Guiding content editors for seamless online experiences

Client

RELX Elsevier

Project

Content editor guide

My role

Information architect

Year

2016

In the future every country domain of Elsevier will be taken over by the Elsevier.com domain. To roll-out this process as smooth as possible, we started to optimize the Elsevier.com website to make it's scalability better.

Elsevier.com is owned by +10 internal content editors. Every editor owns his own domain, reflected in keypages. On those keypages communication (content structure, visuals, storytelling, cta's, eg.) were different, because of a gap in communication between content editors. Therefore we started the process to align content editors in a Content Editors guide.

To get a complete understanding of the topic I started with desk research to find the main inconsistencies on Elsevier.com, read user research reports and interviewed content editors. Out of these findings, we focused on three topics:



1. Brand basics

To create more awareness with the brand by content editors, I created a compressed master brand guide with subjects like master brand, design principles, writing for digital, localisation, SEO, use of images, etc. All to align the tone of voice of the brand.


2. LEAN process

To make Elsevier.com more consistent we created a preferred way of working. This way we make sure all content editors use the same workflow.

In the work process we link people to the right person at the right time. Subjects like storytelling and SEO are handled in this flow. You can contact your colleague or make an appointment.


3. Page structure

The most important pages on elsevier.com were the most conflicting in the structure of their story.

Based on this information, I took based on best practices, analytics, and feedback of the content editors, what the story of those pages should be.


4. Implement design components

There was no clear guidance how to use design components in the CMS. Therefore I set up a guide how and when to use a component. This way all content editors use the same way of implementing these components, which makes any future Elsevier.com alignment easier.

My role in this project

In this process, I was responsible for overall user experience, concept design, wireframing, prototyping, interaction and visual design. I worked closely together with internal and external stakeholders, product owner, and the development team.


Personal learnings
  • LEAN process implementation
  • Optimized how-to-work-process

  • Business results
  • Improved scalebility of Elsevier.com
  • Users' experience is consistent
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