Content writing or web designing? Which should come first
What comes first when it comes to websites? Is it content first, then design? Or should it be content first, then created? It’s an age-old conflict that continues to simmer between content creators and web designers, much like the chicken and the egg.
Both sides have fair points to make. Consider the content writer expected to fill in the spaces on pre-made web pages. And think about the designer left to their own devices with no content to work with.
First and foremost, the content.
So, what are the advantages of creating the content first?
If changes need to be made, it’s easier for everyone if the writer can do it themselves, directly updating their document. Things become much more challenging when these adjustments must be made to a prepared paper. Changing the layout of a website, the arrangement of pictures, readability, and aesthetics may all be affected by adding or removing large quantities of text. It’s enough to make even the most jaded designer cry!
As a result, before the designer views the material, it should be as near to sign-off as feasible. Again, we’re talking about a perfect world.
Conversely, content creators are typically conscious that they are there to promote natural interaction. They want their writing to be read by actual individuals. Content is about people, whereas SEO is about algorithms and search engines.
First and foremost, design.
So, what are the advantages of executing the design first?
It’s not uncommon for the customer who commissions the website to be more concerned with how it appears and performs than with how it reads. As a result, they may want to see it in action before considering the information they want to include. In such instances, content providers will be required to operate inside the framework the designer has established.
It’s considerably more accessible for a writer to fit copy into a preset space on an already-designed page than rejig copy on an already-designed page. Most content writers are used to working with strict word counts. They’re used to condensing statements to their core to fit them inside Twitter’s limited character restriction or SEO alt-text.
If the designer was aware of the approach and the sorts of material to be included, there’s a strong possibility they left enough room and functionality for this incoming content.
So, which comes first: the content or the design?
Of course, the answer is both!
Both content writers and designers should be involved in developing the approach in an ideal case. Both will be on the same (web) page as a result of this. Then, when they’re back in their cribs, they may converse, one keeping the other informed.
The disciplines of design and content must collaborate to function at their best. They’re both critical to a site’s success and benefit from each other’s clear input.
While content must consider the context in which it will be read (the site’s style, its function, the limits of web and mobile platforms), both must keep the end-user user in mind.
Furthermore, neither of them will plan any unpleasant surprises for the other.
So there’s a way for designers and writers to have their cake and eat it, too. Clients may have their chicken and egg in a variety of ways. We’re only using culinary metaphors to illustrate that the delicious taste of collaboration and communication is the key to building a great website.
FAQs
- Why should you plan the content of your website before designing it?
Your website is the virtual face of your organization and an essential aspect of your marketing efforts. This is why the planning phase of any online project is so crucial. It establishes the tone and establishes the framework for a great website.
- Is web design a simple task?
Web design might be complicated and intimidating, but with the advancement of the Internet and technology, it is now easier. Several tools are available on the Internet, and anybody can learn to create a fantastic website on their own.
- Is it the content or website design that comes first?
The design comes after the content. Innovation isn’t designed until it’s accompanied by substance; otherwise, it’s just decoration. When using a content-first strategy, copywriters create the material and send it over to designers, who make a design layout that can accommodate all of the content.