Professional factions have made it impossible for the business community to make educated decisions - or even understand what the hell we do. Content strategists scream “Content is King.” The information architects yell “Structure the kingdom.” The SEO folks say, “There is no data without metadata.” The interaction designers insist “While any software system introduces some kind of formalization of the world, HCI (like AI) deals with formalizations of human cognition and activity. These are the issues that have lay at the heart of philosophical debate for centuries. In some ways, it would be hard to imagine a more philosophical enterprise.” And the business community says, “screw you.” To which the advertising agencies say “We can solve your problem. Don’t ask how we do it, but we can. Just throw money in our direction.” Guess who gets the money thrown at them? If content is king, context must certainly be the “kingdom.” Perhaps it is time for us to start thinking about the context of professional communities. Far too often, “user experience” becomes the elephant described by the blind men – each community is convinced that their unique vantage point is the proper one. As content strategists, what can we do to build professional context, and thus convince the business community that our work truly does have value. This is our common challenge. Let this talk be a call to action to all media professionals. To stop fighting each other, but instead to take up the battle with an uninformed and confused populace – people who mean well, but don’t know what to do about it.

1. Content, Context, Community
Eric Reiss
@elreiss
CS Forum
July 2, 2014
Frankfurt, Germany

2. Disclaimer
Absolutely no attempt has been made
to make this presentation politically correct.
If you can’t handle the real world,
take your coffee break early. Like now.
No animals were harmed during the production
of this PowerPoint (even though I tried).
Made entirely of recycled electrons.

4. WMC
Weapon of Mass Communication

9. � The current business mentality
� The current UX/CS environment
� Getting to the boardroom
� What to do when you get there
Our agenda the next 40 minutes

10. The current business mentality

11. Survival is more important than success

12. “This is not the time to take risks”

13. “There is safety in charismatic leaders”

14. “There is safety in charismatic leaders”

15. (Often, they don’t recognize false prophets)

16. The current UX/CS environment

17. Which tool would you NOT want to have if you were building a house?

18. Pick me! Pick me!

20. User Experience
CS IA SD IxD GD PM KM DM SEO SM MKT IT

21. Webmaster Webmaster
Visual designer
Copywriter
Developer
Visual designer
Information architect
Copywriter
Front-end engineer
Full-stack developer
Visual designer
UI designer
Interaction designer
Content strategist
Information architect
Content providers
SEO consultant
Social media guru
Product manager
Project manager
Token baby-boomer
1995 1998 2000 2014

23. Clients know what they want
But we know what they need

24. Clients know what they want
But we know what they need
This is the fatal disconnect

25. Information Architecture
Knowledge management
Personas
Scenarios
Thesauri
Sensemaking
Accessibility
Storytelling
Usability
Findability
Content strategy
Mental models
Experience design

26. We are here
The money
is here!

27. Getting to the boardroom

28. “Nowadays, people know
the price of everything
and the value of nothing.”
Oscar Wilde

29. � Do something quick and easy that makes your
client look good
(show that positive change is not impossible)
� Make sure the manager knows that you know
they are calling the shots
(Don’t threaten, be supportive)
� Find out what the this person has in terms of
personal goals and hidden agendas
(there is always a hidden agenda)
� Avoid talking about legacy decisions
(don’t become a scapegoat)
Before you ever get to the elevator...

30. Will your client be comfortable taking you upstairs?

31. Let’s visit our doctor...

33. So, let’s talk about clothes for a moment

46. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

47. “If you get me into the boardroom,
I will make you proud of me. And
that will further your career.”
[your name here]

48. What to do when you get there

49. “There are but two levers with
which to set a man in motion –
fear and self-interest.”

50. It’s all Greek to me....

51. „Es hört jeder doch nur,
was er versteht.“
Goethe

52. “He hears only that
which he understands”
Goethe

53. “He hears only that
which he understands”
Goethe
CS

54. Don’t speak geek
Don’t speak geek!

55. Solve problems, don’t create them
Solve problems. Don’t create them.

56. Don’t attack other disciplines
Don’t attack other disciplines!

57. Think beyond your own self-interest
Think beyond your own self-interest.

58. Harvard Business Review, June 2014

64. Ten things to remember
1. Look like you belong there
2. Don’t let gender get in the way
3. Exude confidence and leadership ability
4. Take charge of a situation that scares them
5. Find a champion. Become a protégé.
6. Don’t argue with the CEO or Chairman
7. Don’t use business terms you don’t understand
8. Don’t make CS sound complicated
9. Walk them through a proven process
10. Show them the money

65. And in summary
Your
picture
here.
Play nice Take control Be adult

66. And finally, our new mantra...And finally, our new mantra....

67. Sell crackers, not crumbs!

68. Danke!

69. Eric Reiss can (usually) be found at:
The FatDUX Group ApS
Strandøre 15
2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77
Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44
Twitter: @elreiss
info@fatdux.com
www.fatdux.com