The document outlines best practices for teaching Drupal to users, emphasizing the distinction between developers and non-technical users. It includes principles such as understanding user needs, simplifying the learning process, providing clear instructions, and creating supportive documentation. Additionally, it highlights the importance of empathetic communication and user collaboration in overcoming the challenges associated with Drupal's learning curve.

1. Teaching Drupal
Diana Montalion Dupuis
8.24.10
Acquia

2. Teaching Drupal
Developers: People who spend (a lot of) time figuring
out Drupal works, writing code for it, designing
themes for it, reading books about it, and traveling
to Drupalcon to talk about it.
Users: People forced by circumstances to interact
with Drupal and its developers.
DrupalCon Cophenhagen 2010

3. Introduction

4. Introduction
* Diana Montalion Dupuis

5. Introduction
* Diana Montalion Dupuis
* mooncougar (diana: moon goddess + montalion:
mountain lion)

6. Introduction
* Diana Montalion Dupuis
* mooncougar (diana: moon goddess + montalion:
mountain lion)
* Aaron Forsander (pifantastic)

7. Introduction
* Diana Montalion Dupuis
* mooncougar (diana: moon goddess + montalion:
mountain lion)
* Aaron Forsander (pifantastic)
* #teachingdrupal

8. You know who he is . . .

9. You know who he is . . .
Dries Buytaert: Drupal creator

10. Who is he?

11. Who is he?
Tom Standage; Digital Editor for Economist.com

12. Users
should be famous
too!
They are the people who use the tools we build and
their business goals are the reason we do what we
do.

13. Before we start: two
assumptions

14. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.

15. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
2. You did.

16. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
2. You did.
2a. Or you could have.

17. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
2. You did.
2a. Or you could have.
2b. Or you are part of a team who did and/or could
have.

18. Drupal’s Infamous Steep
Learning Curve

19. http://buytaert.net/sites/buytaert.net/files/images/drupal/learning-curve.jpg

20. The User Learning Curve

21. The User Learning Curve
“Edit the homepage.”

23. Teaching Drupal Truth #1

24. Teaching Drupal Truth #1
The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.

25. users see these concepts differently than we do: modules, for example

26. We climb mountains

27. We climb mountains
* Nodes

28. We climb mountains
* Nodes
* Blocks

29. We climb mountains
* Nodes
* Blocks
* Views

30. We climb mountains
* Nodes
* Blocks
* Views
* Modules

31. We climb mountains
* Nodes
* Blocks
* Views
* Modules
* Content types

32. We climb mountains
* Nodes
* Blocks
* Views
* Modules
* Content types
* Roles and permissions

33. We climb mountains
* Nodes
* Blocks
* Views
* Modules
* Content types
* Roles and permissions
* Taxonomy

34. Users hike paths

35. Users hike paths
* Log in

36. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page

37. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post

38. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release

39. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
* Add a new editor

40. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
* Add a new editor
* Edit the list of tags

41. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
* Add a new editor
* Edit the list of tags
* Effectively report a bug

42. Teaching Drupal Truth #2
we love mountains (concepts), users hike paths (accomplish tasks)

43. Teaching Drupal Truth #2
We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to do
what they need to do, but don’t already know how to
do, with the tool we build for them.
we love mountains (concepts), users hike paths (accomplish tasks)

44. My favorite user
Caitlin Copple: previously of the YWCA of Missoula

45. Where do I begin?

46. Where do I begin?
1. Ask, “What do you do on the site?”

47. Where do I begin?
1. Ask, “What do you do on the site?”
2. Ask, “Have you used Drupal before? Have you
used any other web applications?”

48. Where do I begin?
1. Ask, “What do you do on the site?”
2. Ask, “Have you used Drupal before? Have you
used any other web applications?”
3. Empathize.

