Geoff Mckay - About the Rise of Digital Design

As a designer, your whole life is better when you’re inspired. I’m in a constant battle to stay inspired, and one of the ways I do this is to watch a lot of documentaries. I keep a collection of films on my laptop and watch them whenever I’m flying for work. I’ve seen Helvetica about 50 times. One of my new favorites is Synth Britannia, a BBC production about the origin and development of synth pop in the ’70s and ’80s. A musician recommended it to me, but the immediate thing I noticed was the parallels between this era of music and the current state of design. I have been inspired by the stories of these pioneers, and I think the design community can find value in them, too.
The story of British synth pop is essentially the story of a rebellion against the status quo fueled by the accessibility of new technology. Early groups like Depeche Mode, Human League, Gary Numan, and OMD all had to invent their own genre and even their instruments as they went along. They set out to do something they cared about in a way that worked for them and ended up achieving their own artistic satisfaction and changing the face of music forever.

In the early 1970s, music was dominated by prog and glam rock--Emerson Lake and Palmer on one end, and David Bowie and Elton John on the other, producing the kind of large-scale theatrical music reserved for the very upper echelons of musicians and budgets. It was a completely closed scene where only the very elite ever had a chance of getting their music out into the world.

IT WAS A CLOSED SCENE WHERE ONLY THE VERY ELITE EVER HAD A CHANCE.
Then punk came along and threw all that out. But at the same time, there was a group of musicians who saw punk rock as just a re-hash of rock and roll, and while they appreciated the ethos, it wasn’t the sound of the future to them. To them, the future sounded more like Kraftwerk. This, paired with access to previously unavailable and unaffordable music technology, was enough gasoline to ignite a music revolution.
To me, this story echoes the dawn of digital design. Not that long ago, design was print and TV, and print and TV were dominated by big advertising agencies. Design hadn’t changed in decades, and unless you were one of a few elite designers at a big agency, it was almost impossible for your work to reach a mass audience. Designers craved something else; another channel through which they could express themselves. Street art was one of the ways: graffiti and wheat pasting emerged as the punk rock of the design world, but it was still just a rehash of painting and print. And then along came a new way to design and a brand new medium: digital.

Geoff Mckay - CONTENT STRATEGY PROJECT

A seasoned account manager once told me that he never scoped content strategy on a project because he “wouldn’t pay someone just to organize titles in a navigation.” Aside from exhibiting an apparent misunderstanding of what content strategists actually do, my colleague’s comment is indicative of the fact that many people at digital agencies don’t understand the value of content strategy, resulting in untold missed opportunities to capitalize on its capabilities. Let’s face it — if account managers don’t fully understand the importance of content strategy, you can bet that clients won’t invest in it either.
Although there are many reasons why content strategy is often misunderstood — the complexity of its deliverables, the long-term nature of its solutions, the mind-numbing nature of 1,000-row Excel documents — its core purpose is relatively simple. In short, the best content strategy interprets content (anything that communicates a message, such as text, images, videos, audio and social comments) as a product. And this product should be conceived, researched, tested, created, paid for, maintained and eventually retired like any other product, from a bottle of ketchup to a fighter jet.

Like condiments and defense contracts, the most important aspect of content (and this is what truly makes it a product) is that it’s worth something. People pay for ketchup because a) it makes food taste better and b) they realize that effort goes into making it. Content is worth paying for because it not only serves as an extension of a client’s brand, but also primes online interaction to operate at its greatest potential. In turn, this leads to positive outcomes like trust, loyalty, repeated user visits and, of course, conversion. Essentially, content strategy enables companies to achieve specific business goals.
For example, an online news website might rely on content strategy to make sure users from a specific demographic can easily find the news they’re looking for, or to show them related news coverage they might be interested in based on their preferences, history of content consumption and online reading behaviors. In the long term, this same content can be tracked and optimized based on quantifiable metrics. So, it’s not only the quality of content that matters, but the strategy of how it’s produced, organized, tracked and surfaced that keeps users coming back for days, weeks, months and more. And content strategy doesn’t have to be limited to long-form text. It could involve helping a hotel brand feature images and videos on its website to inspire bookings, while surfacing (and hiding) the correct content at strategic moments, as the user moves from exploration and discovery to action.

Geoff Mckay - SUCCESS MEASURE

How do you measure success? How can you tell when your copy is working?

Right now we do basic A/B testing, keep up with our research team’s work, listen to what pinners say in comments and feedback (our community team actually sends out a big report after every launch, to help us understand what pinners are confused), and do lots of gut checks with people across the company. Testing strings of copy is simple, but measuring the effect of a “voice” is much more difficult. Right now we’re working on a robust Voice Measurement Plan™, which will hopefully help us get clearer about the effect of our work.

Why is user education important? Does it have a real impact on the product?

We don’t have all the numbers on pinner education, but we know that the way we design and write this stuff has a huge impact on whether and how people understand Pinterest. A while back we tested 4 or 5 variations of a get started flow, for example, and we noticed a big difference in how people adopted certain features based on our copy. We still have a lot of room to grow, though, and we’re working really closely with our research, design and growth teams to think what “the Pinterest way” of educating pinners looks like.

What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned in building out a content strategy for Pinterest?

One thing I’ve learned is how awesome it is to work for a company whose co-founders support the work you do—Evan and Ben really care about communicating well (whether it’s through design or writing), so my team has a certain amount of “lift” beneath us.

Still, though, building a discipline at a startup is hard work. You have to be strategic, and think not just about shipping great products, but also about creating the conditions under which great products can happen. This means being clear about what you’re trying to do, articulating your team’s mission, getting everyone in the company on board with that mission, understanding when you’re not doing a great job of expressing yourself, and looking outside your own discipline to tie what you’re doing to the company’s bottom line. And you need to be really flexible.

