The comprehensive guide for designing content in the age of AI. Featuring practical templates, workflows, and ethical guidelines for creating clear, accessible, user-focused content—with extensive resources for AI-powered experiences, conversational interfaces, and responsible AI practices.
🤖 AI & Conversational Design - Prompt engineering, AI content strategy, chatbot patterns, and conversation flows
📊 Content Testing & Measurement - 5 testing methods, metrics frameworks, A/B testing, and AI content evaluation
⚖️ Ethical AI Guidelines - Bias detection, content safety, transparency, and responsible AI practices
📝 Core Content Templates - Error messages, onboarding, microcopy, and documentation patterns
🔄 Workflows & Processes - Git for content designers, review processes, and quality assurance
Ready-to-use templates for common content design challenges:
Messages
- Error Messages - Write clear, actionable error messages
- Success Messages - Confirm actions effectively
- Empty States - Guide users when content is missing
- Microcopy - Button labels, links, and UI text
Flows
- Onboarding - Design effective first-time experiences
- Confirmation Dialogs - Prevent mistakes with clear confirmations
Documentation
- Release Notes - Write user-focused release notes
AI Content ✨ NEW
- Prompt Design - Engineer effective prompts for AI systems
- Content as Data - Structure content for AI consumption
- AI Content Strategy - Plan and implement AI-powered content
Conversational Design ✨ NEW
- Conversation Flows - Design chatbot and conversational UI patterns
Practical guides for content design processes:
Version Control & Review
- Git Workflow for Content Designers - Version control basics
- Content Review Process - Structured review and approval
Testing & Measurement ✨ NEW
- Content Testing - 5 testing methods (comprehension, usability, A/B, findability, preference)
- Content Metrics - Measure content effectiveness and ROI
- A/B Testing for Content - Run rigorous content experiments
- AI Content Evaluation - Assess quality of AI-generated content
Essential guidelines and references:
Accessibility & Inclusion
- Accessibility Guidelines - Create content everyone can use
Ethical AI ✨ NEW
- Ethical AI Guidelines - 6 core principles for responsible AI content
- Bias Detection - Identify and mitigate 7 types of bias
- Content Safety - Prevent harmful content, protect users
- Transparency Guidelines - Disclose AI use appropriately
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Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/jkelleman/ai-content-design-handbook.git
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Browse templates
- Start with
templates/for specific content patterns - Check
templates/ai-content/for AI and conversational design - Review
workflows/testing/for measurement frameworks
- Start with
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Copy and customize templates for your project
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Follow workflows for Git, review processes, and testing
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Review ethical AI guidelines if working with AI systems
- Content designers working with AI-powered products
- Writers transitioning to product content
- UX designers creating conversational interfaces
- Product teams building chatbots and AI assistants
- Anyone responsible for AI-generated content quality
- Content designers new to VS Code and Git
- Teams establishing content testing and measurement practices
For a specific content challenge: Navigate to the relevant template and follow the framework
For AI-powered content:
- Start with AI Content Strategy
- Review Ethical AI Guidelines
- Use AI Content Evaluation for quality assessment
- Check Bias Detection and Content Safety
For conversational design:
- Reference Conversation Flows
- Apply Prompt Design principles
- Follow Transparency Guidelines
For content testing:
- Start with Content Testing methods
- Track metrics using Content Metrics
- Run experiments with A/B Testing for Content
For a new project:
- Start with the Content Design Starter
- Reference specific templates as needed
- Follow the Content Review Process
For team adoption:
- Share the Git Workflow with your team
- Establish your review process
- Customize templates to match your style guide
- Train team on Ethical AI Guidelines if using AI
This handbook is a living resource. Contributions welcome:
- Add new templates
- Improve existing examples
- Share real-world case studies
- Suggest additional resources
- Contribute AI content patterns and learnings
Created by Jen Kelleman, Principal Content Designer at Microsoft.
Based on real-world experience designing content for Microsoft Fabric, Azure, and enterprise data platforms—including extensive work with AI-powered experiences, conversational interfaces, and responsible AI practices.
- AI content strategy and design
- Conversational UI and chatbot design
- Content testing and measurement
- Ethical AI and responsible content practices
- Enterprise SaaS content design
MIT License - Feel free to use and adapt for your needs