Begin with questions. What is the core job of this screen? What decisions must the user make here? What information unlocks those decisions? Answering these clarifies the hierarchy before pixels are pushed. Draft headlines, labels, and calls-to-action that speak in verbs. Replace lorem ipsum with real examples; length and tone drive layout, not the other way around.

Design the reading experience. Set line length, line height, and spacing for comfort, then remove anything that competes with the words. Use headings to chunk information, lists for scannability, and tables only when relationships demand them. Treat empty states, error messages, and help text as first-class content—they are often the most-read copy in the product.

Images and data need narrative roles. Don’t add charts for decoration; choose the form that answers the user’s question fastest. Pair visuals with concise summaries so readers don’t have to interpret from scratch. For photos or illustrations, ensure they reinforce meaning or provide necessary context, and provide alt text that captures purpose, not just appearance.

Work across disciplines early. Writers, designers, product managers, and engineers should edit content together. Small changes—renaming a button, simplifying a sentence—often remove entire UI elements. Establish voice and tone guidelines so updates remain cohesive as the product evolves.

Finally, maintain content. Out-of-date copy erodes trust. Create a cadence for review, and instrument analytics to flag stale FAQs, confusing steps, or search queries you fail to answer. When content leads, the interface follows—and users feel seen and supported. Governance is the unglamorous secret. Decide who owns voice and tone, how changes get reviewed, and how string libraries stay synchronized with design files. Adopt inclusive language standards and a glossary for product-specific terms. Use tools that surface reading level and detect jargon, and keep examples close to the contexts in which they appear.

Content-first does not mean text-heavy. It means intentional: the right words, the right visuals, and the right data at the right time. Done well, it shrinks interfaces, clarifies flows, and builds trust one sentence at a time. Keep a content inventory. Map what exists, what’s missing, and who it serves. Identify duplicate messages and consolidate them into a single, authoritative source. Pair this with analytics—search queries, drop-off points, help-center hits—to prioritize revisions with the biggest user impact. The best interface is the one that makes sense immediately; great content makes that possible.