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Managing Content on the Princeton Web

humansky
November 11, 2009

Managing Content on the Princeton Web

During the past decade, Princeton’s web site has grown from a relatively simple tool supporting producers and consumers of information about the institution, its programs, and its people to what is today a complex, mission-critical appliance for teaching, research, administration, and collaboration.

Such complex web sites publish and sustain every day vast amounts of time sensitive information. To manage the mountain of content, Princeton has turned to Content Management Systems that offer an integrated set of powerful features for creating, storing, versioning, and publishing everything from news articles and brochures though audio, video, and images.

humansky

November 11, 2009
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  1. Managing Content on the Princeton Web Lunch 'n Learn -

    Princeton University November 11th, 2009 Thursday, November 12, 2009
  2. Where to Begin? • define the site’s goal • ask

    questions • filter the answers • design document Thursday, November 12, 2009
  3. What is IA? “Information architecture (IA) is the art of

    expressing a model or concept of information used in activities that require explicit details of complex systems.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_Architecture Thursday, November 12, 2009
  4. portabello poppies zinnias snapdragons shitake sliders snapping bog musk chanterelle

    tulips marigold impatiens hedgehog porcini clematis hydrangea painted matsutake Thursday, November 12, 2009
  5. portabello poppies zinnias snapdragons shitake sliders snapping bog musk chanterelle

    tulips marigold impatiens hedgehog porcini clematis hydrangea painted matsutake Thursday, November 12, 2009
  6. portabello poppies zinnias snapdragons shitake sliders snapping bog musk chanterelle

    tulips marigold impatiens hedgehog porcini clematis hydrangea painted matsutake Thursday, November 12, 2009
  7. portabello poppies zinnias snapdragons shitake sliders snapping bog musk chanterelle

    tulips marigold impatiens hedgehog porcini clematis hydrangea painted matsutake Thursday, November 12, 2009
  8. portabello poppies zinnias snapdragons shitake sliders snapping bog musk chanterelle

    tulips marigold impatiens hedgehog porcini clematis hydrangea painted matsutake Thursday, November 12, 2009
  9. Information Architecture • Data Sheets • User Stories • Concept

    Map • Bullseye Diagram • Navigation Map Thursday, November 12, 2009
  10. Creating Data Sheets • collect general information about each of

    your interviewees • find out about the interviewee’s goals upon visiting your site • If redesigning: • likes/dislikes about current site • content navigable/understandable? Thursday, November 12, 2009
  11. One-on-one Interviews • come to the interview unprepared • take

    user off-subject to gain understanding • write a thank you note Thursday, November 12, 2009
  12. Creating User Stories • agile software/web development • use 3x5

    cards • customer creates user story • prioritize Thursday, November 12, 2009
  13. Creating Concept Maps • make a list of nouns in

    your domain • draw lines connecting terms (nouns) • annotate lines with relationships (verbs) Thursday, November 12, 2009
  14. Creating Bullseye Diagram • make a list of tasks (user

    stories) • draw a bullseye with three rings • place tasks in rings • look for natural relationships/structure Thursday, November 12, 2009
  15. Creating Navigation Map • pick a landing place/page/screen • loosely

    define the UI for that “place” • backup one step. How do you get there? • sketch siblings that are connected • step back & look for patterns/relationships Thursday, November 12, 2009
  16. Managing Content • focus on top tasks • know your

    audience • write for the web • keep content current • archive content/web records Thursday, November 12, 2009
  17. Focusing on Top Tasks • listen to customers • review

    your data • talk to customers Thursday, November 12, 2009
  18. Know Your Audience • usability testing and research • customer

    satisfaction surveys • focus groups • market research • web server logs • email, phone calls, letters, etc • input from other web content managers • analyze search data • commercial products Thursday, November 12, 2009
  19. Write for the Web • write for your audience •

    written in plain, simple language • tailor your writing to the audience with the least expertise • test your writing with typical visitors Thursday, November 12, 2009
  20. Keep Content Current • establish a content review process •

    use date stamps • manage links • review homepage, major entry points, and navigation elements Thursday, November 12, 2009
  21. What is a CMS? “A content management system (CMS) is

    a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system Thursday, November 12, 2009
  22. Types of CMS • Enterprise CMS (ECMS) • Web CMS

    (WCMS) • Document Management System (DMS) • Mobile Content Management System • Component Content Management System • Media Content Management System • Knowledge Management System Thursday, November 12, 2009
  23. Managing Content • metadata • integration • capture • indexing

    • storage • retrieval • distribution • security • workflow • disaster recovery • retention period • archiving • collaboration • versioning Thursday, November 12, 2009
  24. Features of a Web CMS • collaboration • automated templates

    • easily editable content • web standards • workflow • delegation • reusability • decentralized maintenance • non-technical • separation of content from design • access control Thursday, November 12, 2009
  25. Recommended Readings • Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielson •

    Designing with Web Standards 3rd edition by Jeffrey Zeldman • Information Architecture for the World Wide Web by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville • Princeton's Guide to Creating Website Information Architecture and Content http://tinyurl.com/pu-site Thursday, November 12, 2009
  26. Contact Henry Umansky Princeton University [email protected] A special thanks goes

    to... Beck Trench at Duke University, Michael Muzzie at Princeton University, Mark Ratliff at Princeton University, Web Development Services at Princeton University, Office of Communications at Princeton University, The IT Crowd, Geek and Poke, Jakob Nielson, Jeffrey Zeldman, Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville Thursday, November 12, 2009