Project Discovery for Content Websites

Transcript

1. Project Discovery for content websites

2. @souvikdg

3. Miranj We architect information and 
 design radically simple, future-proof

   websites

4. Content-driven Websites Represent an organisation or a business Publishing platform

   (stories, articles, news, etc.) Facilitate e-commerce

5. “We want our new website to be modern,
 mobile-optimised, easy

   to change
 and good looking.”
 
 “And oh, SEO-friendly as well.”
6. None

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

   rather on what they’re not sharing.

8. Problem Space Solution Space vs

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

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

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

12. Typically briefs are unclear or inadequate because they try to

    communicate the solutions rather than the problems.

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

    work.

14. 5 Stages of Discovery

15. 1. Listen
 2. Probe 3. Prioritise 4. Strategise 5. Align

    5 Stages of Discovery
16. None

17. Who?

18. All stakeholders

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

    Copywriter

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

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

    Marketer

22. Anyone else who may 
 either have a say, 


    or simply, have good ideas.

23. Listen Stage 1

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

25. Wishlist Goals, Wishes, Content, Demand, 
 Outcome, Impact, Quality, Analytics,

    
 Features, Functionality, etc…
26. None
27. None

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

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

30. None

31. Synthesise Add to the “thoughts” and move them around to

    achieve a structured understanding of the client’s domain

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

33. Align with the client’s vocabulary

34. Landscape Peers, Competitors or Superstars

35. Probe Stage 2

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

37. How long should this
 new website last?

38. Goals Features, Functionalities or important Outcomes

39. Goals Hygiene vs

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
41. None

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.
43. None

44. The often-missing Audience Internal team members, content author / manager,

    partners, future hires, search bots, etc.

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

46. Brand Collect the expressions and phrases that determine the 


    positioning of the organisation or the service
47. None

48. Content Identify types and for each detail the editorial process,

    frequency of publishing or update and real (or representative) samples

49. What is content?

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

51. Marketing collateral
 is content

52. Media is content

53. Features and functionalities have intrinsic content

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

55. Audience Goal (Outcome)

56. Audience Goal (Outcome) Content

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

    is 
 important for the key outcomes

58. Prioritise Stage 3

59. “Everything is important”

60. Prioritisation is about
 “focusing on impact”

61. Prioritisation is about “analysing feasibility”

62. Prioritisation is about
 “building consensus”

63. Goals, Audience and Content

64. None

65. Card Sorting

66. Voting

67. Fist-to-five

68. Impact vs Effort

69. High Effort
 High Impact High Effort
 Low Impact Low Effort


    High Impact Low Effort
 Low Impact

70. Strategise Stage 4

71. Content-First

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


    Narrative and Storytelling, Page or Design Strategy, etc.

73. Information Architecture Identify the primary content models 
 and break

    them down into smaller components.

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

75. Semantic Style vs

76. Semantic Title Author Excerpt Body Date Topic Cover Image Style

    vs Text Block Image Block Video Block Gallery Block Timeline Block

77. Sitemap v2 by James Box on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/b0xman/4472627015 Sitemap and

    Navigation follows the information architecture

78. Technology CMS, Caching, SEO, Plugins, 
 Other 3rd Party Services,

    Performance Budgets

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

80. Align Stage 5

81. Discuss and agree on the
 Strategy, Scope and Plan

82. Responsibilities RACI matrix
 R=Responsible, A=Accountable, C=Consulted, I=Informed

83. Project Management Introduction to tool or process

84. 1. Listen
 2. Probe 3. Prioritise 4. Strategise 5. Align

85. 1. Listen
 2. Probe 3. Prioritise 4. Strategise 5. Align

    Problem Space Solution Space

86. A website is 
 not a commodity.

87. Neither is the 
 process of discovery.

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.

89. And, helps speak the same language through the 
 project

    execution.

90. Not to mention, clients also gain a lot of clarity

    — not just about website but also their business!

91. The Challenge

92. Thanks!