Stop complicating, start collaborating!
The core model is a no-nonsense, practical method to create better digital products and services. This timeless and intuitive approach has been tested in the trenches across industries, sectors and national borders for more than a decade.
This book will help you to:
- think both strategically and user centered at the same time
- see your product or service from a holistic perspective
- collaborate across different departments and disciplines in the organization
- start with what’s most important, and make it simple and concrete
The method is developed by the authors, who both have more than 25 years of experience in digital product and service development.
«This is a book is packed with practical advice that you can start to apply to your work straight away. It’ll be a book I come back to time and time again.»
Robert Mills, Head of Content at GatherContent
The Core Model - A Common Sense Approach to Digital Strategy and Design
«The beauty and power of the Core Model lies in its simplicity. In a sea of tools, techniques and practices, it stands out as a clear truism in design.»
Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at MURAL, author of The Jobs to Be Done Playbook
«Of the thousands of books about digital design published the past 30 years, most are useless. But not this one! Are and Mona Halland have developed a simple, common sense approach to design that will soon make this brilliant book a must-read classic.»
Eric L. Reiss, author of Practical Information Architecture and Usable Usability.
«The Core Model has been a foundational concept in the world of content strategy for more than a decade. I’ve seen it transform the way clients not only approach problem-solving and design, but also how they approach (and successfully untangle) large, complex projects. If you struggle with setting strategy or seeing it through, this book is for you.»
Kristina Halvorsen, CEO at BrainTrafic and author of Content Strategy for the Web
«Are and Mona guide you through a crucial part of digital product development - determining the core interactions between a user and a service - all in plain language and using a small set of easy to understand connected concepts.»
Peter Boersma, consultant and former Design Ops Manager at Miro
«A tipping point for our professional methodologies. This book could be a game changer in content; both in terms of how we deliver, and how we help ourself and others to be better at what we do.»
Lisa Matthews, Senior Content Designer at Nexer Digital
«This is an extremely important contribution, one of the 2-3 most noteworthy additions to the canon of what it means to be a content professional.»
Jeffrey MacIntyre, principal and founder Bucket Studios
«From prioritisation and collaboration to user flows and solutions; with templates and examples, Are and Mona takes you through it all with a practical and straight-to-the-point approach. A great book.»
Sarah Winters, founder at Content Design London and author of Content Design
«The Core Model is a simple and useful no-nonsense approach to understanding how users’ needs and business goals coincide. It helps me prioritize what is most important and analyze how we should proceed to solve the user’s needs.»
Jørgen Schyberg, Product Manager at the National Library of Norway
«The Core Model is a gift for anyone who wants to deliver digital services that work for the users. It has been a part of my toolbox for over ten years and is still among the methods I use the most.»
Stine Camilla Bjerkestrand, communications director in the Norwegian Directorate for e-Health.
«I’ve been smitten with the Core Model ever since I first heard about it back in 2013. It is a brilliant method for identifying the most important pages on your website and getting alignment across your organization on the user-focused purpose of those pages and how they help your organization meet its goals. Plus, it’s really fun and allows for non-designers to meaningfully participate in design. Without a second thought, buy this book.»
Meghan Casey, author of The Content Strategy Toolkit: Methods, Guidelines, and Templates for Getting Content Right
«The Core Model is the most famous method that nobody knows about. This should be the required reading for everyone who works with design, user experience and customer experience. Start with the content and work backwards towards navigation and interface. Brilliant!»
Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at MURAL and author of The Jobs To Be Done Playbook
«When something is missing in a flow, or I notice it is unclear what is really most important, I always resort to the Core Model. It is useful in so many contexts - and it’s easy to get started using it.»
Ida Aalen, product coach and former Chief Product Officer at Confrere
«If you want a tool for working well with content, where users have the main role but the strategy is never forgotten, where the tasks become concrete and the proposals varied, which can be used alone and with others you have to learn the Core Model!»
Tone Simonnes, intranet editor at the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration
«The genious about the Core Model is how simple it is. I never go into a workshop without a core sheet in my bag.»
Ove Dalen, advisor at Netlife Design
«The Core Model is a simple framework for companies to define and solve a problem related to digital user experiences / products. The model is easy to understand and quick to use.»
Lars-Fredrik Forberg, director of Housing Development in Mestergruppen
«I recommend everyone who works with websites to learn the Core Model.»
Anders Hakstun, senior UX and information strategist at Bouvet
«The Core Model is a fantastic tool for getting everyone in the team to shift focus from sender needs and old habits to a user- and task-oriented focus.»
Marie Solum Strand, senior interaction designer at Northern Beat
«I recommend this book to anyone who cares about digital communication.»
Jan Grønbech, Chief Business Officer at dCompany and former Country Director at Google Norway
«The Core Model is the smartest tool you can use when you are working on the most important parts of your product, service or website.»
Are W. Sandvik, Chief Communications Officer at ShiftX