ux-audit-content-authoring

name	ux-audit-content-authoring
description	Checklist for multi-step content authoring workflows — build, review, QA, publish, and lifecycle maintenance.

Content Authoring Workflow Audit

Check

• Editor is audited as a staged application workflow (Build → Review → QA → Publish), not a single long form.
• Current stage is always visible; stage transitions are explicit.
• Frequent controls are always visible; advanced options are progressively disclosed.
• Autosave status is visible throughout long editing sessions; failure recovery is offered.
• Pre-publish checklist is complete and visible before the final action.
• Final publish is blocked on critical failures; blockers reported inline with remediation steps.
• Confirmation dialogs for destructive or high-impact actions name the target item, explain consequence and scope, and use explicit action labels.
• Lifecycle status (draft / scheduled / published / archived / withdrawn) is exposed in the authoring UI.
• Archive and withdrawal flows capture reason and show scope before committing.

Content Design

Reference sources: gov.uk/guidance/content-design/what-is-content-design, gov.uk/guidance/content-design/user-needs, gov.uk/guidance/content-design/content-maintenance

• Every field and control maps to a concrete author task.
• Controls are grouped by author tasks, not backend model names.
• Terminology is consistent between editor, preview, and publish steps.
• Recurring maintenance checks cover stale content, broken links, and outdated copy.

Delivery Pattern

Reference sources: nngroup.com/articles/progressive-disclosure, nngroup.com/articles/forms-vs-applications, insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk/2019/04/23/building-and-testing-the-new-content-publisher

• Prefer modular authoring components over one monolithic editor panel.
• Add new capabilities as isolated modules with dedicated controls.
• Validate new modules before broad rollout.

UI Decision Guide Link

• Read the project's UX decision guide before auditing the authoring flow.
• Default to application-style staged workflow for complex multi-step content creation.