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BetterUser Experiencefor WordPress sitesWordPress Geneva | April 23, 2013@AdamUngstad

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• Senior Information Architect, Province ofBritish Columbia (Canada)• UX Specialist, Province of British Columbia(Canada)• Independent UX Consultant• WordPress Developer• Author & PublisherAdam Ungstad

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2012, 2013EuroIA - Edinburgh Sept 26-28WordCamp Victoria 2012UX Romandie April 2013

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User Experience

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User Experience is…“the way a person feels about using aproduct, system or service.”- Wikipedia

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“a persons perceptions and responsesthat result from the use or anticipated useof a product, system or service”- International Standards OrganizationUser Experience is…

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“how a person feels when interfacingwith a system.”-Smashing MagazineUser Experience is…

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www.jjg.net/elements/pdf/elements.pdf

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http://www.kickerstudio.com/2008/12/the-disciplines-of-user-experience/

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http://beep.peterboersma.com/2004/11/t-model-big-ia-is-now-ux.html

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Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/57104815/sizes/z/in/photostream/

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Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/khalid-

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Good UX Helps Users...• Find what they came for• Complete tasks quickly• Understand primary content• Discover related content• Navigate across channels• Recall content later• Feel that they got what they came for

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A Few UX Methods• Content Inventory• Card Sorting• Contextual Inquiry• Diary Studies• Personas• Scenarios• Co-Design Studios• A / B Testing

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A Few UX Deliverables• Site Maps• Wireframes• Wireflows• Storyboards• Journey maps• Functional Specifications• Prototypes• Design Guidelines

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UX takes a lot of work!But there are some ‘universal’principles and patterns.

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Q: What is the mostimportant page on your site?

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Q: What is the mostimportant page on your site?A: Whatever page the user landson.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_PageEver seen this before?

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Navigation4 Types:1. Primary (menus)2. Secondary (tags, breadcrumb, footer)3. Inline (content)4. Search

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Vertical• StaticPrimary Navigation

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Primary NavigationVertical• Accordion

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Primary NavigationVertical• Flyouts

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Primary NavigationHorizontal• Static

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Primary NavigationSource:Horizontal• Dropdowns

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Primary NavigationHorizontal• Flyouts

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Primary NavigationHorizontal• Mega-Dropdowns

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Primary NavigationHorizontal• Tabs

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Static is generally best

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Flyouts obscure content & aredifficult to use with a mouse

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Use an accordionorIf you need 2 levels...

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Use TabsIf you need 2 levels...

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Secondary NavigationSupports Primary Navigation:• Tags• Breadcrumbs• Related Posts• Footers

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CategoriesPrimary Topics

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TagsSecondary Topics

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TagsUse Tags to:• Link content across categories• Create an index• Help users discover what they didn’tknow they were looking for...

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Secondary NavigationBreadcrumbsTell users• where they are• what’s around them1 2 3 4

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Secondary Navigation1 2 3 4BreadcrumbsUse them only if:• You have highly structured, layered,deep hierarchical content.

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Secondary NavigationFooters....don’t hold back.Mega footers area good thing.

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Source: www.theglobeandmail.com

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Source: www.lynda.com

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Inline Navigation

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Source: www.apple.com

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Source: www.amazon.ca

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Source: www.theglobeandmail.com

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Q: What type of navigation dousers use most?a) Primaryb) Secondaryc) Inline

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Q: What type of navigation dousers use most?a) Primaryb) Secondaryc) Inline

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Making the most of inline navigation…

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“Store hours are Monday 9 – 5 PM,Tuesday 9-6 PM, Wednesdays closed,Thursdays 9-9PM, Fridays 9-5PMSaturdays 10-5 PM, Sundays 12- 4PM”Use tables to help users scan content

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Use tables to help users scan content

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Use tables to help users scan contentYou use tables in MS Word all the time...

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The standard WP Editor doesn’t supporttables, but you don’t have to use HTML...Use tables to help users scan content

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Two options:1. Change your editor(get CK Editor plugin), orUse tables to help users scan content

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Or:2. Use an offline editor such as WindowsLive Editor or Mars EditUse tables to help users scan content

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Don’t Expect, Suggest.vYour PostRelated Posts

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Search

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Use Columns

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Use Columns

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Ouch!

