I'm several weeks into a lengthy project for a new client. We're prepping for a big redesign and so we're taking a big step back and looking at where we are and how we got here prior to charting the next leg of the journey. It's a smart approach to a redesign, but sadly not one taken by many brands due to the cost and effort. Seems lots of companies have bought into the idea that movement equals progress, and therefore stopping, if only to gain perspective, is counter productive. If you've visited my site recently you may have stumbled across other updates like this one. I understand that reading through other practitioners list of resources isn't the sexiest kind of content but hopefully you'll find the links and summaries below useful in one of your upcoming projects.

Storyscaping. I picked up this gem recently while doing research on the art and science of storytelling as a marketing strategy. I've not been disappointed. Focused identifying your customer segments, fully realizing your brands unique purpose and organizing and crafting a compelling story, this book is sure to set some board rooms on fire.

  • Identify and define your core desired consumer segment.
  • Unlock or define your brand or organization's Purpose.
  • Understand the emotional desires of your consumer.

Paul Boag is a designer and UX professional hailing from the UK. I always find his perspective fresh and his writing actionable. Here are two recent articles that helped me as I was digging for inspiration and process clarification on web accessibility and site reviews.

And finally I've been digging into some great resources from Colleen Jones. She the Founder and CEO of Content Science and the author of Clout_TheArtAndScienceOfInfluentialWebContent and Does Your Content Work?
If you're interested in optimizing your content and crafting a strategy that resonates with your customers, you need to make sure both books make it to your shortlist.

So, there you go - what are you waiting for - dig in. I hope these resources prove as helpful to you as they have to me.