core model workshop

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!

Thank you and good luck!

are@netliferesearch.com

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