The success of a project is often influenced by the way in which the people involved work together. Effective collaboration is a golden thread across a lot of work. In this article I’ll share my perspective, as a content specialist, of working with other roles. I’ll cover what I think different but adjacent disciplines can gain from working closely together and the overall impact this has on the final content too.
Lots of job descriptions and project briefs refer to ‘multidisciplinary’ teams. I find myself part of these teams when working with clients either directly or through other agencies and partners. A multidisciplinary team combines multiple and different skills, roles and expertise. Each person brings their own specialisation, and together, the team is best placed to achieve the goals of the work and overcome any challenges encountered along the way. And there are always challenges, expected or otherwise.
As a content strategist and content designer on projects, I collaborate with lots of other individuals, disciplines and teams including:
That’s not a complete list, but it is a good example of the varied roles that come together and many of those roles, perhaps even all of them, are what I consider to be ‘content adjacent’. That is, the skills and knowledge delivered from those roles is closely aligned with and connected to the content. Those roles have different levels of input and influence with the content itself depending on the individual, the project, the content and broader workflows and remits. There are a lot of factors that decide who is involved in content and how.
In this article I’m going to focus on how I have worked with subject experts, user researchers, service designers and translators. I’ll cover how those roles can collaborate, the opportunities and benefits of working together towards shared goals, and some challenges and solutions.
The relationship between content practitioners and subject matter experts (SMEs) forms the foundation of creating accurate, valuable content. SMEs bring deep domain knowledge and years of experience, while content designers contribute expertise in clear language and user experience.
Pair writing is a useful technique for these two roles. This collaborative approach allows both parties to contribute their expertise simultaneously, with clear, distinct roles. Involving the SME in the content creation process can strengthen the collaborative relationship and it can speed up the workflow for the content designer when it comes to feedback, edits and approval. It’s a great way for knowledge transfer.
The main challenge often lies in bridging the gap between technical expertise and user-friendly communication. SMEs may struggle to simplify complex concepts, while content designers might find it difficult to fully grasp technical nuances. Regular check-ins, clear communication channels, and established review processes can help address these challenges, as can pair writing. SMEs may also have their own priorities not informed by user needs so the content designer can help them understand the purpose and focus of the work with users in mind.
Content designers and user researchers share a fundamental goal: understanding and serving user needs effectively. This partnership ensures that content decisions are based on actual user behavior and preferences rather than assumptions. When these two disciplines work closely together, they create a powerful feedback loop that continuously improves content quality and user experience.
A useful way I have collaborated with user researchers has been before any research has taken place. In the planning stage of a public sector transformation project, I contributed to discussion guides and provided context about content objectives before user testing. That informed the questions being asked and I was also able to get details from the user researcher on how they were approaching the research and the other priorities they had.
After the interviews we did a joint review of interview transcripts and research summaries to identify content-specific user pain points and to understand the insights related specifically to the content that we discussed prior to the research.
Prioritising collaboration between content designers and user researchers leads to evidence-based content decisions. Aligning research objectives can be challenging. Establish clear communication channels and involve content designers throughout the research process, from planning to analysis, to ensure content-specific questions are addressed effectively.
The partnership between content designers and service designers is essential for creating seamless user experiences across all touchpoints. Both roles focus on the user journey, but from different yet complementary perspectives. Where service designers map the overall experience, content designers ensure that information and messaging support users at every step. This collaboration ensures that content strategy aligns with broader service goals and enhances the user journey.
Collaborating on journey mapping on previous projects has benefited all roles involved, the final content, the user and the business the service is being delivered for. Both roles work together to determine how content can enhance each step of the user journey and this integrates content into every stage. I’ve also found it helpful to work with service designers on prototyping and testing blueprints, concepts and flows. It means when I need to create or refine content, I have a detailed understanding of the journey and the user making that journey.
I’ve never had a challenging relationship with a service designer because ultimately we are both there to serve the user and it benefits us both to be aligned and work towards a shared goal. There can be some clarity needed on scope and roles and an awareness is needed of priorities from both sides. This is where honest and open conversations are necessary, with effective feedback communicated at regular intervals.
Regular alignment meetings, shared documentation, and collaborative design sessions help ensure content and service design work together effectively.
The collaboration between content designers and translators has evolved significantly beyond the traditional model of end-stage translation. Content creation for multilingual audiences demands a more integrated, collaborative approach that uses translators' expertise throughout the content lifecycle. This partnership ensures that content resonates authentically with audiences, while maintaining its core purpose and effectiveness across different languages and cultures.
Pair or trio writing is a very user-centred and collaborative way to create content for bilingual audiences. It involves the translator from the start of content development instead of them having to translate approved content right at the end of a workflow, often with tight deadlines and no context about the content.
Having led sessions and co-created content with translators for several large public sector organisations, I have seen first hand how the process improves both versions of the content. The translator is a subject expert in their own right and instead of taking on a like-for-like approach to translation, pair or trio writing means that both languages are created with their specific tone, nuances and audiences in mind. It keeps the focus on creating the best version in each language and sometimes that means different phrasing or sentence structure.
Traditional workflows often bring translators in too late in the process. Combat this by involving translators early, establishing collaborative writing processes, and creating content that works effectively across languages from the beginning.
Collaboration across disciplines is essential for creating effective, user-focused solutions. By fostering mutual understanding and clear communication, teams can use their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve shared goals. The following practices help teams work better together:
By understanding how different roles complement each other, and actively working to bridge any gaps, we can create better user experiences and more effective content.
