GOOGLE ADS:

QUALIFYING CONTENT DESIGN thru TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION

Optimizing User Interface(UI) Copy via Expedited Content Systems' Workflows

Objective Problem Statement:
Lack of lexical cohesion across Ads’ internal teams reflected in platform’s inconsistent UX copy and confusing UI messages
I. Content Audit + Systems' Assessment
  • Catalogue existing UX copy/msg strings throughout critical journey flows to drill down on UI copy- styling disparaties

  • Identify back- end processes enabling large- scale content changes versus manual, individuated "Bug" fixes

  • Prioritize problematic message groups for evaluative content analyses and to build out testing methedology

  • Collaborate with engineering (ENG) to develop implementation roadmap and quantifiable tracking methods
  • Audit Matrix
  • Heuristic audit of Ads' UI copy (desktop) qualifying unruly content patterns as guaged via content heuristics' matrix

  • Collected approx. 7k UI copy strings documenting, string message type and role; interaction model; message source file link in server API and l10n DB; annotated pain points

  • Compiled final report comprising quantitative sample pool analysis of error message group (900 msgs total) using commonly- repeated heuristic factors to qualify failure or success rates (e.g., msg contains too much jargon, ineffectual task resolution guidance, etc.)

  • Proofed copy for 1k error message strings including repurposing/rewriting approx. 450 message strings

  • Proofed copy for 1k error message strings including repurposing/rewriting approx. 450 message strings
  • Sample Pooling, Error Msgs(results)
  • Document patterns across content gaps to define most common pain points/evaluative heuristic measures

  • Documented duplicate message source files and those requiring archival to establish federated search and review process flows for Content team. (Existing workflow relied on filing engineering bugs to enable content changes + required sifting through numerous msg source files)

  • Collaborated with UX Research to define users' lexical stock in expressing intent and dissatisfaction correlative to crafting efficacious error msg copy re: resolution, guidance, and/or satisfing intent

  • Aligned with ENG ally to clarify msgs' back- end access locations and trigger events; UI msg's interaction model refined content creation flow against feasible design affordances, e.g., character(CHARSET) limitations for popups

  • Detailed instructive guidance for technical content management server access and review flows; employed lexical analyses to translate technical documentation into Design-centric language facilitating collaborative bridge(s) between non-technical and technical pillars
  • Content Design Affordances + Error Reduction
    II. Pain Points
  • Redundancies and developer- specific source files muddied file retrieval flows, compounded by confusing file schema (naming and file classification), e.g., all "cancel" messages organized together regardless of product owner, interaction models, case, etc required extensive manual review that caused churn at collaborative implementation phase)

  • Making changes directly to server API required moderate understanding of front- end technical content systems’ workflows, reducing non- technical, specifically Content teams' autonomy

  • Org culture pain points: ENG and PM's needs took top developmental priority, forcing Content team to find implementation workarounds and net concrete progress
  • Streamlined File Retrieval Flows
    III. Retrospective
  • Vesting Content pillars with content systems' domain knowledge reduces bottlenecked workflows and propogates broad familiarity with internal content governance parameters

  • Disparities in organizational lexicons used across internal pillars frustrated Content team's ability to implement ease-of-use and consistent UI copy language parameters

  • Agile ecosystems are fostered in environments that provide teams' with creative and technical autonomy via federated internal access flows across domain knowledge capital assets, streamlining iterative design processes through clarified language
  • Automating vs. Soc.- Constructed Terms