Content Strategy in ActionTaming a 5,000 Page Franken-site

Rebecca BlakistonUser Experience LibrarianShoshana MaydenWeb Content StrategistUniversity of Arizona Libraries September 30, 2014

#edui_frankensite

Rebecca Blakiston@blakistonr

UX librarianInstructional designerFacilitatorProject managerMad user researcherAspiring ethnographerYogi

Shoshana Mayden@shosh1530

WriterEditor

Environmental scientistWeb content strategist

Spreadsheet masterYogi

Our franken-site in a nutshell

Main Drupal

site

Staff director

yNews

& event

s

Hours

Feedback form

Databases

Tutorials

Digital collectio

ns

Video contes

t

Exhibits

Interlibrary loan

Library resource organize

r

Catalog

Discovery tool

Collections

Streaming video

Exception slip

Guides

FAQs

Meet our franken-site

Where to even begin?

Re-Digital User eXperience

reworkredo

rethink

reenvision

redesign

rebuild

rewrite

revitalize

reenergize

reorganize

rearchitect

refocus

reconsider

rebrand

redefinereconnect

Project Redux

Franken-dux!

Goals

1. Content focused2. Accessible3. Usable4. Findable5. Familiar6. Engaging7. Understandable8. Credible9. Human

Principles & Plan

1. Do user research.2. Get stakeholder feedback.3. Define audience and primary tasks.4. Get a grip on our content.5. Content first, design second.6. Integrate franken-parts into Drupal.7. Make it easy & fun.8. Provide workflows & training.9. Only create what we can maintain.10.Take the time to do it right.

We will evaluate every piece of content.

We will not

migrate content.

We will rip the guts out of our

franken-site.

Talking to actual users

Focus groups

Open card sorting

Closed card sorting

Treejack

Survey

Personas

The MonsterNicknames: FrankieAge: 6 months

Major: UndeclaredLives: Dungeon off-campus

Uses the library for:• Terrifying freshman• Quiet study space

Challenges:• Tech novice• Afraid of fire

Story Development

What is that?

Dissecting all the parts

Content Audit Questions

Content Audit Questions

We have a lot of content…

20% poor usability

Next Steps

25% not relevant

RIP: We’ve buried 100 pages so far!

Rewiring our monster

Content strategy

We champion student and faculty success by giving them access to the spaces, technology, collections and expertise needed for their research, teaching, studying and collaboration.

We will capture your ideas then send to all staff for a sort.

helpful

friendly

reliable

people-focused

traditional

unmoving

fun

Who we are

fun

45 staff members did our online sorting exercise

now:knowledgeable

friendlyhelpful

academiccustomer-focused

future:easy-to-usecutting-edgeconsistentengagingpeople-focused

exclusivestaticold

schooltradition

alquirky

funny?witty?cool?hip?

A ghastly example

databases are specialized search tools

including:

• library subscriptions

• trial databases

•open-access

wants to find maps & GIS data

wants to find databases in ecology

wants to see popular databases

wants to see trial databases

Next steps…

Subject

Liaison

DevTeam

DatabaseLead

ContentStrategis

t

Workflows

Point People

Embracing the

monster

LibGuides

LibAnswers

Summon

strategic planning

new web exhibits

security updates

newcampus branding

UA Mobile 2.0

organizational

restructuring

incremental deployment

new.library.arizona.edu

usability testing

Coming in October…

Defining scope and prioritizing based on user impact

Letting go of perfection

Questions?

Rebecca Blakistonblakisto@email.arizona.edu @blakistonr

Shoshana Maydensmayden@email.arizona.e

du @shosh1530…….