*What UX content is* – here's the basics: It is the content – the words, pictures, ideas, videos – that lets people do what they are in the user experience to do, in that software. So... let's get right down to it – if you're working for a business or you're working for an organization, they probably are trying to do something like this; they're trying to attract people, convert them into users of the product, onboard them into that product,
engage them throughout their use of it; if things break, to support it, but hopefully transform them into people who are attracted to the *next thing* – or people who will bring their friends and relations and co-workers and say, 'Hey, you've got to use this experience; it's the right one!' And what the *person* is trying to do – what the people, the business is trying to attract or trying to do is very different. What they're trying to do is to *not be* attracted, but they are at that moment
when they are ripe for attraction, they are trying to investigate: 'Is this solution going to work for me? What solutions are available?' They're going to verify: 'Is this something that will suit my purpose?' They're going to commit to it, either by downloading an app or by signing on a sheet. OK, nobody signs a sheet of paper anymore – but *by agreeing to pay for something*. Then they're going to set it up; they'll use it; if things break, they'll fix it.
But what we're hoping is that they will come to prefer it and even be champions of that experience. And for every place along that path, *content helps*. Content helps spin this wheel. In the investigative tract, we're using ads, we're using social media. And this is just examples of the content; this is not an exhaustive list. Then, in the verifying and committing, they might be looking at content like endorsements or reviews; they might be looking at the sales collateral. And then really the UX starts.
This is the setup, the getting-started guides, the first-run experience in an experience; even the how-to – that how-to content for some people and some experiences continues into the engagement. And here's where those titles, buttons, descriptions, any alerts that pop up and the just game and experience content. If you're working on a game, this is your game narrative – it's in this part. You've also got troubleshooting, error messages, alerts – if things break.
And then we've got the sticky content, the profile ratings and the badges. That sticky content – I call it that because it makes people a little less willing to leave this experience to go to a different similar one. They're like, 'Oh, but I've already got these badges in this one; I don't have those badges in this competitor.' So, that's very attractive to people – it makes them prefer that app.