The Core Model: Designing for Top tasks from the inside and out Are Gjertin Urkegjerde Halland June 17 th
The Core Model:Designing for Top tasks from the inside and out
Are Gjertin Urkegjerde HallandJune 17th
About me• Senior information architect
with 18 years experience• Developed the Core Model
in 2006
Netlife Research• Norways premiere user experience agency• User research, strategy, content, design• Customer Carewords partner• Uses the Core Model actively in projects
Agenda• Core model thinking and design for top tasks 1400-1420• Prioritizing Cores by business goals and user tasks 1420-1445• Inward paths and content navigation 1445-1500• Forward paths and business goals 1500-1515• Content based gradual redesigns 1515-1530• Governance and continuos maintenance 1530-1545• Summary and questions 1545-1600
Core model thinkingA different approach to website design
The traditional approach to making
websites.
Frontpage
Over time more and more content is
added.
But the user have only one task to
fulfill.
99% of your website is irrelevant for this
user.
The other pages are hindering the user in finding the
page that he wants.
We need to focus our attention on where the user wants to be.
The Core
The optimal information unit ...
... and at least one business goal ...
... that fullfils a defined user task ...
... at the same time.
Businessgoals
Usertasks
Core pages
The Core
Core: Product page
Product pageLoan calculatorContact page
Or something completely else
Core page:Loan calculator
Sparebanken Sogn og Fjordane
«Apply for a loan»«See repayment plan»
Or something completely else
Core:External page
Wikipedia page about «brominated flame retardants»
Core:Process with steps
The Norwegian Tax Administration (Google translation)
City of Oslo, beta site
Core:Self service
Core process
Core process:As simple as
possible
Product pageLoan calculatorContact page
Or something completely else
Core:Cancer type
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goals User task
Prioritizing the Cores Use business goals and user tasks to find out where to start
The typical process
User task analysis
Business goals analysis
Core Model ProcessConcept, content,
design and development
Case
What NCS does:• Funds cancer research• Cancer care• Cancer prevention• Advocacy• Information• Fights cancer on a global scale
Online however...• 5000 pages of overlapping content with very few links• Content was accurate, but didn’t address key user needs• Difficult to navigate and not prioritized
How did it happen?• 40-45 people had access• Departments were in charge of their own sections• Limited centralized supervision • 6 year old website with a rigid information architecture
Goals
Business goals
• Reducing the number of people who develop cancer
• Increasing cancer survival rates
• Ensuring quality of life for cancer patients and their family and close friends
Online objectives1. Helping patients and their
friends and family2. Increasing knowledge
about cancer and prevention
3. Increasing online self-service
4. Improving our reputation and position
User research at the NCS
• Focus groups with patients and next of kin
• Surveys of The Cancer Society’s reputation
• Web Analytics• Interviews with 10
stakeholders and 10 potential users
• Top task survey
Top task survey“If you’re visiting The Cancer Society’s website, which five tasks are the most important to you?”
1385 participants chose between 79 different tasks.
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 goal(s) User task(s)
Helping patients and their friends and family Treatment
Lung cancer
Increasing knowledge about cancer SymptomsPreventionResearch
Inward paths Forward paths
Core content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
Find and apply for a grant
Research grant
Attract the best applications/projects
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
Reduce cost by self service Find and apply for kinder garten
Kinder garten
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
<The EU commision goals thatcan be achieved through this page>
<Top user task(s) or questions that this page answers>
<Your page>
Let’s try it outFill out the part of the core sheet in front of you and apply it to the page you brought.Use 3 minutes on your own.
If you didn’t bring a page or wireframe - think of a page or task you work with.If you don’t know your goals and user tasks - try to guess.If you can not tie a business goal and a user top task to the page - try another page.
Inward pathsA different perspective on navigation
Is this really your frontpage?
This is your users frontpage
This is your frontpage.
Googled «lung cancer»Googled «mcgovern long neck»Googled «eu research funding»Googled «top task trigger word»
Inward paths to the Cancer Society
2 %12 %
11 %
76 %SearchReferralsDirect trafficCampaigns
Googlesearch
Links from other sites
Social media
Frontpage and menus
The Core
Inward paths to the Core
Toppmeny
Venstre-meny
Se også
Flere lenker
Flere tjenester
Navigasjonssti
Are we creating navigation overload?
Research shows that users focus on
content, not navigation
Telenor got rid of top and le menus, and made content based navigation
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario, following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
Let’s try itFill out the part of the core sheet in front of you and apply it to the page you brought.
Use 3 minutes on your own.
What do people search for?How can social media help driving traffic to this page? What other sites and pages should link to this one?What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this page?
