✍️ Content Design Systems help you design content at scale

Issue #255 (Nov 29th, 2023)

Author

Yuval Keshtcher
November 29, 2023

Content Design Systems 💻

In this issue of UX Writing Weekly, we explore the intricate world of content design systems, the dynamic intersection between design systems and scaling your content design efforts.

If you’re interested in learning how to build a content design system, don’t miss our UX Writing & Content Design Academy black friday promotion (1 seat left)

Before we dive, in case you’re wondering what the difference is between a content style guide and a Content Design system, we created a visual to help you understand 😉.

WHAT’S INSIDE ✍️

  • A review of how content design systems work and the top 5 today 💻

  • An insider look at content design systems at Ibotta 🔎

  • Examples of content design systems done right ✅

  • Insights about the role of AI in adaptive CDS 🤖

  • Check out our calendar of FREE events at the UX Writing Hub 🗓️

The Hot Take 🔥

Content design systems are crucial for ensuring consistent and user-centric communication across digital platforms, fostering a seamless and memorable user experience. Check out these articles for a deeper dive into the world of design systems.

All you need to know about content design systems - UX WRITING HUB

What is a content design system and how does it differ from a regular content style guide? You'll find out in this article.

uxwritinghub.com/content-design-systems

What I learned implementing UX Writing in a Design System

It has been proven many times: a design system is a powerful asset that facilitates the seamless scaling of product design and development.

medium.com/aviv-product-tech-blog/what-i-learned-implementing-ux-writing-in-a-design-system-76229f9a575c

Content in, for, and of Design Systems

How content pros help your design system shine.

indeed.design/article/content-in-for-and-of-design-systems

Top 5 Design Systems with Content Design Guidelines

If you didn’t already know content guidelines are a critical component of any design system. They provide teams with a approach to creating effective

zeroheight.com/blog/top-5-design-systems-with-content-design-guidelines

Learn by Listening 🎧

A podcast with Stephan Curran about how he and his team built Intuit’s famous content design system.

Tune in to hear Stephen talk about:

  • The different sections of Intuit’s content design system

  • How to break bad news to users

  • The difference between voice and tone

  • What UX writers and content designers can do to become co-designers

  • Changing our mindset to think beyond microcopy

https://uxwritinghub.com/building-a-content-design-system-with-stephen-curran-intuit/

Pillars of the Community 💪

In lieu of recognizing a community member this week, we’re recognizing the fine work of the Shopify team! Their open content design system, Polaris, has become a classic go-to over the years. 

Accessibility and usability are key to getting buy-in. By using clear do’s and don’ts and tagging new content, writers who depend on Polaris are always in the know. Way to go 👍.

Microcopy Bite 💬

Love this! Intuit has seemingly identified four areas in which they want everyone who writes for their product to be well-versed. 

To funnel employees toward that information, they added four cards with concise copy written in the active voice and capitalizing on clear CTAs.  👏

Moment of Mirth 😂 

Creating a style guide can be a monumental task, but the positive change that it can bring to an organization is so well worth it. On the flip side, boy is it frustrating when you make that effort and nobody even knows it exists!

Here are a few tips for spreading the word and getting some buy-in.

🌟 Send an email to everyone in your organization spreading the good news of its arrival. Tell them how to access it and explain how you hope it will help them.

🌟 Post the style guide in a place that is easily accessible to everyone in the organization.

🌟Depending on how complex the guide is, boil it down to a TL;DR or a simplified version that makes it approachable for those who want to follow it, but may not have time to digest a large document. This could be presented as a Notion document, Word file, or even in Google Slides.

🌟 Be sure to include specific examples! Seeing how to and how not to write in certain scenarios will help everyone to apply the style guide with confidence.

🌟 Working in an office? Have posters made with guidelines and specific examples. Seeing the "rules" often and understanding how to apply them will help engrain them.

🤖 AI & UX

With the rise of AI, content design systems are set to become even more intuitive, anticipating user needs and dynamically adapting to deliver personalized, engaging experiences.

Design systems in the time of AI

It's been absolutely wild to witness the rise of the new crop of AI tools. This moment feels equally exciting and terrifying, but given humans' track record of driving promising technologies off the rails, I'm erring on the side of terrified until (hopefully) proven wrong. Setting aside a lot of

bradfrost.com/blog/post/design-systems-in-the-time-of-ai

Elevating User Experiences: How AI-Infused Design Systems Revolutionize UX - Raw.Studio

Design systems, those meticulously crafted frameworks that ensure visual consistency and functional harmony, have long been the backbone of

raw.studio/blog/elevating-user-experiences-how-ai-infused-design-systems-revolutionize-ux

Two examples of content design systems addressing AI:

Writing with AI

Our principles define how we as content designers operate when using AI tools at Intuit, whether they're generative AI-based or not.

contentdesign.intuit.com/convo-and-ai/writing-with-ai

AI-human interaction | Pajamas Design System

Resources, components, and design guidelines behind GitLab

design.gitlab.com/usability/ai-human-interaction

Upcoming Events 🎟️

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UX WRITING JOBS 👩‍💻

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FIN

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Until next time👋,

Yuval Keshtcher and UXWH team