Content designers don’t ‘own’ the words. We never have

Words don’t belong to one person or team - they are part of a bigger picture. Instead of focusing on who ‘owns’ the words, content designers should look at how they can collaborate with others to deliver what users need.

Over the years, content designers have talked to me about challenges they are having with colleagues who want them to publish some text they wrote, regardless of whether it is designed for digital. I had this experience when I worked at Birkbeck, University of London. It happens all the time and it can be challenging.

But I've noticed that, sometimes, people say it's a problem because we, as content designers, 'own the words'.

I understand where this comes from - as content designers, our roles aren't understood that well, and we want to get on with our work. But - this may be controversial - I don’t think we ‘own the words’. In fact, I don’t think we ever have.

In this blog, I want to explore why I think content designers should stop saying - and thinking - that we ‘own’ the words. Our jobs are far bigger than this - and much more important.

Why we should stop saying ‘We own the words’

As content designers, I think we sometimes say, ‘We own the words’ as shorthand, to explain that writing is our responsibility. And I think it's a way of asserting control, particularly where we feel we lack authority or agency.

But this isn’t helpful. And it can be misleading.

a. Good content comes from collaboration

When we as content designers say we ’own the words’, it can make others feel like their views and opinions aren't welcome. And it can come across as patronising - particularly where there’s been no explicit agreement from stakeholders that we ‘own’ the words.

I’ve been a content expert for my entire career. Even when I was the only editor or content designer on a team - something that was true for many of my roles - I never developed content on my own. Other people were always involved and, in order to get work published, I needed to work with them and get their buy-in. In some cases, that meant that I was responsible for the way the content was presented, but that it had to be agreed and signed off by colleagues who weren't content designers. In other cases, the final content was arrived at through pair writing and negotiation, and the final presentation was agreed jointly with stakeholders.

What that taught me is that good digital experiences and content always come through partnership, never just one person.

As content designers, we are just one part of a large ecosystem that can include policy experts, academics, legal teams, accessibility experts, product and delivery managers, marketing and communications staff, other designers and developers. And everyone in this space has something to contribute to make the digital experience great for users.

By enabling instead of controlling, we encourage teamwork and make space for better ideas.

b. Content goes way beyond words

I think we need to stop talking about who ‘owns’ the words because it’s reductive - and it obscures what we really do. 

Before I run my stakeholder management training session for content designers, I always ask participants to tell me what is getting in the way of good content in their organisation. And a common response is that stakeholders don’t know what we do. That they assume we’re just there to ‘do the words’. 

This is frustrating because good digital content isn’t just writing. It’s about how words and phrases and content patterns fit with a lot of other elements, like layout, design and functionality. But if stakeholders think we’re only there for the words, we won’t be consulted in time to influence outcomes.

According to the Nielsen Norman Group, users take only 10 seconds to decide whether a web page is worth their time. Think of an information page with great writing but a poor structure. Or a mobile app, where the information is perfectly clear, but the navigation doesn’t work. Neither of these serve users. And it doesn’t matter how good the words are if the users don’t get to them.

As content designers, we know how to create content that meets user needs and helps them quickly figure out whether what they’re looking at is worth their time. But even more than that, we understand the critical importance of information architecture and digital structure, at page level and beyond. Because we know that it all contributes to an effective user experience in digital space.

Digital content is not and never has been just about the words. 

What we should talk about instead

It’s not surprising that stakeholders don’t exactly know what we do. Ironically, although we’re experts in content, we’re not that good at explaining our role or the value we add.

a. We focus on users and evidence

Our users don’t have the chance to affect or change their digital experiences. But we do. 

As content designers, we know how to create content that’s clear and easy to understand for our users. But that can’t be something that’s based solely on our opinions. And if we worry too much about who ‘owns the words’, we risk putting our personal preferences ahead of what actually works. Instead of trying to control who comes up with individual words, we should think about being flexible, open-minded and willing to adapt, based on what we genuinely know. 

That means we have to go beyond usability testing, valuable as that is. We know how to create good digital experiences from quantitative and qualitative data and research, drawn from sources as varied as established best practice, Google Analytics, expert research (such as the ongoing research of Nielsen Norman Group), benchmarking, A/B testing and heuristic evaluation. 

We are accountable for the overall quality of the information we present, so that our users get what they need when they turn to a digital platform for answers. 

b. We are modern-day alchemists

I don't expect any of you to use this terminology. But stick with me on this.

Just as ancient alchemists aimed to turn metals into gold, as content designers, we aim to turn organisational visions and objectives into pages, services and products that serve user needs. And we do this by:

• creating and shaping content that answers user questions, saves them time or helps them in the way they need, using research, evidence and our expertise

• thinking through the holistic end-to-end experience where content is both consistent and cohesive and it makes sense across all the digital touchpoints in a user journey

• working in partnership with others to create the best possible experience for users

• monitoring and iterating our work, so that we continue to serve the needs of our users by making decisions based on evidence 

Let's focus on what really matters

In the end, words on a page or in a service or in a print source don’t belong to any of us.

They belong to our users - the people who need them in order to get their new passport, or book their train travel, or find out about the healthcare they need, or whatever it is they’ve come to our digital space to do.

And our users don’t care who ‘owns the words’ - but they do care about getting things done. 

Isn’t it time we joined them?