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@[email protected]
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 [email protected]