[] [] content from clients - how do you prefer to be prepared/formatted

[cliffwegner]

We are starting a project with a client that will be fairly large. It will be most HTML/DHTML, but flash as well. My topic of this thread is:

How do you like to receive content from the client? Some have word documents chuck full of content for pages. How do you like it to be formatted before it gets to you? I.e. spaces, font, size, page breaks, headers, colors, etc.

We are putting together a "content guideline" for the client as they prepare content for us and I thought it would make an interesting and helpful thread. If content can come to us well prepared and formatted, it will cut production time considerably.

Thoughts? Links?

[jamble]

I prefer the content emailed across in word documents in roughly the format/layout (paragraphs etc) that they would want it to appear on the site. That way it's mostly just simple copy and pasting and a bit of html formatting.

Also get them to put the page/section that it's going to appear in at the top of each document otherwise it can get confusing in larger projects

[nocrapchurch]

It never accured to me to specify what format I would receive content in. Typically, clients have all different kinds of programs and experience. So asking for a high-resolution picture, may or may not make sense to someone.

What I usually do is say that I at least need the content and if it's in an unusable format or condition, then I complain.

Scott

[JabezStone]

Well, you can never be too demanding on your clients, or you will never keep them and you will be constantly frustrated. Basically, you have to determine what format, or medium your client has their information in. Then, you can determine if it is a format you can work with. Be prepared to get your content by email, fax, saddled pony, FedEx, and smoke signals. Kidding. Sort of. Really, you need to be able to work with content that comes is various and sundry formats from various and sundry customers.
Scott, you're right on. Get it and work with it. If you can't, ask for it in a more usable format. Simple as that! Your clients will grovel at your feet for being so understanding and easy to work with!

[enemem]

Originally posted by nocrapchurch
It never accured to me to specify what format I would receive content in. Typically, clients have all different kinds of programs and experience. So asking for a high-resolution picture, may or may not make sense to someone.

What I usually do is say that I at least need the content and if it's in an unusable format or condition, then I complain.

Scott

I agree with this - but only to an extent. If the client needs to collect the content from different sources anyway (so will already do some formatting) and is happy to provide it to you in a specific format, then let them know. It's made my life a lot easier in the past - converting an excel spreadsheet to XML is a lot easier than working with a long list of junk someone copied into an email.

Key point from what everyone else has said tho: stay flexible and don't dictate your requirements

- n.

[cliffwegner]

Thanks everyone! Our client has made it known they want to be aggressive in gathering and preparing content prior to shipping off to us. But, they will most likely be sending via Word. I'm going to prepare a sort of guidlines as to how it will be best to break up and prepare for content population without having wacky ms formatting.

thx again!