Introduction to Content Design - Content Objects and Content Design Issues

Content design focuses on two different design issues, each addressed by individuals with different skill sets. In content design :
- a design representation is developed for content objects and
- mechanisms are represented that are required to initiate their relationships to one another.
- representation of information within a specific content object is concerned.

It is design activity that is conducted by copywriters, graphic designers, and others who generate the content to be used within a web application.

A content object is closely aligned with a data object. A content object has attributes that include content specific information and implementation specific attributes that are specified as part of design.
UML association and aggregation may be used to represent relationships between content objects.

Once all the content objects are modeled, the information that each object is to deliver must be authored and then formatted to best meet the customer's needs. Content authoring is the job of specialists who design the content object by providing an outline of information to be delivered and an indication of the types of generic content objects that will be used to deliver the information.

As content objects are designed, they are chunked to form web application pages. The number of content objects incorporated into a single page is a function of user needs, constraints imposed by download speed of internet connections, and restrictions imposed by the amount of scrolling that the user will tolerate.