the core model: getting to business while making friends
TRANSCRIPT
The Core Model: Getting to business while making friends
Audun Rundberg @audunru Martha Lyngnes @marthaifarta IA Summit 2015
We’re from Norway, the land of polar bears
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen
Martha Lyngnes @marthaifarta Interaction Designer
Audun Rundberg @audunru Content Strategist
#ias15
Martha Lyngnes @marthaifarta Interaction Designer
Audun Rundberg @audunru Content Strategist
#ias15
How come our annual report isn’t on
the home page?
Why isn’t my department in the
main menu?
We need a button on the home page
that takes you to our Facebook profile.
I need a banner for our latest
product launch.
Somebody called me last week and
couldn’t find vacant positions!
Our competitors have videos on their website. We should
too.
You should make more
room for news.
I don’t like purple!!
My son could have made a
better website.
Agenda 01.30 Intro
02.15 Get down to business (and make friends)
03.30 Break
05.30 Finished
Make cores - not wars
Home page
The traditional approach to information architecture
Home page
The traditional approach to information architecture
Home page
The traditional approach to information architecture
Home page
The traditional approach to information architecture
Home page
The traditional approach to information architecture
Many users will never see the home page
Googled «chocolate cake»
Clicked a link on Facebook
Many users will never see the home page
Home page
People come to your website with a
need
Home page
All that matters is to meet that
need as quickly as possible
People come to your website with a
need
Home page
All that matters is to meet that
need as quickly as possible
99% of the pages are irrelevant to
that need
People come to your website with a
need
Home page
All that matters is to meet that
need as quickly as possible
99% of the pages are irrelevant to
that need
The other pages are
making it more difficult for the
user
People come to your website with a
need
Home page
We have to start with the page where the answer can be
found - the core
Home page
Paths, not hierarchy
Home page
No dead ends
Home page
The core is where your users
solvetheir tasks and you
reach yourobjectives
Usertasks
Businessgoals
Usertasks
Businessgoals
Cores
Usertasks
Businessgoals
Cores
Forward paths
The Core Model • The core is where your users solve
their tasks and you reach yourobjectives
• Paths, not hierarchy • No dead ends • Stakeholders can get involved
@AreGH
Do your user research
...and establishobjectives!
Core workshopPeople work in pairs,and present their workafter each step
1. Identify core pages2. Inward paths3. Core content4. Forward paths5. Prioritizing core elements
6–14 participantsNo web, design or content skills necessary!
• facilitator (you!)• your team: design, UX, content, etc• people with expert knowledge• content owners• people who should be collaborating, but aren’t• people with strong opinions about the website
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Social worker
Lawyer Cancer nurse Design
Research
Cancer care
Prevention
Web editor
Fundraiser
Step #1 Identify your core pages This is done by matching business goals and user needs
Top task survey«If you’re visiting The Cancer Society’s website, which five tasks are the most important to you?»
Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Patient rights
Next of kin advice
Waiting times
Dietary prevention
0 % 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
Top 25%
6 out of 79 tasks got 25% of the
votes
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Step #2 Inward paths How will the user get here? How will they find this content?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
How will the user find their
way to this core page?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
How will the user find their
way to this core page?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
How will the user find their
way to this core page?
Step #3 Core content What content elements do we need to make sure the user solves their task (while respecting our objectives)
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
What’s the optimal
solution, for the user and for
us?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
What’s the optimal
solution, for the user and for
us?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Step #4 Forward paths After the user has solved their task, where do we want to send them next?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Where should we send the user, after they’ve solved their
primary task?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Where should we send the user, after they’ve solved their
primary task?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Where should we send the user, after they’ve solved their
primary task?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Step #5 Prioritizing core elements How would you place these elements if you only had a mobile screen available?
Inward paths Core contents & forward paths
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Updated template!
The core is the same on all devices
Work with the core model
Warning!
Rainforest Foundation Norway supports indigenous people and traditional populations of the world's rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment and secure their customary land rights.
With our goal of preserving the rainforest, we advocate for the rights of its indigenous inhabitants.
Our operations are funded by public authorities, as well as private donors and sponsors.
Step #1 Identify your core pages This is done by matching business goals and user needs
Business goals (prioritized) 1. Increase financial support 2. Engage more people in the work to protect the rainforest 3. Increase the knowledge about the rainforest and about
our work
12 top user tasks (random order)
• Find out how I as a consumer can reduce the pressure on the rainforest
• Learn more about the work of the Rainforest Foundation
• Results of the work of the Rainforest foundation
• Learn more about the rainforest (including animals, plants, climate and indiginous people)
• Find out if a product contains palm oil
• Supporting the work of the Rainforest Foundation
• See what threats the rainforest is facing
• What is the current state of the rainforest?
