| name | canon-content-strategy |
| description | Use when planning content hierarchy, information density, content-first design, microcopy systems, or editorial patterns. Covers the content-before-design principle, content inventory, progressive disclosure, scannability, and content governance. Trigger when the user mentions content strategy, content hierarchy, information architecture, microcopy, or editorial design. |
CANON · Content Strategy
Design follows content. Not the other way around. Wireframing with "Lorem ipsum" produces layouts that break when real words arrive.
Content-first design
- Write the real content before the layout.
- Identify the hierarchy: what's the single most important thing on this page?
- Design the container around the content, not the content around the container.
- Test with the longest plausible string, not the shortest.
Content hierarchy per page
Every page answers one question. The hierarchy makes that question and its answer scannable.
Page title ← what is this page
Primary content ← the answer to why the user is here
Supporting content ← context that helps the primary
Actions ← what to do next
Metadata ← secondary info (dates, authors, tags)
Progressive disclosure
Don't show everything at once. Layer information by relevance:
| Layer | Show | How |
|---|
| Essential | Always | Visible on load |
| Supplementary | On demand | Expandable sections, tooltips, "Learn more" |
| Reference | On search | Help docs, FAQs, knowledge base |
Each layer deeper should serve fewer users but serve them well.
Scannability rules
- Front-load key information in every sentence, heading, and label.
- Use headings as statements, not categories. "Your bill is overdue" not "Billing".
- Break text at 2–3 sentence paragraphs for UI context.
- Lists for 3+ parallel items (but follow
canon-ux-writing for when lists earn their place).
- Bold the one phrase per paragraph that carries the meaning if a user reads nothing else.
Content inventory
Before redesigning, audit what exists:
| For each content piece | Record |
|---|
| What is it? | Page, modal, toast, email, error |
| Who owns it? | Product, marketing, engineering, legal |
| When was it last updated? | Date |
| Is it still accurate? | Yes / No / Partially |
| Does it serve the user's task? | Yes / No |
Delete what fails the last two questions.
Anti-patterns
| Anti-pattern | Why it fails |
|---|
| Lorem ipsum in production-ready mockups | Layout breaks with real content |
| Designing the card, then filling in copy | Content overflows or under-fills |
| No content owner | Copy drifts, goes stale |
| Every section equally weighted | No hierarchy, nothing stands out |
| "Learn more" as the link text | Inaccessible + vague |
Audit checklist
Sources
- Sarah Richards · Content Design (book)
- Nielsen Norman · "How Users Read on the Web"
- GDS (UK Government Digital Service) · Content design principles
canon-ux-writing for string-level execution
