Appearance
Understanding workflow Library Items
PICMI workflows are built by combining structure with reusable content.
The workflow itself controls the participant journey: which pages they see, which items appear on each page, and the order those items appear in. The wording, questions, contracts, images, videos, and information sit underneath that structure as reusable Library Items.
note
The key goal is consistency across workflows through reuse. When the same question, information field, contract, content block, or file is needed in more than one place, link to the shared Library Item instead of making a separate copy.
The Workflow Structure
A workflow is made up of:
- Pages
- Items on each page
This is the skeleton of the workflow. It controls grouping and order.
Pages
Pages group related parts of the workflow together. For example:
- Check Your Fit
- Personal Information
- Health & Safety
- Right to Work
- Agreement
Changing pages changes the structure of the workflow. For example, you might add a new page, rename a page, remove a page, or move a page earlier or later in the workflow.
Items
Items are the things placed on pages. They decide what appears in the workflow and in what order. An item might link to:
- a question
- information
- a contract
- a content block
Changing items changes the structure inside a page. For example, you might move a question above a video, add a contract item to the Agreement page, or remove an image from a page.
note
Pages and items tell PICMI where something appears. The linked Library Item controls what the participant sees.
The Library
Underneath the workflow structure is the Library. Library Items are maintained separately and then linked into pages and items.
| Library Item | What it controls | Where it links | Reuse example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | The wording, answer type, options, and validation | Items on pages | The same right-to-work question used in many workflows |
| Information | Known participant, organisation, or opportunity details | Items on pages | The same bank account or organisation detail collected |
| Contracts | The contract template shown or issued through a workflow | Items on pages | The same employment agreement used across similar jobs |
| Content Blocks | Page titles, headings, data, videos, and images | Page titles link to pages; other blocks to items | The same health and safety heading reused on many pages |
When a Library Item is updated, every page or item linking to that Library Item can show the updated version. This is useful when the change should be consistent everywhere.
Content Blocks
Content blocks are reusable pieces of workflow content. They are split into different types:
- Page titles
- Headings
- Data
- Videos
- Images
Page titles and headings are both title content, but they are used at different levels:
- Page titles link to pages. The participant-facing workflow heading can show the linked content block name and description.
- Headings link to items on a page. They can include a title and optional extra text.
Data, video, and image content blocks also link to items on a page. This means the same heading, data, video, or image reference can be reused in more than one workflow item, while the same page title can be reused across pages.
Files Linked From Content Blocks
Video and image content blocks can also link to files that are stored separately.
For example:
- a video content block may link to a YouTube video
- an image content block may link to an image file
- a file or document shown in the workflow may be stored outside PICMI
This creates another layer of reuse. The workflow links to a content block, and the content block links to the file.
note
If the file changes but the link stays the same, the workflow can show the updated file without changing the workflow structure.
See Linked files and Linked videos for more detail.
How Updates Flow
| What you change | What changes in PICMI | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | The grouping and order of the workflow | The participant journey needs to change |
| Items on a page | What appears on a page and in what order | A question, contract, image, video, or heading moves |
| Question | The question wording, answer format, options, or rules | The same answer should be collected consistently |
| Information | The known participant, organisation, or opportunity field | The same stored detail should be collected or shown |
| Contract | The contract template linked through the workflow | Agreement wording or substitutions need to change |
| Page title content block | The reusable title linked to a page | A page needs a consistent title |
| Heading content block | The reusable heading item and optional extra text | A heading or short explanation should be reused |
| Data, video, or image content block | The reusable content or media reference linked to an item | The displayed content reference should be reused |
| File linked from a content block | The underlying video, image, or downloadable file | The source file needs to be replaced or corrected |
Decision Tree: What Should I Change?
Start with the problem you are trying to solve.
1. Is the workflow in the wrong order or grouped incorrectly?
Change the workflow structure.
Use this when:
- a page is missing
- pages are in the wrong order
- an item is on the wrong page
- an item needs to move up or down
- the workflow needs a different sequence for participants
This is a pages and items change.
2. Is the wording, question, information, contract, page title, heading, data, video reference, or image reference wrong?
Change the linked Library Item.
Use this when:
- a question needs clearer wording
- question options or validation need to change
- an information field is wrong for this workflow
- a contract template needs updated terms
- a page title needs new wording
- a heading title or its optional extra text needs new wording
- a data content block needs updated details
- a video or image content block points to the wrong media
Before changing it, check whether the same Library Item is reused elsewhere. If it is reused, make the change only when the same update should appear everywhere that Library Item is used.
3. Is the downloadable file, video file, or image file wrong?
Change the source file.
Use this when:
- the PDF has been updated
- the video has been replaced
- the image file is incorrect
- the content is right, but the file itself is outdated
If the file can be replaced while keeping the same permanent link, the content block and workflow do not need to change.
4. Should this change apply everywhere or only in one workflow?
Decide whether to reuse or separate.
Use the existing shared Library Item when the change should be consistent across workflows. Create or link a separate Library Item when one workflow needs different wording, information, a different contract, or different media.
Practical Examples
The health and safety video is on the wrong page.
Change the page item placement. The video content block may not need to change.
The same health and safety heading has a spelling mistake everywhere.
Change the shared heading Content Block once.
One workflow needs a different version of a question.
Create or link a separate Question for that workflow instead of changing the shared Question.
The PDF linked from a workflow is outdated.
Replace the source file while keeping the same permanent link, where possible.
Why This Matters
Separating structure from reusable content helps you:
- keep workflows consistent
- avoid editing the same wording in many places
- control whether a change affects one workflow or many workflows
- update files without rebuilding the workflow
- understand whether a problem is about structure, wording, or the source file
If you are not sure which layer to change, identify what is wrong first: the workflow grouping and order, the reusable wording or content, or the file linked underneath it.