Team Content

The cross-functional pipeline that turns a one-line content need into shipped, localized, on-tone copy. Useful any time a feature spans multiple screens of copy or any time a marketing-adjacent moment needs consistent voice.

Team Composition

• content-strategist — voice, tone, content architecture, channel planning.
• content-designer — UX writing on screen-by-screen basis.
• localization-lead — translation pipeline, locale-specific decisions, RTL audit, cultural review.
• ux-designer — ensures copy fits the layout and the user journey.

Spawn each via Task. Run independent subagents in parallel where their inputs are independent.

Phase 1: Resolve the Brief

Parse arguments:

• --brief=<path> -> read the explicit brief.
• --feature=<name> -> glob design/prd/**/*[name]*.prd.md and related stories.
• No argument -> walk the user through a brief intake via AskUserQuestion (purpose, audience, channels, deadline, length guidelines).

Read the brief, the relevant PRD, and the current voice/tone guidelines from .claude/docs/content-guidelines.md (if present).

Phase 2: Voice and Tone Anchor via content-strategist

Spawn content-strategist via Task. Prompt template:

Brief: [content]. Project voice/tone guide: [path or summary]. Recent comparable copy in the app (from prior PRDs, prior releases): [list]. Define the voice anchor for this piece — tone, formality, humor allowance, sensitive-topic guardrails. Identify the channels this content must work across (in-app, push, email, store listing, social).

Render anchor. Use AskUserQuestion to confirm.

Phase 3: Information Architecture (parallel with Phase 4)

Spawn ux-designer via Task. Prompt template:

Brief: [content]. Voice anchor: [reference]. Map the content to screens and surfaces. For each surface, capture: container (modal, banner, inline), max length budget, dynamic vs static, related imagery, accessibility constraints.

Render the surface map. This dictates the length envelopes content-designer must write within.

Phase 4: First Draft via content-designer

Spawn content-designer via Task. Prompt template:

Brief: [content]. Voice anchor: [reference]. Surface map: [reference]. Write the first draft for every surface. Include alternates for length-constrained surfaces (push notification at 65 chars vs 120 chars). Use placeholder names (no PII). For dynamic strings, mark ICU placeholder positions.

Render draft. Use AskUserQuestion per surface group to approve, edit, or reject.

Phase 5: UX Review via ux-designer

Spawn ux-designer via Task with the approved draft. Prompt:

Approved draft: [reference]. Verify each string fits its surface at minimum and maximum supported font scales. Verify no string truncates on the smallest target device. Flag any string that needs a layout change.

Surface any layout escalations. Iterate with content-designer if needed.

Phase 6: Localization Plan via localization-lead

Spawn localization-lead via Task. Prompt template:

Approved English draft: [reference]. Target locales: [list from technical-preferences]. Produce a translation plan: vendor route, expected turnaround, special notes per locale (RTL, formal-vs-informal address in German/French/Japanese, plural rules for Russian/Polish/Arabic). Identify any string that should be rewritten in source for clearer translation. Identify any string that should be culturally adapted (transcreated) rather than translated.

If a string should be rewritten in source, loop back to content-designer for a revised version.

Phase 7: Pre-Translation Source Lock

Once English source is final:

• Add new keys to the source string table per the /localize --extract rules.
• Snapshot the source via /localize --freeze if release proximity warrants it.
• Hand off to translation vendor with the briefing produced in Phase 6.

Phase 8: Cultural / RTL Review

When translations come back, use /localize --validate to spot mechanical issues. Then spawn localization-lead once more to qualitatively review:

• Cultural adaptation correctness.
• RTL layouts on a device for any RTL locale.
• Tone preserved per voice anchor.

Iterate as needed.

Phase 9: Render the Content Package

# Content Package — [brief name]

## Brief
[content]

## Voice Anchor
[from content-strategist]

## Surface Map
| Surface | Container | Length budget | Constraints |

## Strings
| Key | English | Surfaces | Notes |

## Localization Plan
- Vendors: [list]
- Locales: [list]
- Transcreation flags: [list]
- ETA: [date]

## Approvals
- Content Strategist
- Content Designer
- UX Designer
- Localization Lead

Ask before writing to production/content/[brief-slug]-package.md.

Phase 10: Update State

Append to production/session-state/active.md:

## Content Package — [date]
- Brief: [name]
- Strings: [count]
- Surfaces: [count]
- Locales: [count]
- Package: [path]
- Next: hand to vendor; resume after translations land

Error Recovery

If any subagent returns BLOCKED:

• content-strategist blocked on missing voice guide -> propose creating one this cycle.
• ux-designer blocked on missing surface info -> escalate to design team to provide screens.
• localization-lead blocked on no vendor configured -> surface; either configure now or accept English-only ship.

Quality Gates / PASS-FAIL

• PASS — every surface has a string, every string within budget, voice anchor preserved, localization plan attached, transcreations flagged where appropriate.
• FAIL — surface without a string, length over budget, missing localization plan for a launch locale.

Examples

Example 1 — Push notification system rewrite: Brief: re-tone every push to be warmer and respect frequency caps. Surface map: 14 push templates. Voice anchor: warmer, less transactional. Drafts produced, UX confirms layout, localization plans transcreation for Japan and Brazil. Package written.

Example 2 — Empty-state copy across the app: 12 screens missing empty-state copy. Brief: encouraging, helpful. Drafts produced; one screen needs a layout change to fit the chosen phrasing. Two iterations. Final package shipped to localization.

Next Steps

• Vendor returns translations -> /localize --validate then this skill resumes Phase 8.
• Strings ready -> /dev-story per surface to wire into UI.
• For ongoing copy work -> include the package as the source of truth in future PRDs.