Forward pathsHow to reach your strategic goals when your users are not so interested
Businessgoals
Usertasks
Core pages
User task: Calculate interest rates to compare
mortgage offerings
«Apply for a loan»«See repayment plan»
Strategic goal:Increase number
of mortgage customers
ex. contact
Forward paths needs to be placed in the right context
Prioritized links to relevant pages in context is a better alternative to news on the frontpage.
Forward path - the NCS’s opinion
Forward path - links to research and treatment
Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Patient rights
Next of kin
Waiting times
Dietary prevention
0 % 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
Top 25%
Cancer treatment,
symptoms, and prevention was
most important
0.4% vote for “Donate” and “Volunteer”
The challengeUser looked for content that supported goals 1 & 2:
• Helping patients, their friends and family• Increasing knowledge about cancer and prevention
But none of the user tasks supporting goals 3 & 4 came up on top:
• Increased self-service• Increasing donations and members
Make a donationIncreasing
donations and members
Research project
Core page Forward path Business objective
Donate now!Recurring giSponsor a childBecome a member
Volunteer
Follow us on Facebook Subscribe to newsletter
Order brochure Download app
Join our #Instagram competition
The Paradox of Choice
Donate now!
Recurring giSponsor Member Volunteer
Follow on facebook Subscribe
Order Download app
Join our #instagram competition
The Paradox of Choice
Buy
Donate
Contact
Share
Forward paths from the Core
The Core
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario, following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
Let’s try itFill out the part of the core sheet in front of you and apply it to the page you brought.
Use 3 minutes on your own.
Primary, prioritized scenario, following the primary Call to actionSecondary scenario, less important Calls to actionOther digital and analog contact points (phone, email, etc)points (phone, email, etc) points (phone, email, etc)
Core based redesignContinuos development and improvement of core pages in stead of big bang redesigns
Core clusters
Old and new in parallell
Continous maintenance Governance should focus on improving core pages
Web editor
Cancer Research Prevention RightsFundraising
The editors • Signed mandate from management
• In charge of all content and development
• Overview of user tasks and goals
• Editors know their field and how to write and
• Working collaboratively and interdisciplinarily
Web master
Web editor
Cancer research
RightsPrevention
Weekly 2 hour
meetings
Web masterWeb editor
Cancer research
Analytics on the
agenda every week
Web master Web editor
Cancer research
Discussions & decisions, not writing
All content is revised at
least every 3 months
• Who’s the target audience?
• Which target audience need or task does this content cover?
• Which NCS objective does the content cover?
• How will this content be found and used by the user?
• Why is the website the right channel for this content?
5 questions the NCS asks about content
Pre-qualification of new content
Core model workshop
Typical process
User task analysis
Business goals analysis
Core model workshop
Concept and design
Full day workshop with
all involved
Inward paths Forward pathsCore contents
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Basic template (A3 prints)
Inward paths Forward pathsCore contents
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
What’s the optimal solution, for the user and
for us?
Core model workshop• Introduction to core model thinking• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals
with notes on the wall• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs• Prioritize content with mobile first template• Discuss inward and forward paths
Core model workshop• Introduction to core model thinking• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business
goals with notes on the wall• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs• Prioritize content with mobile first template• Discuss inward and forward paths
Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3
Task 2 Task 1
Task 5Task 4
Task 9
Task 7
Core model workshop• Introduction to core model thinking• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals
with notes on the wall• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with
6-up or other brainstorming techniques• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs• Prioritize content with mobile first template• Discuss inward and forward paths
6-up idea generation
Core model workshop• Introduction to core model thinking• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals with
notes on the wall• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/
google docs• Prioritize content with mobile first template• Discuss inward and forward paths
1-up idea detailing
Core model workshop• Introduction to core model thinking• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals
with notes on the wall• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs• Prioritize content with mobile first template• Discuss inward and forward paths
Inward paths Forward pathsCore contents
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasksFor prioritizing
elements (mobile first approach)
TITTEL
123
Keeping priorities from small screens pays off
Unique visitors
2010 2011 20142013
Launch
2012
– More people contact the cancer line now than before, but now they’re more informed when they contact usAnine Wiig Dagestad
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Cancer line conversations +40%
Launch
Monthly donors
+288%
One time donations
+198%
Monthly donors sum
+382%
Members
+107%
Annual value of monthly donors online
2011 2012 2013 2014 (march)
Launch
Summary
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario, following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
How to use it• Thinking tool• Prioritization tool• Communication tool
Design for top tasks from the inside and out!
Print material
Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario, following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
Inward paths Core contentWhat keywords do users search for on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving traffic to this page?
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
6-up
1-up