Contentious ideas

Thoughts and provocations on digital, content and changing the world. Plus some useful stuff.
The speeding up of slowing down

The speeding up of slowing down

There’s a widespread assumption that speed is always important. But there’s a whole world of content where efficient information transfer isn’t the end goal.

Pretty Darn Frustrating: why PDFs are rubbish

Pretty Darn Frustrating: why PDFs are rubbish

The PDF is a Persistent Displeasing Feature of the web. It’s time to challenge print-think in digital spaces and champion a more accessible and easier-to-maintain internet for people everywhere.

Atomic content

Atomic content

Atomic design is widely accepted as good practice. But when it comes to content, mostly the page still rules.

Useful tools for creating amazing content

Useful tools for creating amazing content

Content management systems, despite the name, are not great for content planning, content creation or content editing. These are our favourite tools for content creators and editors.

The best content strategy resources

The best content strategy resources

Our pick of the best content strategy resources: books, blogs, podcasts and communities. For content strategists present and future, these are the shoulders of giants.

Homage to Patagonia

Homage to Patagonia

Patagonia approach their content the way they approach their products. They care about quality. And sustainability. And usefulness. And beauty. Here are some reasons why I love it.

The SEO triangle

The SEO triangle

SEO is too often thought of as being about the relationship between search engines and websites. But it works best for everyone when it considers content and users as well as search engines.

Content: who does what?

Content: who does what?

In order to maximise its potential, you need the right mix of content skills on your team. The evolution of digital content into a complex, many-headed beast means that to do it well you almost certainly need more than a single editor. But who does what exactly?

Zine-learning in the digital age

Zine-learning in the digital age

Before social media and blogging made it easier for young feminists to connect from thousands of miles away, there were riot grrrl zines – homemade, self-published magazines.

The content manifesto

The content manifesto

Ten principles that can bring about better, more strategic content. And change the world.

Content cost calculator

Content cost calculator

Having a clear idea of how much content costs to produce and maintain can help with planning and can help make the case that content should be properly resourced and looked after.

Gifts for content strategists

Gifts for content strategists

Presents to inspire, entertain and equip the content strategist in your life. And show them what a sophisticated friend you are.

The depleted bookshop

The depleted bookshop

A good bookshop is full of books that inform but also books that entertain, move, or frighten. They make you laugh, they make you cry, they make you see the world in a new light. This isn’t the way most would describe the web.

Activists not parrots

Activists not parrots

By giving people the right content they can move from clicking a button or signing a petition to taking on a more active role.

Making good

Making good

You can’t achieve much if you don’t have compelling, high-quality content. But what makes content good? These 10 aspects are crucial.

Create less crap

Create less crap

The flotsam and jetsam of abandoned microsites and neglected, out-of-date pages float in a flood of content that threatens users and organisations.

Digital, digital, digital (or death)

Digital, digital, digital (or death)

Many charities are instinctively conservative, risk averse and tied to systems of communicating, fundraising and organising whose best-before-dates are fast approaching.

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