The process of displaying placeholder copy is often referred to as “greeked” text, probably from the phrase, “It’s Greek to me.” Learn more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeking

I just recently ran into one of the problems caused by using actual copy instead of Lorem Ipsum and plain descriptive titles for headers, links and navigation in the wire frames shown to the client. This was the first meeting with the client as a designer (our manager and sales reps had been in contact with them). The conversation pretty soon veered off to content because the journalist who is working on the actual copy started to re-arrange the sitemap on the printed out wire frames and handing out tasks to us… We made notes of them and navigated on.

This is actually not that big of a problem but it is illustrates the fact that people usually focus their attention to what is meaningful and familiar to them at the expense of the bigger picture and how they are guided and asked to interpret it.

Like wire frames for example, where others see concepts, models and their relations and can easily identify them some see the literal meaning of the words instead of layout elements/data types and their function in the layout/system.

For designers, seeing the actual data and designing on it is vitally important (as much as designing with clients/users is).

What you show to clients and at which phase is a different thing altogether and as soon as the move to a functional and interactive prototype can be achieved the better. There Lorem Ipsum shouldn’t have a place anymore.

Plus, as a copywriter, I present all my copy in a visual manner similar to a website (using Word and tables) so that low-techie clients get on board as soon as possible. Yes, be prepared to field a lot of questions, but when has a copywriter ever NOT had this problem?

I used to have a “hands off” approach to design (after all, designers are responsible for design, right?) – but that’s not an approach toward what I like to call “efficient success.” Website design is a team project. And I welcome copy critiques from designers as well.

I really appreciate how UIE is covering more and more content development issues. Thank you!

- Ginger