Content Designer

Job Description

The User Experience team within IDG aims to make information and services across the Universitys website and web applications clear, consistent and easy to use for students, staff, partners and external audiences. To do this, we need an experienced technicalcommunicator to:

• Be a technical expert in using our diverse range of products developed in-house.
• Write instructional material and user interface text for new and existing web applications.
• Manage the production and publication of support documentation in line with version releases.
• Write text for and manage certain content on the IDG website.
• Work with stakeholders to research, scope and deliver content design projects.
• Improve the user experience of Warwicks digital services and websites.

The post-holder will provide specialist expertise to the University in a variety of content design projects. This role can require you to lead projects or to work as part of a team, as directed by the Head of User Experience.The role requires significant collaboration and an ability to influence without authority. You will work with web developers, subject matter experts, user experience designers, support specialists, graphic designers, academics, marketing colleagues and administratorsacross the University.We know that diversity fosters innovation and creativity, and therefore we encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. Appointment will of course be based on merit alone.To manage the support documentation produced by the User Experience team for applications developed by the Software Engineering team and to provide a content design service to the University, including consultancy, training and support. This post supportsdepartments to use the applications developed by the team and adopt user-centred design practice to deliver an excellent online experience to students, staff and partners.Duties & ResponsibilitiesManage documentation for the User Experience teamWrite clear, high-quality documentation about the web applications developed in-house by the Software Engineering team. To achieve this, the post holder needs to:

• Be, or become, a technical expert in using the teams products and services.
• Plan, write, edit and publish user guides, manuals and help articles for non-technical audiences, system administrators and technical specialists.
• Manage the production and publishing of support documentation in line with version releases.
• Proactively identify, track and develop requirements for future documentation.
• Liaise with colleagues to incorporate user experience research and customer feedback into documentation.
• Define the documentation strategy, editorial standards, best practice, style guides and templates for technical writing in the User Experience team.
• Review documentation created by others, give feedback and support, and ensure that documentation is consistent in quality, voice and content.

Support content design projectsProvide specialist expertise to University departments across a variety of content design projects. This can involve supporting projects or contributing expertise to project-based teams, as directed by the Head of User Experience. To achieve this, the roleneeds to:

• Work with customers to research, plan and deliver content design projects.
• Guide customers through a user-centred design process.
• Design and implement information architectures, layouts and templates.
• Collaborate with web developers, subject matter experts, user experience designers, support specialists, graphic designers, academics, marketing colleagues and administrators across the University.
• Prioritise and manage time between competing projects, and meet deadlines.
• Keep up-to-date records on the progress of projects.

Contribute to product improvement

• Write user interface text such as embedded help, microcopy, emails and alerts. Collaborate with UX design and web development colleagues to improve the text in web applications and suggest improvements to user interfaces.
• Contribute to continual product improvement by testing web applications. Identify usability issues, report bugs and suggest improvements. Use testing opportunities to inform personal product knowledge and documentation requirements.

Contribute to the maintenance and improvement of the IDG website and to IDG communicationsProvide specialist expertise for the IDG website and communications with University staff and students. Improve the customer experience when visiting the IDG website by:

• Making key information that users require easier to access.
• Rationalising and rewriting available materials.
• Ensuring good metadata to help customers find pages via search.
• Ensuring consistent writing style, terminology and voice.
• Supporting others to create web pages.

Train, raise awareness and advocate

• Provide training and support to customers on content design practice, writing for the web and technical writing, via formal group training courses, ad hoc sessions or one-to-one advice. Advocate for user-centred content, web standards and accessibility.