On content design “evangelism”

Saw a discussion on LinkedIn about #ContentDesign evangelism. Some responses really resonated. Many people’ve now reached a point I reached a few years back: they’re bored of doing quite so much of it.

For me things got interesting when discussion turned to how to do it. Best way to show worth is show how the content design input positively affected results.

Which raises an irony… if we spend too long on advocating as an activity in itself, it leaves less time for designing content, which even the strongest advocates of advocating must agree is a separate activity. 😁

But don’t just take my word for it…

Jonathan McFadden
“I guess it depends on what we mean nowadays when we say “evangelize.”

If we’re talking Content Design 101 presentations and roadshows, then I don’t agree that should be part of the job. We’ve been there done that, and I haven’t personally seen it work well, if at all. If we’re talking consistently demonstrating product “impact,” deploying metrics and outcomes that point back to why a thing is better because a content designer worked on it, and loudly attributing the success of a project or product to Content Design, then call me a street preacher; I’m all for it.

In my opinion, those are two very different ways to evangelize, and I think only one stands a real chance at succeeding.”

Sarah Mondestin
“Data=evangelism”

Donnie B.
“Showing the impact of our work is important, but if someone hires me without understanding the value of the role they hired for, I can’t help them.

I’ve created brief, digestible presentations that show leadership how much they can save on potential legal trouble via well-researched, legal-approved product microcopy. I’ve had them try to navigate their own apps using assistive tech to understand the importance of accessible design patterns. I’ve spoken at all-hands meetings and shown video of users navigating an experience 3X faster via contextual help rather than having to peruse a monolithic help center. A lot of it falls on deaf ears. The systems we work in aren’t set up to reward what we do.

The onus should not be on us. Maybe it’s because I don’t have a neurotypical brain, but I see this as a THEM problem that can’t be solved by evangelizing. They already know what we’re trying to evangelize, but they don’t care because what we do inherently serves the regular people on the other side of the screen. This doesn’t interest greedy execs who are interested in short-term profit above all else. That is the source of this disconnect.”

Maisy Stratford-Hutchings
“I would also love to see less focus on the underdog nature of content design roles in discussions here on LinkedIn. Between the evangelism discussion and the general concern over AI replacing us, it’s starting to feel a bit “woe is me” around here. Yes, you must advocate for your role. But advocacy is not the work. You can only convince someone to give you a seat at the table if you can demonstrate the value of your work, and then continue to deliver that value every day thereafter. I would love to see us spending more time discussing craft and honing our skills, because really, that’s the way you make an impact and ensure your contribution is valued.”