SharePoint Exchange Forum - 10 Worst Mistakes in SharePoint Branding
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This document summarizes Marcy Kellar's presentation on the 10 worst mistakes in SharePoint branding. It discusses common mistakes such as using inline styles instead of CSS, allowing designers too much freedom without considering implementation costs, applying fixed widths that limit collaboration, removing elements like the quick launch that remove functionality, not designing for real content, fixing the ribbon width, using content editor web parts instead of publishing tools, modifying default SharePoint files, and directly editing SharePoint sites in Dreamweaver. Each mistake is explained, potential impacts are outlined, and fixes or workarounds are suggested. The document provides guidance on best practices for SharePoint branding.
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SharePoint Exchange Forum - 10 Worst Mistakes in SharePoint Branding
- 1. 10 Worst Mistakes in SharePoint Branding Presented by Marcy Kellar
- 2. About Me: Marcy Kellar • Principal, SharePoint Soapbox – Co-author of Beginning SharePoint Designer 2010 (Wrox, October 2010) – Professor, Art Institute, Intro to User Centered Design” and “Usability Testing.” • Specialties include – User Experience Design (UX) – SharePoint Strategy and Solution Design – SharePoint Branding and UI customization – Information Architecture – Web content management – Usability testing Twitter: @marcykellar Blog: http://thesharepointmuse.com Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/marcykellar
- 3. 10. Using Inline Styles What is it? – Inline styles are styles applied directly to HTML content Why is this a mistake? – Styles aren’t centrally managed – Pages can become inconsistent – Hard to maintain/troubleshoot
- 4. 10. Using Inline Styles What is the impact or cost? – Maintenance Cost – Inconsistent Look and Feel – My Patience Are there any exceptions? – During Development – Designer/Developer workflow What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Remove styles from HTML and add to CSS style sheet – Add process steps to designer developer workflow
- 5. 9. Don’t Let The Designer Get Carried Away What is it? – Designers define and document a vision without considering implementation costs and/or feasibility in SharePoint Why is this a mistake? – Just because you can design it, doesn’t mean it will work in SharePoint – Potential compromise of functionality
- 6. 9. Don’t Let The Designer Get Carried Away What is the impact or cost? – Dissatisfied business customers – Inaccurate budget / timeline Are there any exceptions? – No. But SharePoint experts should be involved in part of the design process and/or should be used to provide guidance during design What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Regroup meeting to set expectations – Work with designers /design firm that understands SharePoint
- 7. Example
- 8. 8. Applying Fixed Width to Collaboration Sites and System Pages What is it? – Designers define and document a vision without considering implementation costs and/or feasibility in SharePoint Why is this a mistake? ⁻ Limits space for collaboration ⁻ Users have to scroll ⁻ Content spillage
- 9. Example: Fixed Width Publishing applied to Collaboration Site
- 11. Example: Content “Spillage” on System Pages
- 12. 8. Applying Fixed Width to Collaboration Sites and System Pages What is the impact or cost? – User Experience – Usability Are there any exceptions? – No. What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Use % rather than set pixel value (Width:95%;display table ;margin:0 auto;) – Make system pages inherit default branding or branded without fixed width – Make inner scroll
- 13. Example: Quick CSS Fix on Content Area
- 14. Solution: Add 95% Width instead of Fixed
- 15. 7. Using Too Many Master Pages What is it? Using Master Pages to manage variations and using too many. Why is this a mistake? – More assets to manage – More development work – Costly and /or complex Migration
- 16. 7. Using Too Many Master Pages What is the impact or cost? – Migration and / or redesign cost and time – Consistency across sites – Hard to maintain/manage changes Are there any exceptions? – “Too Many” is relative to scenario – 1 master page per distinct design and template What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Enforce governance/ remove permissions – Consolidate master pages. Manage variations with page layouts, alternate CSS or custom controls – Most of the reasons you think you need a new master page, you can use page layout or alternate CSS
- 17. Example Scenario Master Pages 1 Master Page per distinct Site Template = 6 Master Pages Publishing Meeting Workspace Collaboration Minimal (Search) My Site Personal My Site Host (My Content) (Newsfeed, Profile)
