Keywording Content for Inclusion and Accessibility

Introducing your Course Leader 

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Clemency Wright, Director, Clemency Wright Consulting

I’m fascinated by the way we describe visuals, and the process of interpretation. This manifests in my work as a Keywording Consultant, focusing on how keywords help people find digital assets more easily and efficiently.

My interest in keywording creative content started at Getty Images, where I was based in the team responsible for managing and maintaining the database of searchable keywords. Getty’s pioneering search technology paved the way for access to a wealth of creative images and videos by leading global agencies reliant upon engaging visual content for marketing purposes. Getty’s concept keywords, now widely adopted by the broader industry, introduced a new way of searching that went far beyond simply describing visual elements.

Keen to harness this for the benefit of the non-profit sector, I joined the V&A Museum Image Library as a content researcher, servicing design and advertising clients such as Legal & General and EMI.

I then established myself as a freelance Keyworder in 2008, working primarily for the stock image / video sector. Clients included Science Photo Library, Image Source, Robert Harding World Imagery, iStock and Adobe. The benefits of organising creative media using keywords gained recognition in other sectors resulting in keywording projects with Pearson Publishing, McGraw Hill and Oxford University Press.

In 2013, I set up Clemency Wright Consulting to expand on two integral services for search-based organisations. Firstly, I created and trained a small team of expert keyworders catering for specialist and general keywording projects. Alongside this, I support specific keywording challenges offering clients guidance on the fundamentals of keywording, through to developing bespoke vocabularies when needed. I’ve recently worked in consultation with organisations such as World Vision, Save The Children and The University of Nottingham.