The development process is hard. You have a beautiful CMS implementation of your redesign and restructuring ready to go, but all of a sudden, you end up with a mess under the hood. What happened? You're frustrated, you question it, but it's too late and the damage is done. As content strategists, we can do a lot to mitigate common pitfalls if we learn to productively and efficiently work alongside technologists to deliver user-friendly CMS experiences. This talk expands on how to avoid common mistakes and increase strong content management strategies across departments. In this session, learn what content strategists should do to 1) embrace the flexibility of the Agile process while continuing to deliver high-level content management strategies and content models; 2) pivot quickly with a team to build models and schemas that facilitate efficient development, migration and content production work; and 3) become a tech team player by learning database architecture skills to help implement content management strategies alongside developers. This presentation was given at Information Development World on October 1, 2015.

1. October 1, 2015
Content management and agile
45 Main St
BKLN

2. Becoming BFFs with
Flexibility
Huge
October 1, 2015

3. 1. Why are we here?
2.Agile Basics
3. Managing content as a product
4. Takeaways
Agenda

4. Why are we here?

5. We realize that we are dealing with
something that is broken, and we are trying
to find ways to repair it.

6. A little about me.
(and how I define content
management in agile)

7. Agile Basics.

8. 8
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery

9. 9
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery
2. Constantly adapt

10. 10
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery
2. Constantly adapt
3. Business people and developers work together daily

11. 11
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery
2. Constantly adapt
3. Business people and developers work together daily
4. Work with a self-driven team

12. 12
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery
2. Constantly adapt
3. Business people and developers work together daily
4. Work with a self-driven team
5. Simplify as much as you can

13. 13
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery
2. Constantly adapt
3. Business people and developers work together daily
4. Work with a self-driven team
5. Simplify as much as you can
6. Face to face communication is essential

14. 14
Central tenets to the agile process:
1. Developers embrace rapid and frequent delivery
2. Constantly adapt
3. Business people and developers work together daily
4. Work with a self-driven team
5. Simplify as much as you can
6. Face to face communication is essential
7. Working software is how you measure progress

15. Less thinking. More doing.

16. Less thinking. More doing.
Faster.

17. Managing content
as a product

18. Agile Modeling.
Managing content as a product:

19. Content models traditionally help you plan
and diagram, ahead of implementation.

20. Modeling vs. implementation

21. Modeling as implementation

22. Become a guru.

23. Your content is data.
Treat it as such.

24. 24
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.

25. 25
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.
2. Remember that the content editor is a user too.

26. 26
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.
2. Remember that the content editor is a user too.
3. Learn as much as you can about the technology you may work
with.

27. 27
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.
2. Remember that the content editor is a user too.
3. Learn as much as you can about the technology you may work
with.
4. Don’t work on models alone. You are not the only person who is
going to need to use it.

28. 28
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.
2. Remember that the content editor is a user too.
3. Learn as much as you can about the technology you may work
with.
4. Don’t work on models alone. You are not the only person who is
going to need to use it.
5. Treat your content like data – with properties but without meaning.

29. 29
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.
2. Remember that the content editor is a user too.
3. Learn as much as you can about the technology you may work
with.
4. Don’t work on models alone. You are not the only person who is
going to need to use it.
5. Treat your content like data – with properties but without meaning.
6. Embrace iteration (but know when to start from scratch).

30. 30
Strategies for success:
1. The theoretical is great, but don’t stay there too long.
2. Remember that the content editor is a user too.
3. Learn as much as you can about the technology you may work
with.
4. Don’t work on models alone. You are not the only person who is
going to need to use it.
5. Treat your content like data – with properties but without meaning.
6. Embrace iteration (but know when to start from scratch).
7. Verify, verify, verify.

31. Creation.
Managing content as a product:

32. Your content isn’t
precious.

33. Embrace the MVP.

34. 34
What the iterative process means for content
production and publishing:
• Content needs to be written for limited functionality – or held in the
queue until all features are available.

35. 35
What the iterative process means for content
production and publishing:
• Content needs to be written for limited functionality – or held in the
queue until all features are available.
• Errors and bugs will be discovered. It’s not the end of the world.

36. 36
What the iterative process means for content
production and publishing:
• Content needs to be written for limited functionality – or held in the
queue until all features are available.
• Errors and bugs will be discovered. It’s not the end of the world.
• Be ready to kill your darlings.

37. 37
What the iterative process means for content
production and publishing:
• Content needs to be written for limited functionality – or held in the
queue until all features are available.
• Errors and bugs will be discovered. It’s not the end of the world.
• Be ready to kill your darlings.
• Content teams need to be completely in the loop about when
certain features are launching, so they can plan effectively.

38. 38
What the iterative process means for content
production and publishing:
• Content needs to be written for limited functionality – or held in the
queue until all features are available.
• Errors and bugs will be discovered. It’s not the end of the world.
• Be ready to kill your darlings.
• Content teams need to be completely in the loop about when
certain features are launching, so they can plan effectively.
• Make judgment calls and stick to your guns. You know what you are
doing.

39. Takeaways.

40. Embrace flexibility.

41. Embrace flexibility.
Work with the team.

42. Embrace flexibility.
Work with the team.
Ask for help. Be a baller.

43. Embrace flexibility.
Work with the team.
Ask for help. Be a baller.
Get that content up and moving.

44. Embrace flexibility.
Work with the team.
Ask for help. Be a baller.
Get that content up and moving.
Iterate, iterate, iterate.

45. Questions?

46. August 10, 2015
Content in Agile – CS School 2015
45 Main St
BKLN