Content is created by authors, and the model should enable them to craft content easily. Complex and detailed structures may be in the requirements briefs, but they may cause more harm than good when implemented to the dot.
Make your case for simplicity
Involve your stakeholders in conversations about the potential drawbacks of complex structures on content model usability and the project’s success. Let the stakeholders know that some requirements, like e-commerce or email marketing, can be delegated to external systems if they’re not tightly bound to content operations.
Add the required options to the model
Even if requirements can’t be changed or you don’t want to force your content creators to give up all the control over content visuals they’re used to, there are options. Adding missing features needs a bit of creativity, but it can be done:
Describe how various content is displayed using the guidelines elements and screenshots.
Missing configuration options?
Any configuration options can be added via a dedicated configuration content item or elements, which then drive your app’s behavior.
Keep the model hierarchy flat
Keep the content model hierarchy as flat as possible (2–3 levels deep) to avoid loss of context for content creators. Using Web Spotlight can further help content creators find content more easily and see it in a broader context.Implementing a domain model of all the information you have may be tempting. However, the goal of your content model is not to model everything – only model what’s relevant to your content. When you include more than what’s needed, you can hurt usability by over-complicating your content model. A content model should contain only useful information, so it’s a subset of the domain model.
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of all the information you have may be tempting. However, the goal of your content model is not to model everything – only model what’s relevant to your content. When you include more than what’s needed, you can hurt usability by over-complicating your content model. A content model should contain only useful information, so it’s a subset of the domain model.
