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Project Discovery for Content Websites

Project Discovery for Content Websites

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Souvik Das Gupta

March 23, 2018
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  1. Project Discovery
    for content websites

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  2. @souvikdg

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  3. Miranj
    We architect information and 

    design radically simple, future-proof websites

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  4. Content-driven Websites
    Represent an organisation or a business
    Publishing platform (stories, articles, news, etc.)
    Facilitate e-commerce

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  5. “We want our new website to be modern,

    mobile-optimised, easy to change

    and good looking.”


    “And oh, SEO-friendly as well.”

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  7. The problem usually doesn’t lie in
    what they’re sharing, but rather
    on what they’re not sharing.

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  8. Problem Space Solution Space
    vs

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  9. Doctor by Hamza Butt on Flickr
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/149902454@N08/35081927460

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  10. Doctor by Hamza Butt on Flickr
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/149902454@N08/35081927460
    Problem Space
    I have fever
    I feel dizzy
    My stomach is paining
    My cut is bleeding
    Solution Space
    vs
    I’ve got typhoid
    I need MRI Scan
    Prescribe me aspirin

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  11. Problem Space
    Feels old
    Difficult to browse on phones
    Pain to modify
    Dislike the design
    Doesn’t show on Google
    Solution Space
    vs
    Modern
    Mobile-optimised
    Easy to edit
    Good looking
    SEO-friendly

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  12. Typically briefs are unclear or
    inadequate because they try to
    communicate the solutions rather
    than the problems.

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  13. So, discovering project
    needs becomes a necessary
    part of our work.

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  14. 5 Stages of
    Discovery

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  15. 1. Listen

    2. Probe
    3. Prioritise
    4. Strategise
    5. Align
    5 Stages of
    Discovery

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  17. Who?

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  18. All stakeholders

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  19. Web Team
    Designer
    Developer / Technologist
    Content Strategist
    Information Architect
    Copywriter

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  20. Client
    “Website manager” or “Product owner”
    Management (decision maker)

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  21. Ongoing Roles
    Marketing and Communication
    Content-writer / authors
    Editor
    Digital Marketer

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  22. Anyone else who may 

    either have a say, 

    or simply, have good ideas.

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  23. Listen
    Stage 1

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  24. Domain
    Get familiar with the business, stakeholders,
    processes and terminologies

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  25. Wishlist
    Goals, Wishes, Content, Demand, 

    Outcome, Impact, Quality, Analytics, 

    Features, Functionality, etc…

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  28. No “thought” or “idea” is
    discarded at this stage

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  29. 1 “thought” or “idea”
    goes on
    1 sticky note

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  31. Synthesise
    Add to the “thoughts” and move them around
    to achieve a structured understanding
    of the client’s domain

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  32. Identify the various
    stakeholders, business priorities
    and potential content inventory

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  33. Align with the
    client’s vocabulary

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  34. Landscape
    Peers, Competitors or Superstars

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  35. Probe
    Stage 2

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  36. Constraints
    Timelines, Budgets, Life Expectancy (ROI)

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  37. How long should this

    new website last?

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  38. Goals
    Features, Functionalities or important Outcomes

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  39. Goals Hygiene
    vs

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  40. Goals
    Flexibility in page layout and content
    Evolution in brand positioning
    Higher time on site
    Low bounce rate
    Increase repeat visitors
    Hygiene
    vs
    Easy to use
    Easy to edit
    Good looking
    Mobile friendly
    SEO optimised

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  42. Audience
    Identify the distinct groups that are likely to land on
    our website and for each type map out their context
    and motivations, current solutions and their problems.

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  44. The often-missing Audience
    Internal team members, content author / manager,
    partners, future hires, search bots, etc.

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  45. Design
    Run over references from the wild (including peers
    and competitors) that help us capture reaction from
    clients and understand their tastes and aspirations

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  46. Brand
    Collect the expressions and phrases that determine the 

    positioning of the organisation or the service

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  48. Content
    Identify types and for each detail the editorial
    process, frequency of publishing or update and real
    (or representative) samples

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  49. What is content?

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  50. All current and “future”
    information, document,
    write-up, knowledge, etc.

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  51. Marketing collateral

    is content

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  52. Media is content

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  53. Features and functionalities
    have intrinsic content

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  54. Synthesise
    Goals, Audience, Content, Design, Brand

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  55. Audience Goal (Outcome)

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  56. Audience Goal (Outcome)
    Content

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  57. Audience → Content → Goal
    Mapping is tedious but it is 

    important for the key outcomes

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  58. Prioritise
    Stage 3

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  59. “Everything is important”

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  60. Prioritisation is about

    “focusing on impact”

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  61. Prioritisation is about
    “analysing feasibility”

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  62. Prioritisation is about

    “building consensus”

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  63. Goals, Audience and Content

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  65. Card Sorting

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  66. Voting

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  67. Fist-to-five

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  68. Impact vs Effort

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  69. High Effort

    High Impact
    High Effort

    Low Impact
    Low Effort

    High Impact
    Low Effort

    Low Impact

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  70. Strategise
    Stage 4

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  71. Content-First

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  72. Content Strategy
    Choice of Content, Discoverability, Frequency of Updates, 

    Narrative and Storytelling, Page or Design Strategy, etc.

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  73. Information Architecture
    Identify the primary content models 

    and break them down into smaller components.

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  74. Content models can be
    “broken down” in two ways…

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  75. Semantic Style
    vs

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  76. Semantic
    Title
    Author
    Excerpt
    Body
    Date
    Topic
    Cover Image
    Style
    vs
    Text Block
    Image Block
    Video Block
    Gallery Block
    Timeline Block

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  77. Sitemap v2 by James Box on Flickr
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/b0xman/4472627015
    Sitemap and Navigation
    follows the information architecture

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  78. Technology
    CMS, Caching, SEO, Plugins, 

    Other 3rd Party Services, Performance Budgets

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  79. Work Plan
    For all stakeholders, including clients (fulfilling pre-requisites)

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  80. Align
    Stage 5

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  81. Discuss and agree on the

    Strategy, Scope and Plan

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  82. Responsibilities
    RACI matrix

    R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed

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  83. Project Management
    Introduction to tool or process

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  84. 1. Listen

    2. Probe
    3. Prioritise
    4. Strategise
    5. Align

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  85. 1. Listen

    2. Probe
    3. Prioritise
    4. Strategise
    5. Align
    Problem Space
    Solution Space

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  86. A website is 

    not a commodity.

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  87. Neither is the 

    process of discovery.

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  88. As much as the process is about
    discovery, it is also about everyone
    aligning and being on the same page
    about the problems and the solutions.

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  89. And, helps speak the same
    language through the 

    project execution.

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  90. Not to mention, clients also gain
    a lot of clarity — not just about
    website but also their business!

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  91. The Challenge

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  92. Thanks!

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