A new content modelling tool
I’m working on a content model at the moment and came across the Tapi widget for FigJam, and I’m a little bit in love.
I usually make diagrams and a spreadsheet for content models, which is fine, but a little time-consuming. This widget saves a lot of time creating boxes and arrows, copying and pasting, and it cuts out the need for the spreadsheet for me. It’s also helpful with ensuring consistency, because so many elements of the attribute description are built into the template. My design and dev collaborators seem to like the look of it, too.
Every time I work on a content model, I’m struck by three things:
- Just how much it brings the design process
- It’s much harder to make a good website if you don’t do this
- It’s hard to integrate modelling into a lot of design processes (absolutely no criticism to the team I’m working with now — they’ve been very open to the process)
Want to understand more about content models? Read Content modelling and structured content: the basics
What’s charity for?
Started this week thinking about what charities are for and the role they play in society. It was sparked by reading about Lisa Nandy’s plan to restore charities to ‘centre of national life’. She talked about how charities should speak out and “tell government where we’re getting it wrong and work with us to set it right”. It’s very different to the last government, where the sector was told to stick to the knitting (while simultaneously having to fill gaping holes in what should be public services 👀). It’s positive, but it doesn’t make me feel all that optimistic.
Next interview for ‘Content at…’
I’ve been working on my next ‘Content at…’ interview with an amazing charity content leader. This talk really made me feel excited. There are so many great, practical ideas for other charities to learn from. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Cultural stuff
- Loving (former client) Hackney Empire’s take on ‘Gen Z writes the script’ with new creative director, Keith Khan. The best of the genre IMO.
- Went to the lovely Depot cinema in Lewes to write in the cafe (it’s a very good spot for writing) and accidentally slipped and fell into a cinema seat to see The Apprentice. Whoops. I wasn’t very interested in seeing this film tbh, but Sebastian Stan’s Trump impression was excellent, almost as good as The Vivienne’s. I jest — he built it up in a really subtle way throughout the film. And Jeremy Strong was painfully intense.
- I also decided at 10pm to start making a playlist of my favourite songs of all time. At almost midnight, I realised that was too hard. So instead I made a list of ‘Repeaters’ – songs that I’ve gone through phases of listening to on repeat. It was so fun. I’m still working on it, but I’m pretty happy with the first iteration.
