Analysis and news
keywords: attributes and concepts”
imagery, there are two main types of
organisations claiming to be ethical, socially good or purpose-led if this is not reflected in their core culture. There is plenty of overlap between EDIA but applied to the creative sector, let’s focus on: Equity – increasing involvement and
participation of people from all abilities, backgrounds and communities in the content-making process (photographers, videographers, stylists, post production, casting, agents etc); Diversity – as above, but also, equitably
polls and interviews. Shadowing users is a great way to observe their search behaviour; are they using the keyword search box, if so, are they using single words or multiple words and phrases? Are they navigating to content through filters and drop-down menus? Are they combining filters with keywords, do they search ‘within results’, can they use Boolean operators to exclude keywords (such as “city” NOT “traffic”)? During this process, record any problems to do with keywords that don’t work. Do certain words get zero hits? Do some search queries throw up irrelevant or inaccurate results? This type of research helps
organisations identify opportunities to improve current search functionality, as well as implement new search strategies. User-testing and responding to user feedback is absolutely essential if you want people to buy-in to your content management system, leverage the value of your content, and save time and money by reducing or eradicating ineffective searching.
Beyond the basics: futureproof keywording If content is not keyworded, it can’t be found. If content is poorly keyworded, or keyworded using demeaning or derogatory terms, then the impact can be even more negative. Whilst basic keywords can be relatively
easy to apply, and simple to define, this is not always the case for creative imagery
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that is conceptual in nature. Particularly in images where people are concerned. Take, for example, a technology retailer
targeting Gen Z customers. Imagery needs to resonate and communicate the needs and aspirations of that age group, reflecting their lifestyle and values, and even their attitudes to politics and social issues. Creative agencies invest huge sums of
money into researching and producing relevant content as a way to attract their ideal customer, gain more trust, and sell more products. Not only this, but our experience with brands, and the way we define ourselves, is forever changing. As we become more active and vocal online, we see new words, phrases and hashtags enter the urban dictionary, and brands are paying close attention to how they ‘label’ their customers. The trend for advocacy and
campaigning on social media platforms does not seem to be waning, if anything it is gaining momentum. Thinking about the future consumer, the way life will look and the way we will relate to brands, impacts heavily on content creation and keywording.
Equity, diversity and inclusion, and accessibility As we’ve seen, brands rely heavily on endorsement and trust. The images they publish and the language they use communicates much more than what is seen on the surface. Consumers are quick to judge, and not afraid to call out
representing people with differing abilities from all communities, societies and regions equitably within the content (models);
Inclusion – ensuring equal access to
opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded, marginalised groups and those with differing abilities (bolstered through organisational governance and policy making); and Accessibility – the UK Government define this as people being able to ‘do what they need to do in a similar amount of time and effort as someone that does not have a disability’. In the digital space, this can mean providing alternative text for users relying on speech readers to tell them what an image or video depicts. It can also refer to redressing the ‘digital divide’ facing people from under privileged economic backgrounds where computer access and internet capabilities are either compromised or absent altogether.
Conclusion: keywording our way to a better place I believe that content has the power to do good, and we have a responsibility to manage it with integrity. Labelling people within content plays a huge part in this. We are living, working and learning increasingly online. Data is the fuel we use to navigate information, and our GPS is the internet. Much work is being done by the World Wide Web Consortium to promote EDIA compliance, but the internet remains largely a self-authored and self-curated resource. This requires individuals to take responsibility for the data they create, and the way it is assigned to content.
August/September 2021 Research Information 17
“When working with creative
Alexander Supertramp/
Shutterstock.com
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