I’ve also learned that for me, inspiring people is more effective than “managing” or “evangelizing” them. If I can get people all over Pinterest to understand why communicating well matters we all feel happier when we work together, and things get done more quickly.

Geoff Mckay - GOOD CONTENT STRATEGY

Good writing and content strategy makes products, and the marketing of those products, much better. When we do our jobs well, the things we launch are easier and more fun to use. We’ve seen how changing copy can positively impact sign-ups, engagement and sentiment.

Content strategy has a huge impact on our brand, too. When we’re thoughtful about the things we say—when we know what we want to say, to who, and how—Pinterest feels more trustworthy. More like a friend than a robotic corporation.

How would you describe the Pinterest “voice”? Where is that voice heard?

We describe our voice as clear, conversational and honest (the basics) and warm, playful and delightful (the good stuff). We have a style guide and voice guide that add lots of detail and concrete examples, like what each voice characteristic means.

Under each of these, we have lots of examples, pictures of celebs who represent each one, and tips to help people really “get it.” The point is to take something that’s inherently subjective and make it feel a little more concrete.

Above all, though, we want our voice to be appropriate. We want to speak in the same voice across all our channels, but modulate our tone based on the pinner’s experience. I think a big part of our (and designers’) jobs is to just have good social skills. Sometimes that means being playful, sometimes it means being straightforward, and sometimes it means saying nothing at all.

What is your approach to team-building? How have you positioned your group?

We’re 5 writers, and we work on the creative team, along with product designers, brand designers and researchers.

We sit and work super closely with each other, but each writer owns a different part of Pinterest. Mac does marketing, community and brand; Sadia works on business, developer and internationalization stuff; Kim works on our team content strategy, ops, legal and training; Evany works on growth and web stuff; I do creative directiony things, team management and mobile; we all write for web and mobile.

One of the firsts things I look for when I hire is writing skills—can they communicate clearly? Delightfully? Do they have a creative streak? The second thing I look for is personality. We work closely with almost every team at Pinterest, so it’s really important that our writers be low-ego, curious and fun to work with. After that, I look for web and mobile experience. Do they understand basic interaction design? Graphic design principles? Have they done content strategy proper? I’ve found that great writers are usually able to pick up content strategy techniques quickly.

Geoff Mckay - TEAM WORK

Our team’s job is to help people feel good when they use Pinterest. We try to make Pinterest-the-product feel clear and delightful, and Pinterest-the-brand feel authentic and relatable.

The first way we do this is by defining The Pinterest Voice. The second is through content strategy proper, which means everything from creating workflows for our translators, to training other teams at Pinterest how to write in our voice, to coming up with ideas for brand campaigns. The third, and probably most important, is through writing itself. We write or edit nearly everything you see on Pinterest, as well as all our marketing, branding and business-facing stuff.

How did you get involved writing for technology companies? It seems like a different world from editorial.

Totally. I imagine people think of them as separate because “editorial” seems literary, whereas “tech” seems techy.

To me, though, they seem really related. Like writers who work at a publishers or magazines, writers who work at tech companies are responsible for coming up with ideas that interest readers, and communicating those ideas in a way that interests readers.

Tech writing gets a bad rep because, historically, tech companies haven’t been great at communicating. I think that’s changing, though—more and more startups are investing in high-quality editorial and writing. My team hopes that eventually, Pinterest will be as fun to read (and use of course!) as a good magazine.

Geoff Mckay - WELL EDUCATED

Well Educated
Knowledge is power. Work to be well educated on community policies, procedures, organizational norms, etc. Further, your knowledge of issues and information will only increase your success in leading others.

Open to Change
A leader will take into account all points of view and will be willing to change a policy, program, cultural tradition that is out-dated, or no longer beneficial to the group as a whole.

Interested in Feedback
How do people feel about your leadership skill set?  How can you improve?  These are important questions that a leader needs to constantly ask the chapter. View feedback as a gift to improve.

Evaluative
Evaluation of events and programs is essential for an organization/group to improve and progress. An exceptional leader will constantly evaluate and change programs and policies that are not working.

Organized
Are you prepared for meetings, presentations, events and confident that people around you are prepared and organized as well?

Consistent
Confidence and respect cannot be attained without your leadership being consistent. People must have confidence that their opinions and thoughts will be heard and taken into consideration.

Delegator
An exceptional leader realizes that he/she cannot accomplish everything on his own. A leader will know the talents and interests of people around him/her, thus delegating tasks accordingly.

Initiative
A leader should work to be the motivator, an initiator. He/she must be a key element in the planning and implementing of new ideas, programs, policies, events, etc.

Geoff Mckay - Leadership Characteristics

Proactive vs. Reactive
The exceptional leader is always thinking three steps ahead. Working to master his/her own environment with the goal of avoiding problems before they arise.

Flexible/Adaptable
How do you handle yourself in unexpected or uncomfortable situations?  An effective leader will adapt to new surroundings and situations, doing his/her best to adjust.

A Good Communicator
As a leader, one must listen...a lot!  You must be willing to work to understand the needs and desires of others. A good leader asks many questions, considers all options, and leads in the right direction.

Respectful
Treating others with respect will ultimately earn respect.Leadership Characteristics

Quiet Confidence
Be sure of yourself with humble intentions.

Enthusiastic
Excitement is contagious. When a leader is motivated and excited about the cause people will be more inclined to follow.

Open-Minded
Work to consider all options when making decisions. A strong leader will evaluate the input from all interested parties and work for the betterment of the whole.

Resourceful
Utilize the resources available to you. If you don't know the answer to something find out by asking questions. A leader must create access to information.

Rewarding
An exceptional leader will recognize the efforts of others and reinforce those actions. We all enjoy being recognized for our actions!