---
title: "Content Design"
description: "2 posts about Content Design, summarised, each linking to the original."
---

# Content Design
> 2 posts about Content Design, summarised, each linking to the original.

## Articles

### [Communicating the value of content design - The Intercom Blog](https://yomu.fyi/post/communicating-the-value-of-content-design-the-intercom-blog.md)
- Company: [Intercom](https://yomu.fyi/company/intercom.md)
- Published: Oct 12, 2026
- Type: Explainer

In her talk at Write the Docs Prague, Kelly O’Brien demystifies content design, a discipline coined by Sarah Richards that focuses on structuring and presenting information. She compares the hidden depth of content design work to an iceberg, where only the surface copy is visible. To communicate the value, she introduces a house-building metaphor: the foundation is the product system, walls and doors are interactions, and the roof is surface copy. Without early involvement at the foundation level, teams may discover conflicts and ambiguity late in the process, leading to frustration and ineffective copy. O’Brien advises content designers to build relationships with designers and product managers, join early meetings, and sell the win-win: early involvement saves time, improves quality, and makes everyone happier.


### [Why design should start with words: Elizabeth McGuane, Shopify](https://yomu.fyi/post/why-design-should-start-with-words-elizabeth-mcguane-shopify.md)
- Company: [Intercom](https://yomu.fyi/company/intercom.md)
- Published: Oct 5, 2026
- Type: Explainer

Elizabeth McGuane, UX Director at Shopify, argues that the design process should begin with words—defining concepts and building shared language—before any visual work. She draws on 15 years of experience in web and product design to explain that misalignment often stems from teams arguing over names because they haven’t agreed on what something actually is. Her book ‘Design by Definition’ provides methods to use linguistic elements like metaphor and narrative to frame design problems clearly and improve collaboration across disciplines. McGuane emphasizes treating text as a spatial design element, prioritizing simplification and consistency over literary flourish. The interview also covers how evolving technologies like LLMs challenge traditional interface conventions, requiring designers to rethink their approach.