How do you feel when a friend or colleague says, “You’ve got to listen to this podcast”—do you do as you’re told, or do you take a pass?
I often smile politely—and pursue my own podcast pleasure.
Why am I new-podcast-resistant?
Because time’s a-tickin’, that’s why. I need to be sure the suggested media will deliver on the promise of deep wisdom and insight. Yes, I am podcast snob—and book snob, too. In other words, you’re in safe hands.
Content Design
by Sarah Winters
Content Design London, 2017
Sarah Winters and her team at the UK’s Government Digital Service did the impossible: over the course of four years, they merged more than 400 separate government websites into a single one.
A byproduct of that bear of a project is the book Content Design, in which Winters codifies—step by step—the process they used. And take heed: content design isn’t just another fancy name for graphic design or copywriting; in Winters’s words, content design is “about using data and evidence to give the audience what they need, at the time they need it, and in a way they expect.” Content design, also known as UX writing, focuses on what information—whether written content, visuals, videos, etc.—is most helpful to users.
In Content Design, Winters touches on all topics related to her subject: the “discovery” or research phase of a project, writing for the web, designing for accessibility, effective calls-to-action, and writing in pairs as a useful strategy for content collaboration. (The latter is a technique my co-author and I can vouch for, of course.)
Nothing new here, you’re probably thinking, plenty of other books discuss the same topics—just take a look at this list—and these are just the books in English. So, given all the available literature on the subject, why this book? Because this book walks the talk: it applies on the page all the principles it preaches.
Don’t believe me? Amazon kindly provides sample pages. Which means you’re not merely reading the words, you’re experiencing the book’s content design. And why not skip the intro, and go to page one: five simple words in large type, testimony to what the book is all about—clarity. Page two: a couple of paragraphs, one in large type, one small. In between: copious white space. Page three: same immaculately-thought-through visual presentation.
Plain language, simple communication (“It’s not dumbing down, it’s opening up”), combined with savvy use of white space. It makes for unparalleled memorability, and for that, we are grateful.
Podcasts worth your time
It’s summer. (At least in some parts of the world.) Whether you’re heading for the beach or the mountains—unless you prefer to stay home—it’s time to go outdoors and work on your summer glow. (And don’t forget to sunscreen your everything!) To keep you company on your long walks–and because I myself feel a bit lazy—here are my top three leisure-time podcasts:
“The Allusionist”: Not just about the English language! You’ll learn about other idioms, etymologies, emojis, fake words, and the rarified language used by museums to explain masterpieces.
“The Moth“: Storytelling at its best. It offers topics for all tastes; nothing is too kooky or too sappy. My favorite episodes: New Yorkerwriter Adam Gopnik on how not to use the word LOL, and physicist Janna Levin on Life as a Mobius Strip.
“Rough Translation”: To get you out of your comfort zone and bring you into a foreign country, in which a single topic is approached from wildly different points of view. Favorite episodes: “How to Speak Bad English” and “Mom in Translation.”