Smashing Book 5: Real-Life Responsive Web Design — Part 1 by Magazine Smashing

Author:Magazine, Smashing
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Smashing eBooks
Publisher: Smashing Magazine
Published: 2015-06-23T16:00:00+00:00

A spreadsheet is the perfect place to keep track of all the disparate pieces of a content model.

There’s no canonical spreadsheet: every project has different needs. My basic content model spreadsheets contain the following columns:

•Section: groupings of fields, usually by content area like “event information” or “location data”.

•Field: the name of each piece of data in the model.

•Format: the type of content stored in the field, like “image”, “rich text”, or “boolean.”

•Maximum length: this is often used in RWD, where you might have two or three length variations of a single piece of content for use across different screen sizes.

•Number of instances: the upper limit on the number of instances of that field in each entry. For example, an event listing can only have a single location, but may have up to four instructors. This is a good time to learn how to type the ∞ symbol.

•Required: whether or not the field is required for each entry.

•Contents: a brief description of the contents of the field, like “Directions to the location, including information about where to park.”

•Notes: any other information about the field, including thoughts about implementation, issues to discuss with stakeholders, or an explanation of what this field enables from the user experience standpoint. It wouldn’t be a spreadsheet without a catch-all column.

My spreadsheets also include other columns to hold whatever information this particular project needs. Such as:

•Source

If we’re pulling content together across systems, through APIs, or from other media like print publications, I make a note of where the information in each field will come from.

•Example content

Especially helpful if the team is having a hard time wrapping their heads around how the current content will fit into the new model. When the model has variations on a single piece of information (like a short and long image caption that will be used on different screen sizes), having examples of both helps authors better understand the nuance and difference between the variations.

•Do not include

It can be helpful to clarify what doesn’t belong in each field. “Do not include the address in this description”, or “The biography should not repeat the job title (because it lives in its own field).”

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