Understand your user
Our publications are user-centric. Whenever you write, think about your user first.
Of course, you will usually not have one generic user. So think of all the possible users of your publication, and describe them. Write it down. For example, take a faculty landing page on Monash.edu. Your list of users will likely be long, but may include:
User | Why is the user reading your content? |
Current student | Needs a range of information from course content to exam results. |
Future international student | Wants to apply to this course from overseas. |
Lawyer | Needs an expert witness. |
Identifying a user’s needs takes some educated guesswork. Brainstorm with the publication team to paint a detailed picture of your various readers. If you need to, break down each user’s profile in more detail. How important are they to you? What do you want them to do after they finish reading the publication or webpage?