Content Designer
Oct 2022 – Now
Aiming to improve the consistency and clarity on the platform’s content. My primary focus is to align all messages considering user needs, business goals and the company’s voice.
When you have a big team with so many people working on multiple features at the same time, it’s easy to lose track of important definitions. My role is to make sure that we are using the proper terms, and using text as a tool to help the user navigate seamlessly.
Project Background
ScotiaConnect is an online banking platform for small and large businesses.
It provides what they need to manage business finances, from employee payroll to international transfers, along with many other essential features.
My Role
As a Content Designer, my role extends beyond writing. It’s about structuring information, aligning messaging with user needs, and ensuring clarity across the platform. Working with a large team and multiple ongoing projects, my focus is to create consistency and efficiency in the way we communicate through content.
I work closely with the teams to define features, components, their impact and manage their implementation. Keeping all the resources and documentations updated as the project keeps growing and evolving.
My Process
Step 1: Understanding the need
What is this message for?
Requirements come to me without much context and its my job to ask the right questions.
- What is the goal of this message?
- Who will read this, and what action should they take?
- Are there existing patterns we can use for reference?
Before writing, I ensure I fully understand the scope and impact of the content.
Step 2: Analyzing existing content
Look for references within the platform.
Before writing, I dig through the platform and documentation to find existing patterns, definitions, and similar content.
- Search for related content in the product to maintain consistency.
- Check documentation (if it exists) to align with current definitions.
- Identify gaps where new content or terminology needs to be defined.
Ensure my proposal is not just well-written but also aligned with the platform’s existing content.
Step 3: Writing & alignment
Craft content that is accurate, necessary, and appropriate.
Writing isn’t just about filling in text—it’s about crafting messages that are clear, necessary, and aligned with the platform’s voice.
Building on what exists:
- Adapt content based on existing patterns to maintain consistency.
- Standardize terminology and structure to enhance usability.
- If no pattern exists, propose a scalable solution.
Cross-platform alignment
- Ensure coherence across different touchpoints (platform, emails, notifications, etc. ).
- Consider how this message fits into the broader user experience.
Every piece of content should be purposeful, easy to understand, and seamlessly integrated into the platform.
Step 4: Iteration & Validation
Share proposal with the team.
I work closely with designers, developers, and product owners to ensure the content is functional, clear, and aligned with business goals.
Feedback loop:
- Share content proposals and gather input from relevant teams.
- Sometimes, product owners see their feature as unique and critically important, and may push back if the content feels misaligned with their vision.
- I ensure the content serves both the user experience and the feature’s objectives, finding common ground between product vision and user-centered clarity.
Refining for impact:
- Adjust based on feedback while maintaining clarity and consistency.
- Advocate for content that improves usability, even when it requires teaching stakeholders on user-centered design principles.
Deliver content that not only meets requirements but enhances the overall user experience while balancing stakeholder expectations.
Step 5: “Big Picture” & Learning
Go beyond solving requests—align content with the overall strategy.
Over time, I’ve evolved from simply completing requests to taking a strategic approach in ensuring content aligns with the overall product vision.
I no longer just focus on answering the request; I see how my work fits into the broader user experience and platform consistency.
Continuous learning:
- Reflect on each project to improve my content strategy, considering how small changes impact the platform long-term.
- Keep an eye on how content decisions affect the user journey across all touchpoints (platform, emails, notifications, etc. ).
Ensure each piece of content doesn’t just solve an immediate problem but contributes to scalable, user-focused communication across the platform.
Results
Improving clarity
One of the key aspects of content design is improving clarity by making text more concise, direct, and user-friendly. A simple way to measure this impact is by comparing the original version with the optimized version.
The table below shows examples of how content was refined, highlighting the improvements in clarity, consistency, and overall user experience: