Last night I was thinking about Content Generation as a process. There is more to it than sourcing some ideas, writing some Text and revising it until it is fit to publish.

Take for example these two possible processes, to create using Google Blogger:

Method #1:

  • Open a Text application on the Desktop
  • Give the file a name
  • Create an initial working title
  • Enter some text expressing an idea
  • Continue writing and editing
  • Preview, edit then arrive at the final draft
  • Copy that draft into the Blogger user interface
  • Preview, edit and then publish

Method #2:

  • Open the Blogger user interface
  • Create an initial working title
  • Enter some text expressing an idea
  • Continue writing and editing
  • Preview, edit then arrive at the final draft
  • Preview again, edit and then publish

In both cases there are two separate processes; The writing tool and the content.

There is a wide range of tools to do both, but as far as I can see currently, there is not one tool that will do them both, automatically, easily and seamlessly.

Potential Automated Method:

  • Login to a SaaS platform
  • Select Text entry
  • Select article limit (140/280 characters, 3 pages etc)
  • Provide 10 keywords for Title Generation
  • Specify the number of title results
  • Use the generated titles as inputs for suggested articles
  • Preview, edit, and finalise the content
  • Publish the content to a nominated Social Media platform(s) using an API
  • Provide content metrics, AI-system costs and user engagement

You could likely get the same results using manual methods, but it would require the use of multiple systems, tools and time. However I think that we are at the stage in our technological adolescence where we should expect better.

I was reminded last week of the importance of simple and least-common-denominator design; in our main Kitchen we use the blue, Chux brand cloths for keeping the Kitchen tidy, while in the secondary Kitchen (I know, right), we use a blue, non-branded cloth which looks exactly the same as the branded one. A cheaper, knockoff that plays on consumer familiarity.

I frequently and distractedly use the Chux cloths in the other Kitchen, and the non-Chux in the main Kitchen which annoys The Boss. In her frustration, The Boss has now purchased purple-coloured Chux for the secondary Kitchen, while the blue-coloured cloths, Chux or not, are only for the main Kitchen.

By engineering a simple but visually distinct solution, the problem has gone away.

This is the design concept that we need to apply to the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, in generating content. Make the entire process so simple and easy, that it just works.

Login, select the parameters, frame out the content and publish, all using AI.

Will this come to fruition? Likely.

Timeframe? To be honest, I have no idea but sooner than later seems a good call.