49. Empathy
“the action of understanding, being aware of, being
sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the
feelings, thoughts, and experience of another ...”
IOW, walk in the user’s shoes

50. And remember . . .
The user has no context.
normal Drupal behavior or a bug?

51. Four essential steps

52. Four essential steps
1. Teach.

53. Four essential steps
1. Teach.
2. Show.

54. Four essential steps
1. Teach.
2. Show.
3. Do.

55. Four essential steps
1. Teach.
2. Show.
3. Do.
4. Document.

56. Teach.

57. Teach.
1. Explain the task you are about to demonstrate.
“Let’s edit the About Us page.” “Let’s create a new
blog post.” “Let’s add a new user.”

58. Teach.
1. Explain the task you are about to demonstrate.
“Let’s edit the About Us page.” “Let’s create a new
blog post.” “Let’s add a new user.”
2. Use normal words (with a sprinkling of Drupalese
when necessary.) “Alan has the role of editor, and
we’re going to give that role permission to edit other
user’s blog posts.”

59. Show.

60. Show.
Show the user how to do it. If you can’t be there in
person, use screensharing.

61. Do.

62. Do.
1. Ask the user to do it.

63. Do.
1. Ask the user to do it.
2. Pay attention to where they falter, is there a way to
make the path more clear?

64. Do.
1. Ask the user to do it.
2. Pay attention to where they falter, is there a way to
make the path more clear?
3. Go at their pace, add more challenge when
necessary, stop and rest when it’s beneficial.

65. Document.

66. Document.
1. Prepare “just enough” documentation ahead of
time.

67. Document.
1. Prepare “just enough” documentation ahead of
time.
2. Encourage the user to take notes. This will help
them remember how to do it or at least, know
where to look it up.

68. Document.
1. Prepare “just enough” documentation ahead of
time.
2. Encourage the user to take notes. This will help
them remember how to do it or at least, know
where to look it up.
3. Create a space for communal editing of
documentation and a process for asking questions.

69. Teaching Drupal Truth #3
yes, I made up the word unfrustrate

70. Teaching Drupal Truth #3
The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
yes, I made up the word unfrustrate

71. Geekitis

72. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.

73. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.

74. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
3. You hate (or love) camelCase.

75. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
3. You hate (or love) camelCase.
4. After work, for fun, you work.

76. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
3. You hate (or love) camelCase.
4. After work, for fun, you work.

77. Teaching Drupal Truth #4

78. Teaching Drupal Truth #4
If you have geekitis, it isn't contagious.
Users don’t have to love the mountains to effectively
hike the path. And they don’t care that you climbed
Everest unless that solves their immediate problem.

79. Leave a map

80. Leave a map
1. Suggest quality resources (books, website links,
tutorials).

81. Leave a map
1. Suggest quality resources (books, website links,
tutorials).
2. Provide documentation and encourage the user to
collaborate.

82. Leave a map
1. Suggest quality resources (books, website links,
tutorials).
2. Provide documentation and encourage the user to
collaborate.
3. Make sure the user knows who to contact when
problems arise.

83. Bring the bug repellent

84. Bring the bug repellent
1. Take the sting out of bug reporting by training
users to give you what you need to solve the
problem. Ask them specific questions and respond
to drama with empathy.

85. Bring the bug repellent
1. Take the sting out of bug reporting by training
users to give you what you need to solve the
problem. Ask them specific questions and respond
to drama with empathy.
2. Have them walk you through the process.

86. Bring the bug repellent
1. Take the sting out of bug reporting by training
users to give you what you need to solve the
problem. Ask them specific questions and respond
to drama with empathy.
2. Have them walk you through the process.
3. Make sure they know how to take a screenshot.

87. Teaching Drupal Truth #5

88. Teaching Drupal Truth #5
No users; no Drupal. The people who apply our
tools to real-world problems are the reason we are
all here today.

89. Teaching Drupal Truths

90. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.

91. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.

92. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
3. The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.

93. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
3. The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
4. If you have geekitis, it isn't contagious.

94. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
3. The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
4. If you have geekitis, it isn't contagious.
5. No users; no Drupal. The people who apply our
tools to real-world problems are the reason we are

95. http://cph2010.drupal.org/node/7243