Article
Develop Content for Communication
The Writing Process
Planning your writing is just as important as the actual process itself. The process of writing needs to be organised, and revolves around certain important aims:
- to deliver the information accurately and on time,
- to make the information readily available in a format that is useful to the reader,
- to attain a consistent and natural style free from errors, and
- to coordinate its development with everyone else involved in the project.
The following description provides guide by which content may be developed for a site:
The Writing Process1. Plan the project
Establish the schedule and determine who is responsible for each component of the writing.2. Define a style guide
Establish the writing style, writing layout, necessary content elements, and file formats for the project.3. Collect information
Acquire source materials and interview members of the organisation familiar with the content areas of each part of the website.4. Write
Write the text, organising and elaborating on the information you've collated and thus developing the content for the site. Coordinate with graphic designers to develop a cohesive page layout and the graphics needed to reinforce the text.5. Review, test and rewrite
Check the text for accuracy with the subject matter experts, proofread, test users, have it approved by management, make adjustments for viewing online and rewrite as necessary.6. Code the text into HTML/XML etc.
Convert the text and make adjustment to fit in with the design.(Source: Usability for the Web)
Conclusion
In too many Websites, writing is considered an afterthought -- it's usually determined after the design, which leads to visually stunning pages that say nothing at all. But the opposite can occur just as easily, and here the resulting Website is full of useful readable content, but appears bleak and uninteresting at first glance. Thus it's essential that the writer, designer, information architects and developers -- or people fulfilling these roles -- work together to create the site.
There has to be a balance, and remembering your users and their needs will make your writing a success. Tell your users what they need to know in a concise and clear manner. Think about your writing process, and make your Web writing usable. After all, content is about communication.
For more on style guides, check out this complete guide to developing a style guide for your site (and those of your clients)!