Content design and design training

Build the skills, confidence and processes needed to create better content

Most organisations rely on subject matter experts to create and maintain content.

They understand the topic. They understand the policy. They understand the process.

What they have rarely been taught is how to design content for digital channels.

As a result, content is often written from the perspective of the expert rather than the user. Pages become difficult to scan, information is duplicated, governance standards are inconsistently applied and employees struggle to find what they need.

ako labs helps organisations build internal content design capability, enabling teams to create content that is easier to find, easier to understand and easier to maintain.

Signs your team may need capability uplift

You may benefit from content design capability development if:

  • Subject matter experts are responsible for creating content but have never received formal training.

  • Content varies significantly in quality between business areas.

  • Pages are difficult to scan and navigate.

  • Publishing standards are inconsistently applied.

  • Teams rely heavily on PDFs and attachments.

  • Employees struggle to find key information.

  • New publishers learn through trial and error.

  • Content governance processes exist but are not consistently followed.

Content design as a discipline

Content design is the practice of using end-user research to create content that helps people complete tasks, solve problems and make decisions.

At ako labs, content design is a foundational discipline that underpins employee self-service, digital workplaces, search experiences, governance programs and digital transformation initiatives.

Good content does not happen by accident. It requires a structured approach that combines research, information architecture, content design and governance to create experiences that are easier to find, easier to understand and easier to maintain.

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What we help with

Content design training

Practical training designed to help publishers create more user-centred content.

Topics may include:

  • Content design principles

  • Writing for digital channels

  • Structuring content for scanning

  • Plain language techniques

  • Accessibility fundamentals

  • Page design principles

  • Applying content standards consistently

The focus is on building practical skills that publishers can immediately apply in their day-to-day work.

Publisher onboarding and capability programs

Many organisations have publishing communities that change regularly as employees move roles or new team members join.

We help establish repeatable onboarding approaches that support new publishers and maintain quality over time.

This may include:

  • Publisher onboarding frameworks

  • Learning pathways

  • Training materials

  • Publishing guides

  • Governance resources

  • Coaching programs

The goal is to reduce reliance on individual experts and make capability easier to scale.

SharePoint publishing training

Many SharePoint publishers receive system access without guidance on how to manage content effectively.

ako labs helps publishers understand:

  • SharePoint page types

  • Publishing best practices

  • Content management processes

  • Metadata fundamentals

  • Search considerations

  • Governance requirements

  • Content lifecycle practices

This helps organisations improve content quality while reducing support requirements for platform owners.

Content standards and publishing guidance

Clear standards help publishers make consistent decisions.

We help organisations develop:

  • Content standards

  • Page templates

  • Style guides

  • Publishing playbooks

  • Review checklists

  • Accessibility guidance

These resources provide practical support for content creators and help reinforce governance expectations.

Coaching and content reviews

Sometimes capability is best developed through practical application.

We work alongside publishers and content owners to review content, provide feedback and coach teams through real publishing challenges.

This can be particularly effective during:

  • Intranet redesigns

  • SharePoint migrations

  • Digital workplace initiatives

  • Employee self-service projects

  • Business transformation programs

Why content design capability matters

Strong content design capability helps organisations:

  • Improve content quality

  • Increase consistency

  • Improve employee self-service

  • Strengthen governance compliance

  • Reduce content maintenance effort

  • Improve accessibility

  • Improve search experiences

  • Increase trust in digital channels

Most importantly, it reduces dependency on external specialists and creates sustainable internal capability.

Related work

Our work
Designing a global learning and development experience for 12,000 employees

When it came to learning and development content, employees struggled to understand what was available and where to start. Head office needed to communicate a cohesive vision, while each global region maintained its own learning pages, priorities and delivery models, which were not going away.

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Replacing an HR document library with user-centred Intranet content

A global financial services organisation relied on a large library of instructional PDFs to support staff using their HRIS system. Documents varied in layout and quality and content ownership was unclear and support teams could not reliably direct employees to self-service resources.

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HR Intranet content review and audit

A national media company asked us to simplify a cluttered and confusing HR Intranet to improve employee self-service. They needed help to solve content duplication, inconsistent navigation, low trust in the Intranet and high volumes of avoidable enquiries.

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Related insights

Articles
When content isn't the problem

Content problems are often symptoms of deeper organisational issues. When employees can't find information, the instinct is usually to rewrite content, improve search or redesign pages. In reality, the underlying causes are often poor governance, unclear ownership, weak information architecture, fragmented processes or limited content design capability.

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10 common mistakes in Intranet content publishing and how to avoid them

Intranets are full of content published with the best of intentions. Everything an employee might need is technically there. The problem is how long it takes to find it.

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A practical checklist for publishing Intranet content during transformation

When projects act as publishers rather than partners, content decisions are made in isolation from the teams who will live with the consequences.

Read more →

Looking to uplift content design capability?

Whether you're onboarding new publishers, improving SharePoint content, supporting a digital workplace initiative or establishing publishing standards, ako labs can help your teams build the skills and confidence needed to create better content.

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