我們才剛剛開始與最終用戶一起驗證內容早期資產。 在一個示例中，我們與客戶咨詢小組分享了一個愿景故事。 項目經理在團隊中朗讀故事，同時在幻燈片平臺中展示了一些低保真影像。 他還分發了故事的打印輸出，以便參與者可以提供書面反饋。

We’ve found that a major benefit of validating designs using a Content Early asset is that it is so lo-fi that it promotes focus. It encourages participants to attend to what you’re really looking for feedback on, without getting distracted by stroke weight, placeholder images, text that’s not final — whatever you usually need to tell them to ignore. And once we’ve validated, we can choose to iterate with words or continue with the design process.

我們發現，使用Content Early資產驗證設計的主要好處在于它的低保真度，可以促進關注。 它鼓勵參與者關注您真正在尋找的反饋，而不會因筆重，占位符圖像和非最終文本而分心-通常您需要告訴他們忽略它們。 驗證之后，我們可以選擇用單詞進行迭代或繼續設計過程。

進行設計流程 (Onward with the Design Process)

Content Early design assets are a springboard to visual and spatial means of designing — sketches, wires, and mocks. Often designers intuitively know how they want to manifest different parts of a Content Early asset, because it’s a handy guide.

內容早期設計資產是視覺和空間設計手段(草圖，導線和模擬)的跳板。 設計人員通常會直觀地知道他們想如何表現“內容早期”資產的不同部分，因為它是一個方便的指南。

But in some cases, we talk through or annotate the Content Early artifact and indicate how it translates to a wireframe. Doing this as a group means that PM knows what the wire will contain. It makes each iteration more purposeful.

但是在某些情況下，我們會討論或注釋“內容早期”工件，并指出其如何轉換為線框。 分組進行表示PM知道電線將包含什么。 它使每次迭代更有針對性。

總結 (The Wrap Up)

Content Early is a little like drinking coffee — it can provide that much needed jolt of awareness! And best of all, you can do it anytime during the day.

Content Early有點像喝咖啡-它可以提供非常需要的意識震撼！ 最重要的是，您可以在白天隨時進行。

The single greatest signal to us right now that Content Early is working for teams is the demand. We have repeat customers in the form of teams that come back to us again asking for more content strategy, more Content Early. We have new teams that hear how it has helped other teams and want to try it out. Stakeholders are engaging with us and providing positive feedback on the process.

現在，對我們來說，最大的信號是Content Early正在為團隊工作。 我們以團隊的形式吸引了回頭客，他們再次回到我們這里，要求更多的內容策略，更多的“早期內容”。 我們有新的團隊來聽聽它如何幫助其他團隊，并希望嘗試一下。 利益相關者正在與我們合作，并在此過程中提供積極的反饋。

Most importantly, considering Content Early, Often, and Always, helps us to create products that users connect with, emotionally. Products that are:

最重要的是，考慮早期，經常和始終使用內容，可以幫助我們創建與用戶情感相關的產品。 產品有：

• Infused with the personality we deliberately create
  注入我們特意創造的個性
• Designed to follow a cohesive narrative that reflects the user’s journey
  旨在遵循反映用戶旅程的內聚性敘述
• Constructed with an IA that serves the user’s mental model
  使用為用戶的心理模型服務的IA構建
• Crafted according to how the user perceives the product and feels about it
  根據用戶對產品的感覺和感覺來制作

At Workday, we use Content Early to complement (not replace) existing practices and add to the designers’ toolbox. We’re evolving methods that work for our teams. I say evolving, because we’re not using the methods exactly the same way each time. We’re modifying them for the needs of the product and the teams designing and building it.

在工作日，我們使用“早期內容”來補充(而不是替代)現有做法，并添加到設計者的工具箱中。 我們正在開發適用于我們團隊的方法。 我說不斷發展，因為我們每次使用的方法都不完全相同。 我們正在根據產品以及設計和制造產品的團隊的需要對其進行修改。

It’s an exciting time to be in content strategy. It’s more exciting because I work at a company that’s willing to embrace new methods and evolve them. Workday Design has the kind of culture that promotes this.

在內容策略方面，這是一個令人興奮的時刻。 因為我在一家愿意接受新方法并不斷發展的公司工作，所以這更加令人興奮。 Workday Design具有促進這種發展的文化。

Stay tuned for more on Content Early and the various methods. And if you’re bringing content into the design process similarly or in other ways, please reach out. I’d love to hear how it’s going!

請繼續關注“內容盡早”和各種方法。 而且，如果您以類似方式或其他方式將內容帶入設計過程，請聯系。 我很想聽聽這是怎么回事！