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3 is the magic number...

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1 2 3

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1 2 3

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1 2 3

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Use ContrastUsing contrast is a good thing. It helpspeople to read your content.Using contrast is a good thing. It helpspeople to read your content.Using contrast is a good thing. It helpspeople to read your content.

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Default shapesfor thumbnailsare square:Image Gallery Thumbnails

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But think about the things you look atall day:• Your Computer Monitor• Your TV• Your SmartPhone• Your Photographs• The windshield on your carImage Gallery Thumbnails

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Yes, they are all rectangles.

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Image Gallery Thumbnails

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It’s easy to change the size of thethumbnails for your galleries...

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Settings  Media  Thumbnail Size

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NOTE: this setting only appliesto photos added after the settingis changed

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Q: What is the easiest way tomake your site look good?

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Q: What is the easiest way tomake your site look good?A: Let other people do the workfor you.

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This doesn’t mean you should hire expensive:• graphic designers• photographers• flash developers• UX Designers(well, maybe UX designers... ;-)Don’t re-invent the wheel

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You bought a premium theme for $30.For a couple dollars more you can buy:• fancy sliders• icons & backgrounds• stock photos• Responsive plugins• anything you need really!Don’t re-invent the wheel

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Spend $20, get that responsive jqueryslider, and impress your users like you wantto.Spend $3, and get the background you wantso you can stop trying to design it yourself.You have content to write!Don’t re-invent the wheel

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activeden.com

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wpplugins.com

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photodune.com

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compfight.com

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• Comfight lets you search Flickr with specificcriteria on usage rights (IE CreativeCommons).• Need a picture of a garden to go with yourpost? Try compfight.Give credit where it is due.compfight.com

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• Metacontent• Readability• Contact on every page• FontsContent

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The excerpt…. Not just for search results!Metadata

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The excerpt appears when your post isshared on social networks.Metadata

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Always, Always, Always...1. Have a relevant image with your post.2. Write a good excerpt.Metadata

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Readability is more than“write at a grade 8 reading level”Readability

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Use Active / Positive Tense. Change thesesentences:• Geneva is not a large city• I don’t like the cold• WordPress does not cost a lot of moneyReadability

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Use Active / Positive Tense. Change thesesentences:• Geneva is not a large cityGeneva is a small city• I don’t like the coldI like the heat• WordPress does not cost a lot of moneyWordPress is affordableReadability

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Talk about what things are,not about what they aren’t.

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Use white space:• Small paragraphs• Small column widths• Bullet points, numbered lists• Subheaders• TablesReadability

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Good typography is like new paint for thewalls of your living room...It is:• inexpensive,• easy, and• it makes you look good.Typography

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The easiest way to use good fontson your site is to use anonline service.

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• You (usually) pay a small fee• You drop some code into your header• You can use all kinds of cool fonts.• Don’t go too crazy however. Arial is finefor the body of your posts!Online Font Services

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google.com/webfonts

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typekit.com

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fontsquirrel.com

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Put it on every page.• Good for findability• Good for SEO• Builds trustContact Information

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This doesn’t mean put a link to your“contact us” form.If you have an address or phonenumber, put it on each page. Then peopleknow you are real.Contact Information

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• Scrolling vs Clicking• Calls to Action• Responsive Design• The Last WordMiscellaneous

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Scrolling is better because:• It is faster• Requires less effort• Doesn’t load new pages• Mouse wheels and swipesScrolling vs Clicking

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No one uses scroll bars anymore, becausewe have mouse wheels and swipes.Don’t be afraid of long pages.Scrolling vs Clicking

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• Use High Contrast• Consider bundling products• Place them before and after the fold• Don’t interrupt a sequential processCalls to Action

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Get a Responsive theme, especially if youare using social media.Don’t worry if your home page looks weirdwith it... chances are no one will see thehome page anyways.Responsive Design

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The Last Word...

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• Awesome• Important• Engaging• Critical• Time consuming....User Experience is….

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But don’t forget...

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Content is still king.

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Thank you!@AdamUngstad