Implementing scalable content patterns and standards at SeekOut
As the sole content designer at SeekOut, I built content standards from scratch, integrating them into our design system to enhance efficiency and consistency. I created SeekOut’s first content style guide and trained teams for its adoption. These initiatives streamlined processes, unified our brand voice, and boosted productivity, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction.
Challenge
At SeekOut, product managers, designers, and engineers lacked clear guidance for writing product content. This uncertainty led to inconsistencies and a lack of clarity about which component was the best delivery method for our content.
Solution
Create helpful guidance for everyone who writes product copy and ensure that, where possible, this guidance lives within design components to minimize context switching during design workflows.
How I helped
Integrated content standards into our design components, ensuring that guidance remained within Figma, eliminating the need for designers to seek external content guidance.
Created a content style guide for all product writers, aligning product voice and tone with existing marketing principles, and offering practical tips and examples for implementing these standards.
Process for integrated guidance:
— Conducted a thorough audit of existing content and design components.
— Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify content needs.
— Embedded specific guidance within design tools, updated placeholder text, and added component-specific standards.
— Provided practical tips and examples to ensure easy adoption.
— Implemented feedback loops for continuous improvement.
Process for product writing guidelines
— Conducted a comprehensive content audit to assess current state.
— Defined core principles and tone of voice.
— Collaborated with stakeholders for input and alignment.
— Developed detailed guidelines with examples for clarity.
Impact and outcome
• Received positive feedback from the design team, noting significant improvements in workflow efficiency and content accuracy due to easily accessible, integrated guidelines.
• Strengthened alignment between product and marketing teams, ensuring a cohesive and unified voice and tone across all communications, which enhanced brand consistency.
• Improved overall user experience by making the product more intuitive and accessible, resulting in higher user satisfaction and engagement.
