BRINGING STRATEGIC UX TO DRUPAL PROJECTSDani Nordin :: @danigrrl :: tzk-design.com

Dani Nordinfounder, the zen kitchen

• UX Designer and Strategist

• Specialize in design strategy, UX and prototyping for Drupal projects

• Author, Drupal for Designers (O’Reilly, 2011/2012)

Contact@danigrrldani@tzk-design.comtzk-design.com

What happens during the UX phase• Get an understanding of the site’s target users• Map out how users will flow through specific key tasks, and

what information needs to be there to support them• Find out what content exists for the current site, what needs

to be created, and how the content will be organized• Come up with a set of assumptions, and standards that will

govern the project as you move forward

UX TECHNIQUESFor Drupal projects

Basic Techniques & Deliverables• Market research (competition, demographics, etc.)• Functional Requirements & Specifications• User Personas• Task Flows & User Journeys• Wireframes

Personas

Task/User Flows

Wireframes

Techniques to enhance UX• User Interviews• Post Ups/Card Sorting

USER INTERVIEWSLearn more about the real people who will be interacting with your project

User interviews: Why?• Helps separate stakeholder whims from what actual users

will find relevant• Includes perspectives from all the various user types

involved in your site: • End users• Content admins and moderators• Marketing team

• Can uncover needs not addressed by current design• Provides important and real data for personas, task flows

and other project deliverables

User interviews: How?• Define 2-3 main user types• Set preliminary characteristics based on market research• Aim to interview 3 users of each type• Get client’s help in recruiting participants• Develop questions ahead of time for each type of user• Record interviews for later transcription/analysis• Timing: ½ hour for interview, ½ hour for notes, 2-4 hours

for thematic analysis (once interviews are complete)

POST-UPSA quick and visual way to organize content, perfect navigation and solve sticky IA issues

Post-Ups/Card Sorting: Why?• Helps quickly identify major themes and content priorities• Tools are cheap and easy to move around• Butcher paper• Post-its• Sharpies

• Allows the team to work collaboratively, which is more efficient than working alone—particularly for complex navigational structures

The Post-Up IA Workshop• Start with initial architecture posted up on butcher paper• Include 4–6 people, all of whom have a stake in the site

(include content admins, not just execs)• Post on wall• Each person gets 5 minutes to move things around• Have them think aloud• Videotape or record each person’s turn• Offer help, but avoid criticism or debate during each person’s turn• Take picture of result after each person finishes

• Finish with discussion and finalization of architecture• Document result in content strategy documents

Congregational Library: version 1

Congregational Library: final

Results• Ensured that all voices were heard, not just the executives• Enabled discussion of pages’ relevance and usefulness• Identified and prioritized new sections/pages that were

needed, and assigned stakeholders to them• Accomplished in two hours what would have taken

weeks of back and forth over email

QUESTIONS?@danigrrl on Twitterdani@tzk-design.com