Confab Higher Ed 2016: Better Strategy Through Structure
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Information is at its most useful when it’s clear, consistent, orderly, organized—in other words, when it’s well-structured. And well-structured web content not only brings a bucketful of benefits to the user experience, but also delivers a deeper understanding of the content to us, the web professionals building that user experience. Learning to focus on structural considerations—how content is built, organized, and connected across the experience—can change the way we work, fostering a more collaborative redesign process and enabling us to better execute our strategies. Using examples from several universities that recently overhauled their sites, this talk shows how structural approaches to content can: * Make content easier to understand (and improve!) * Enhance communications with stakeholders and across teams * Lay a foundation to support future development, editorial work, and governance plans
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Confab Higher Ed 2016: Better Strategy Through Structure
- 1. @ redsesame #confabEDU 1 Better Strategy Through Structure CONFAB HIGHER ED | NOVEMBER 15, 2016 LISA MARIA MARTIN
- 6. @ redsesame #confabEDU 6 Yes, I’m hinging this entire presentation on 1990s analog publishing, fight me.
- 12. @ redsesame #confabEDU 12 That is one weird memory palace, huh.
- 13. @ redsesame #confabEDU 13 “Before the spread of printing, a highly developed Memory was needed by the entertainer, the poet, the singer, the physician, the lawyer, and the priest.” D A N I E L J . B O O R S T I N
- 14. @ redsesame #confabEDU 14 “The printed book would be a new warehouse of Memory, superior in countless ways to the internal invisible warehouse in each person.” D A N I E L J . B O O R S T I N
- 15. @ redsesame #confabEDU 15 Structured information is useful information.
- 16. @ redsesame #confabEDU 16 Structure helps us: • Understand content • Organize content • Connect content
- 18. @ redsesame #confabEDU 18 “…to make every subject easier to understand...” B A R B A R A A N N K I P F E R
- 19. @ redsesame #confabEDU 19 Plan your audit with purpose.
- 20. @ redsesame #confabEDU 20 Plan your audit with purpose. • Quality • Data • Structure • Design • UX
- 21. @ redsesame #confabEDU 21 Plan your audit with purpose. • Quality • Data • Structure • Design • UX Message, voice & tone, audience, readability…
- 22. @ redsesame #confabEDU 22 Plan your audit with purpose. • Quality • Data • Structure • Design • UX Volume, distribution, categorization, consistency…
- 23. @ redsesame #confabEDU 23 Plan your audit with purpose. • Quality • Data • Structure • Design • UX Hierarchy, categorization, navigation, URLs, linking…
- 24. @ redsesame #confabEDU 24 Plan your audit with purpose. • Quality • Data • Structure • Design • UX Modules, buttons, interactions, visual patterns…
- 25. @ redsesame #confabEDU 25 Plan your audit with purpose. • Quality • Data • Structure • Design • UX A little of everything…
- 27. @ redsesame #confabEDU 27 Track patterns and themes.
- 29. @ redsesame #confabEDU 29 Track patterns and themes. • Keep separate notes for high- level observations • Group and regroup notes to find patterns • Try Boardthing or post-its
- 30. @ redsesame #confabEDU 30 Be particular about presentation.
- 33. @ redsesame #confabEDU 33 Be particular about presentation. • Visualize content distribution and other data points • Lead with themes, not spreadsheets • Share raw data as a reference
- 35. @ redsesame #confabEDU 35 Ground your sitemap in your strategy.
- 36. @ redsesame #confabEDU 36 Ground your sitemap in your strategy. • Strategy statements • Concepts • Design principles • Audit insights
- 40. @ redsesame #confabEDU 40 Test and iterate for best results.
- 44. @ redsesame #confabEDU 44 Test and iterate for best results. • Revise with feedback • Test with users (Optimal Workshop) • Keep it flexible
- 45. @ redsesame #confabEDU 45 Build for next steps.
- 47. @ redsesame #confabEDU 47 Build for next steps. • Who needs to understand it? Approve it? Build from it? • What other work will it inform? • How much detail does it need? What other layers can it support?
- 49. @ redsesame #confabEDU 49 Understanding structure comes from constantly moving between macro and micro.
- 50. @ redsesame #confabEDU 50 Prepare stakeholders for content modeling.
- 52. @ redsesame #confabEDU 52 Prepare stakeholders for content modeling. • Don’t jump to technicalities too soon • Identify broader content needs and groupings • Lay groundwork for future structuring
- 53. @ redsesame #confabEDU 53 Build relationships, not just categories.
- 56. @ redsesame #confabEDU 56 Build relationships, not just categories. • Taxonomies are your friend • Structure and design the connections • Create multiple paths through content
- 57. @ redsesame #confabEDU 57 Use structure as a collaboration point.
- 61. @ redsesame #confabEDU 61 Use structure as a collaboration point. • Consider who else needs to use your documentation • Don’t be afraid to make changes • Make sure your content is aligned
- 62. @ redsesame #confabEDU 62 And then what?
- 65. @ redsesame #confabEDU 65 Structure helps us: • Understand content • Organize content • Connect content
- 66. @ redsesame #confabEDU 66 Structure helps our strategy.
- 68. @ redsesame #confabEDU 68 Resources • Content Analysis Tool, content-insight.com • Treejack, optimalworkshop.com • Boardthing, boardthing.com • Eileen Webb’s taxonomy work on the-toast.net: http://responsivewebdesign.com/toast/taxonomy/ • The Order of Things, Barbara Ann Kipfer • The Discoverers, Daniel J. Boorstin • Thanks to the clients whose work I’ve shown here (Carnegie Mellon University and Seton Hill University), and the agencies I’ve worked with (Brain Traffic, Seven Heads Design, and Happy Cog) • Photos sourced from Unsplash.com under a CC0 license