7 lessons on content design we learn from the movies
Let me start by saying I definitely didn’t pitch this blog idea just so I could sit on the sofa all day watching movies for ‘research’. Believe it or not, you can find some valuable content design wisdom in movies, and I’m about to prove it.
“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” - Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Paul Newman *swoon*.
Everything we do should be informed by user needs, which makes communication with users absolutely essential. To build the content your users need, you have to make sure you actually understand them first.
You should find out:
who they are
what they’re trying to do (and how)
how their work and life influences what they currently do
how they use existing services.
If we’re not communicating with our users then we don’t know what they need and we can’t give them the right content.
Users first: always.
“90 percent of what you’re saying isn’t coming out of your mouth.” - Hitch (2005)
An underrated comedy – am I right?
Content design is more than just getting the right words on a page. You also have to consider platform, format, links, timing and images. It’s about creating a whole user journey and that involves more than one step.
This quote also applies to the way you work with your team – which will often include a range of roles in a multidisciplinary team. Understanding their part in how content is created is a must for good communication and a cohesive team, which ultimately leads to better content.
Yes the words are important – but they’re not the only thing that makes content work.
“Do, or do not. There is no try.” - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
This whole blog post could’ve been made up of Yoda quotes, but let’s just focus on this pearl of wisdom for now.
You get to a certain point within the project where it’s time to get users to interact with the service you've built and observe their behaviour and reactions to it.
Intuition only gets you so far. We test to make sure our content is purposeful, accurate and most importantly meets user needs. You’ll get meaningful insights and be able to take concrete data back to the organisation, design for it, fill in any gaps you might have about the process and even take out steps that just aren’t working.
Create the content first. Then test it. There is no ‘try’ and hoping for the best with content. There is only do (and checking it actually works).
“The key to this business is personal relationships.” - Jerry Maguire (1996)
Subject matter experts (SMEs), policymakers, stakeholders — they all have a part to play in the content. The digital world may be new to them, but the knowledge they have is crucial for your content.
Working with such a range of people can be challenging to navigate, which is where your interpersonal skills come in. You don’t design content on your own, but neither is it done by committee. A content designer must get the information the users need, understand the organisation’s needs, and combine the two (while writing in clear language, avoiding jargon and explaining any technical terms).
When you’re able to understand all the motivations, needs and expertise from each team, you’re on your way to creating better content.
“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” - Back to the Future (1985)
I didn’t just include Back to the Future because it’s a timeless classic: it teaches us an important lesson on innovation.
One of the best parts of content design is getting to try ideas that haven’t been thought of before. Try not to be confined by what’s gone before: think about different channels and ways to get information to people, links that could be made between this service and others that people are using.
Some ideas will work better than others, but you never know what will take off and work for the user until you put it to the test. If Doc can create a time machine out of a DeLorean, imagine what you can do.
“Round up the usual suspects.” - Casablanca (1942)
If you need to test your content but don’t know how to find users: start with who you know. Ask colleagues, friends or even on social media for help. If you need volunteers in a specific group - i.e. parents – then make it clear. Be upfront about what you need, how long it will take and what the volunteer will get in return (thanks / a voucher / money).
There are user research recruitment agencies you can use, which are great, but sometimes you don’t have the budget or you need to get results quickly.
A word of caution: sometimes your immediate circle is full of people who are just like you and not necessarily the target audience for your content. Be aware of this when rounding up your usual suspects.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
As content designers, we know that things on a project can change at a moment’s notice. Deadlines change, new information comes in and so on. With all the uncertainty that can come with digital projects, you need to be flexible and come to terms with the fact you won’t be able to do everything.
Remember the overall goal: what do the users need? Use this to focus your efforts.
What content do they need to be able to complete their tasks? Do you need to refine the needs or test what you’ve got? Is the placement of content more important than the word choice right now? There will be some tough decisions if you’re in this position so try to finish as much as possible so you can test and learn. Good luck.
(I need to tell you that finding a link between my favourite franchise of all time and content design has officially become my biggest achievement.)
Thought of any other films that could be added to the list? Tweet us.
