Our approach to content desgn at dxw

Content design isn’t about checking spelling and grammar or finding new ways to say things. It’s about presenting information in a format that is easy for everyone to find, understand and use.

This is how we approach content design at dxw.

Putting the user first #

Every piece of content should help the user do what they need or want to do.

During discovery, our content designers work with user researchers to find out:

• what users need from the service
• what content already exists to meet this need
• how users interact with existing content
• how users talk about a service

These insights help us make sure that the content is user-centred.

Making decisions based on evidence and research #

We use research and evidence to make decisions about:

• what content we produce
• what content types we need to use
• the words we use
• where content goes and how content fits together

We use statistics, feedback, keyword research and interviews to get insight into the people who’ll use our service. We see content as a service and think about its lifecycle and governance.

Making content readable #

Lots of people struggle to read large chunks of text online.

We make it easier for people to read and understand our content by:

• keeping sentences and paragraphs short
• using bulleted and numbered lists
• writing short, meaningful headings

Using everyday language #

We want to make services usable and accessible to all - especially those most in need. That means using simple, everyday language and grammar.

We don’t use jargon. If we have to use technical terms, we’ll explain what these mean in simple language.

Making content accessible and inclusive #

We think about the accessibility of the content we create. This means we:

• use simple, direct language
• make sure people using assistive tech can access all content
• add meaningful alternatives for non-text content
• use inclusive language and think about how words affect people

Prototyping with content #

Content is an important part of how we design services.

Content designers work as part of an agile team to come up with sketches and prototypes. These designs use real content, based on insights from user research.

We don’t use filler text.

We keep iterating content based on user testing and feedback throughout all phases of delivering a project.

Last updated: 14 June 2024 (history)