How we design and create content

Last updated: 22 September 2025

If we decide content is needed, we’ll ask ourselves:

• How does it fit into the customer journey?
• Where will it be organised within our information architecture (categories and navigation)?
• How will it be structured? What content type would be best suited?
• How will we ensure it is accessible?

When designing content, we will:

• not duplicate information from our own or other sources - we want to maintain one version of the truth. It also has a negative impact on site ranking
• use HTML instead of documents wherever possible
• use data to inform decisions
• use text to display content (images will depend on the type of content)
• simplify complex information
• implement our content standards and style guide
• make sure it's as accessible as possible
• use metadata to create good search engine optimisation (SEO).

Sometimes we’ll work with you to customise content within third party systems and the same rules should apply.

For medway.gov.uk you can find out more about what we will and will not publish in our content proposition.

We may also have to conduct more user research to test our designs.

Our design and creation processes

Initial meeting

Before starting any content design work, we’ll have an initial meeting with you to clarify your goals and what the user needs are. We may need to do some discovery to work out how the content fits into what already exists and the best approach.

Content briefs

We will write a brief which outlines the purpose, scope, objectives, stakeholders and timeline for content design work. This doesn’t have to be long (one page will do), but it helps us all understand the plan and stick to it.

Regular communication

Communication between content designers and subject matter experts is key to success. If we agree to work on your content, we need your commitment to provide timely feedback and attend meetings. Depending on the size of the project, we may need several meetings and workshops to work through the problems and design the right solutions.

User stories

We write user stories to help us think about content from a user’s perspective. A user story is written in this format:

As a… [resident, business, visitor, parent, etc]
I need to…
So that I…

For example:

As an entrepreneur who wants to open a café
I need to find out about running a food business
So that I know if there are licences I need to apply for and how much they cost.

Writing user stories is a good way to help us:

• keep content centred around the user
• prioritise what content and tasks are most important to the user
• make sure multiple scenarios are considered and catered for
• assess the success of content and make necessary adjustments.

Creating content together – pair writing

Sometimes we sit with subject matter experts and write content together. We call this pair writing. Pair writing allows for the perfect blend of service knowledge and effective writing techniques.

It is helpful for:

• brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other
• mutual learning
• speeding up the content design process by reducing time spent deliberating over structure and word choices
• thorough and well-considered content that meets both business and user needs.

Mock ups

We'll often create a mock-up of your webpage(s) either on paper or in our content management system.

This is so we can experiment with different options, show you what the content may look like and decide on the best way forward.

Proofreading

Content is always proofread by another content designer who has not written or designed it. We call this process ‘a second pair of eyes’ or ‘2i’. This fresh perspective allows us to:

• double check the content against our standards
• detect errors such as typos, grammar or inconsistencies
• make sure content is as clear and understandable as it can be
• offer feedback or insights that the first content designer may have missed because they are more familiar with the content.

These benefits help us to create more effective, engaging, and error-free content.

Checking factual accuracy

Whilst we decide how content is written and presented based on best practice, we’ll ask you to fact check content before it is published. This is to ensure we have not unintentionally changed the meaning of any words or sentences. We may refer to this process as ‘sign off’.