Content-First Design: Start With Meaning
Designing around real content produces clearer layouts and fewer surprises during build.
When you design without real content you design a shell. Content-first design flips that: start with headings, real paragraphs, and the actual CTAs.
Benefits:
- Fewer mid-project surprises when copy arrives.
- Better hierarchy and spacing decisions.
- More realistic performance and accessibility trade-offs.
Practical steps:
- Wire a page using real headlines and 2–3 variations for each block.
- Test a long headline and a short one; adapt the grid to both.
- Review images and captions as part of the layout, not after.
Content-first doesn't oppose creative exploration — it channels it to real constraints so the final site actually works for users.