Ensuring DX Project SuccessScope, Alignment & Common Pitfalls
Somecommonpitfalls
• Nottakingabroadenoughview• Peopledon’tknowwhattheyareagreeingto• Notbeingorganization-specificenough• Makingproblemsworseandnotagreeingonstructuresearly
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Somecommonpitfalls→Today’sagenda
• Nottakingabroadenoughview→Breadthandcoherence• Peopledon’tknowwhattheyareagreeingto→Alignment• Notbeingorganization-specificenough→ Anorg-specificvision• Makingproblemsworseandnotagreeingonstructuresearly→Timeandtiming
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Breadth and coherence
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An example: before
Weak contextual information
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Project islands
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Center islands
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Soifavisitorhappens tostartonapagewithinacenter(whentheymaynotspecificallybeinterestedinthecenter),thenclicksfromtheretrapthemonthatisland
Topical islands (Energy topic)
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Topicalislands:subtopics
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Nolinkagebetweentherelatedtopicandinitiative
Blog & rest disconnected
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RFFspendsefforthere
Butthatdoesn’thelppeoplewhostartonthispage
Site visitor may not even know there is an issue — they may just think your org stinks
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An example: after
Consistent Connected
Coherence
Why digital coherence?
Reason ImportanceBe more definitive Very high
Provide a complete understanding of the brand High
Ability to change over time High
Reward site visitor for being close High
Cross-selling Medium
Enforce quality Medium
Lower risk of redesign train wreck Medium
Ability to drive toward specific desired behaviors Medium
Cost Low
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section whole site
we are usually focused narrowly
but critical problems are
here
We need to CONSIDER how much of our real digital presence is changing.
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http://hobbs.direct/extent-number
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Make sure this is the real number.
http://hobbs.direct/extent-number
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All pages in digital presence (2,500)
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Pages included in the DX project (1,750) Pages NOT included in project (750)
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2,500
1,750 70%
http://hobbs.direct/extent-number
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Attempt to INCREASE this number.
http://hobbs.direct/extent-number
How you may think about things
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http://hobbs.direct/extend
How your visitors see it
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http://hobbs.direct/extend
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Ineffective option 1: changing main site
http://hobbs.direct/extend
Ineffective option 2: adding one-off
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http://hobbs.direct/extend
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NOT in the vision: Solely customizing some shallow and narrow pages
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NOT in the vision: Shallowly demonstrating uniqueness across the whole sitemap
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VISION: Somewhat customizing even the content well for every page (without requiring significant customization by publisher).
Alignment isn’t just about talking more. It’s approaching engagement effectively.
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Gettingalignment
1. Focusonthestructureandextent2. Illustratetheproblemswiththecurrentsituation3. Illustratethepossiblenewstatesandwhatitwilltaketogetthere
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Focusonstructureandextent
No Yes
Flexibility orlocked-down Controlledflexibility
Template lookordetailedrequirements Broadtemplatestructure: whatisinherited,etc.
Laundry listofrequirements Big,structuralrequirementsthatmattertoward vision
Thestatic, surfaceview Dynamic view:integrations, APIs,contentsharing
Single discipline(expertiseyouhappentohave) Multi-discipline(expertiseyouneed tomeetvision)
Narrowextent Broad extent
Assumed extent Explicitextent
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Whatisabig,structuralquestion?
q Importanttoattaining(ordefining)yourvisionq Contentious— probablysome“loss”willoccurq Answernotobvious— probablysomethingthathasexistingalongtime,diggingtheproblemevendeeper
Note:thequestion probablyisnotobviouseither— perhapsit’sneverbeenasked
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Structuralquestion:Isitworthmaintainingmorestructuredinformationaboutbenchmarksandplatforms?
Backend complexity might be required for front end simplicity and coherence.
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http://hobbs.direct/visualize-impact
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http://hobbs.direct/visualize-impact
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http://hobbs.direct/visualize-impact
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http://hobbs.direct/visualize-impact
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http://hobbs.direct/visualize-impact
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http://hobbs.direct/visualize-impact
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An organization-specific vision
bit.ly/hobbs-add-no
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http://hobbs.direct/add-innovation
bit.ly/hobbs-add-no
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Site visitor may arrive anywhere (and be ready to leave immediately)
Your jewel of a page may be “close” but it is of no use if the site visitor doesn’t know about it
The front door barely matters
The user may want something else entirely even if they start at what you think is your jewel content
http://hobbs.direct/add-innovation
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http://hobbs.direct/add-innovation
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http://hobbs.direct/add-innovation
Time ravages coherence
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Type1:Streamlined
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http://hobbs.direct/four
Type2:Regularworkprogram
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http://hobbs.direct/four
Type3:Redesigns
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http://hobbs.direct/four
Type4:One-offs
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http://hobbs.direct/four
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http://hobbs.direct/four
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We want to spend our time on the left side
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Streamlined
• Is something that should be fast
• Is something that is fast• Clear standards (including
whether to streamline one at all)
• Optimized for quality
Routine work program
• Working on the machinery itself
• Only the next phase is planned
• The schedule for the next phase is clear
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Streamlined
• Is something that should be fast
• Is something that is fast• Clear standards (including
whether to streamline one at all)
• Optimized for quality
Routine work program
• Working on the machinery itself
• Only the next phase is planned
• The schedule for the next phase is clear
The goal is often to optimize something
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Many organizations are stuck at the bottom
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This is where we need to operate to staunch the bleeding
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This is where we go to dig out
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Use a one-off checklist
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