- 18. Base Branding Example Scenario sharepoint style.css Master Pages Publishing Meeting Workspace Pub.css mws.css Collaboration Minimal (Search) collab.css minimal.css My Site Personal My Site Host (My Content) (Newsfeed, Profile) mysitepersonal.c mysitehost.css ss
- 19. 6. Removing QuickLaunch ContentPlaceholder What is it? Removing the Quick Launch Control because you don’t want left navigation on the home page. Why is this a mistake? – Lose the ability to use left navigation when removed from master page (“Throwing the baby out with the bathwater”) – May have a need to use left nav deeper in site
- 22. 6. Removing QuickLaunch ContentPlaceholder What is the impact or cost? – Rework; Extended Development Time – Loss of Functionality Are there any exceptions? No What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Add it back to the master page
- 23. 5. Not Designing Around Real Content What is it? – A design that hasn’t considered real content; – Using non-representative filler/fake content – Using “Lorem Ipsum” Why is this a mistake? – Impacts layout, growth / stretching/ empty areas – Real content helps define patterns
- 24. 5. Not Designing Around Real Content What is the impact or cost? – Rework based on real content to support actual content once migrated or created. Are there any exceptions? Yes. Sites where design dictates content or that have copywriters What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Set expectations that rework will occur after content is introduced. – Go back to design phase. Make changes accordingly after real content is reviewed. Use representative content in Photoshop design – Try to anticipate areas where there could be issues by doing bounds testing. – Staging environment
- 25. 4. Fixing the Width of the Ribbon What is it? – Fixing the width of the ribbon to match the fixed width of the content area – Constraining the ribbon (a huge UX investment) to a width smaller than 100%
- 26. Example: Fixed Width Ribbon
- 27. 4. Fixing the Width of the Ribbon Why is this a mistake? – Not consistent throughout Office Products – Not consistent through organization – Administrative tools change size, icon, location
- 28. 4. Fixing the Width of the Ribbon What is the impact or cost? – Training -- especially 3rd party Are there any exceptions? – If design is very important to your organization What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Update your implementation to expand Ribbon to full width. – Or create your own training materials to reflect the look of the custom ribbon
- 29. 3. Using Content Editor Web Parts for Web Content What is it? – Using a Content Editor Web Part instead of using the right tools for web content Why is this a mistake? – No versioning of content – Not best method for managing web content
- 30. 3. Using Content Editor Web Parts for Web Content What is the impact or cost? – No versioning – Publishing model / Approval – Search Are there any exceptions? – Foundation Server only – You Tube Videos What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Plan to move most frequently changed content into RTE (PageContent Control) in page layouts – If default SharePoint page layouts don’t work, create custom page layouts with field controls. This is the right way to do it. – If you have a lot of web content, consider a standard or enterprise license. – In SP2010, use txt files to manage content;
- 31. 2. Using Dreamweaver Directly with SharePoint What is it? – Opening up SharePoint site using Dreamweaver and editing pages /content Why is this a mistake? – Destroys SharePoint functionality – Basically turns pages into static content only editable in an HTML editor
- 32. 2. Using Dreamweaver Directly with SharePoint What is the impact or cost? – Rework costs Are there any exceptions? – No What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – There isn’t one. Sorry. – Start over
- 33. 1. Modifying Default Files What Is It? Making changes to default files on the SharePoint Server (14 hive) A Violation of the #1 Rule of SharePoint Branding Club
- 34. 1. Modifying Default Files Why is this a mistake? – These files are the originals. You just don’t mess with the originals. – Changes may impact the entire farm. – Multiple WFE with load balancing mean changes need to be made in more than one place.
- 35. 1. Modifying Default Files What is the impact or cost? – Difficult to troubleshoot – Cumulative Updates – Migration Are there any exceptions? – No What is the fix or workaround if I’ve already made the mistake? – Replace anything that has been modified with a clean copy of the original file (s) – Move your customizations out of the file and package into a feature
- 37. Contact Information Marcy Kellar SharePoint Soapbox mkellar@sharepointsoapbox.com +1-317-902-8057 twitter - @marcykellar LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/marcykellar Blog – http://thesharepointmuse.com SharePoint Event Photography - http://marcykellarstudio.com