#139 - Content Design and the Power of Simple Language with Erica Jorgensen

Awkward Silences

How often do you think about content design? The answer, most likely, is: “not enough”.

The work of a Content Designer involves fitting the right words in the right places, understanding the nuances of things log in vs. sign in, and knowing the right words to use to engage customers. Content Design is an important part of the user experience—and the ROI is high. Like, “millions of $s saved through content-testing” high.

Erica Jorgensen is a Staff Content Designer at Chewy.com and the author of Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX. She joined Erin and Carol on the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of content design, the importance of clarity for effective communication, and how to involve your audience in content design.

Highlights from the episode:

• 00:02:03: What is content design in the context of UX research?
• 00:06:48: Gaining clarity by thinking about the words you use frequently
• 00:14:00: How Erica used simplified language to get customers to buy more insurance plans
• 00:26:42: Using cloze testing to ensure general content clarity
• 00:29:26: The importance of syllables and length
• 00:39:46: Resources and guides for better content design
• 00:42:56: How Microsoft saved $2 million through content testing

Sources and people mentioned

• BrainTraffic
• Chewy.com
• Cloze testing — “Cloze Test for Reading Comprehension,” NN/g.
• Curtis Kopf, Chief Experience Officer at REI
• Dylan Romero, Affiliate Instructor at University of Washington, UX at Microsoft
• Flesch–Kincaid – Wikipedia
• Hemingway Editor
• Jorgensen, Erica. Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX. (2023) — GET 15% OFF AT ROSENFELD MEDIA WITH CODE AS15
• MeasuringU (Jeff Sauro)
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary
• Metts, Michael and Andy Wefle. Writing Is Designing: Words and the User Experience. (2020)
• Scott Kubie
• System Usability Scale
• Tracy Vandygam, Senior Content Designer at Mozilla
• Visual Thesaurus
• Winters, Sarah. Content Design. (2017)

About our guest

Erica Jorgensen is a staff content designer at Chewy.com and the author of Strategic Content Design: Tools and Research Techniques for Better UX, published in April 2023 by Rosenfeld Media.

She's a content designer, content strategist, and team leader determined to bring greater respect to the content field. To that end, Erica speaks frequently at conferences including UXDX USA, UX Lisbon, Microsoft Design Week, the Web Directions Summit, and Button: The Content Design Conference, and on podcasts like The Content Strategy Podcast with Kristina Halvorson and Content Insights podcast with Larry Swanson. In addition to working in content roles for companies of all sizes, she has taught at the University of Washington and Seattle’s School of Visual Concepts.

Erica earned her B.A. from the University of Connecticut and M.A. from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism. In her free time, you can find her exploring Washington State’s wineries or hiking with her husband and rescue dog, Rufus.