• Find out what kind of woods that are categorized as tropical timber
• Become a sponsor • Contacting the Rainforest Foundation • Read the latest news/current subjects
Core pages 1. Support the Rainforest Foundation 2. Threats to the rainforest 3. Palm oil 4. Tropical timber
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Write down the goals and user
tasks for your core page
Don’t fill out the rest of the sheet
Work on this for 15 minutes
10 minute break!
Step #2 Inward paths How will the user get here? How will they find this content?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
How will the user find their way to this
core page?
Keep the user tasks in mind
What do users search for on Google?
Other pages that link to this one
Offline sources of traffic
How can social media drive traffic to this page?
Work on this for 10 minutes
Step #3 Core content What content elements do we need to make sure the user solves their task (while respecting our objectives)
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
What’s the optimal solution,
for the user and for us?
Keep in mind your goals and the user
tasks
Work on this for 15 minutes
Increasing sales of mobile broad band
Pag
evie
ws
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 139 145 151 157 163
Everyone agrees these pages are
important
Pages (ranked)
2125 2131 2137 2143 2149 2155 2161 2167 2173 2179 2185 2191 2197 2203 2209 2215 2221 2227 2233 2239 2245 2251 2257 2263 2269 2275 2281 2287 2293 2299
«But my pages are important too!»
Pages (ranked)
What are the different subscriptions?
What’s the price?
Coverage
My connection
isn’t working!
Reorganizing the content using the
core model
Why doesn’t it
work?
Coverage
What’s the price?
What are the different
subscriptions?
+80%
Sales of mobile broad band
Customer support emails
Number of pages
-35%-80%
20 minute break!
Step #4 Forward paths After the user has solved their task, where do we want to send them next?
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Where should we send the user, after they’ve solved their
primary task?
Keep your goals in mind
Work on this for 10 minutes
Increasing donations
Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Patient rights
Next of kin advice
Waiting times
Dietary prevention
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%
Top 25%
6 out of 79 tasks got 25% of the
votes
Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Donate
Volunteer
Memory gift
Legacy gift
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%
Top 25%
Fundraising-tasks were on the bottom of
the list!
6 out of 79 tasks got 25% of the
votes
Research project
User task
Increase donations
Objective
Make a donation
Research project
User task Forward path
Increase donations
Objective
Portabledonation forms!
Portable donation
form
Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Donate
Volunteer
Memory gift
Legacy gift
0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6%
Top 25%But some
people are actually
coming to donate
Make a donation
User task
Increase donations
Objective
Recurring donation
Make a donation
User task Forward path
Increase donations
Objective
Regular donors
+288%
One time donations +198%
Regular donors sum +382%
Regular donors x4
One time donations
x3
Regular donors sum
x5
2011 2012 2013 2014
Annual income, regular donors (web)
Launch
Step #5 Prioritizing core elements How would you place these elements if you only had a mobile screen available?
Prioritizingcore elements
Work on this for 10 minutes
Small-town bank on the windy west coast of Norway
Financial jargon
Product prices hard
to find
Dull and lifeless content
Takes a long time to get to the
point
Straight to the pointClear call to action
Prices and rates
Try it yourself!
Contact the bank for more info
236% increase in mortgage
calculator use
Increased traffic to all product
pages
Did you notice we never showed you the home pages?
ssf.no 2012
redesign
520% increase in traffic
compared to banners on the front page
Using the core model for real
The Core ModelYou can use the model to:• Get people thinking about the web
the way the web really works• Let people with different
backgrounds communicate• Prioritise and start working on
the most important pages first
Does it work outside of Norway?
– I like the focus on the core / task rather than the format or other high level elements. I think it gets to the essence of things from the customers perspective. It’s about focus. Gerry McGovern
Takeaways • Objectives and user tasks first • Start with the core • Get rid of dead ends • Be creative about your forward
paths • Home page last, not first
Slides and resources: bit.ly/ias15-core
Martha Lyngnes / @marthaifarta [email protected]
Audun Rundberg / @audunru [email protected]
Thank you!Slides and resources:
bit.ly/ias15-core
Feedback: bit.ly/ias15-
core-fb