Use cases for Drupal are changing and so are criteria for selecting a web development platform. This is a challenge for the community as well as individuals and companies that use Drupal. We can learn a lot by looking at the Drupal experience from different perspectives and thinking about the personas of people who interact with Drupal. I’ll talk about what we can learn from design thinking and user experience techniques, and what I’ve learnt from talking to new Drupal users and teaching Drupal. And I’ll share my thoughts about how we can adapt our approach and mindset to make Drupal relevant to our clients, colleagues, and communities.

1. evolvingweb.ca @evolvingweb
It’s All About the Experience
Suzanne Dergacheva
June 15, 2018
What I’ve learnt from talking to thousands of people
about Drupal

2. • Co-founded Evolving Web in
2007
• Experienced Drupal themer,
developer, project lead
• Loves teaching DrupalSuzanne Dergacheva
CO-FOUNDER AND FRONT-END LEAD

3. • Drupal agency
• 10 years of Drupal!
• Community of experts

6. Design Thinking
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test

7. What is the Drupal
Experience?

9. Developer
Content editor
Marketing
co-ordinator
Sysadmin
Designer
Business owner
NGO director
1-person IT team for a
small organization
Project manager
Salesperson
Front-end developer
Drupal contributor
Freelancer

10. Focus on Experiences
and User Journeys

16. Example User Journeys
• Selecting a CMS
• Inheriting a Drupal project
• Building a first site
• Doing an upgrade
• Implementing Drupal
across a large organization
• Handing off a site to a
content editor

17. User journey:
Carolina
Build a non-profit websiteAttended DrupalCampHeard about DrupalLearn web design basics
• Site builder
• Beginner developer
• Command-line user

18. User journey:
Carolina
Build a non-profit websiteAttended DrupalCampHeard about DrupalLearn web design basics
“How do I put my website online?”
• Site builder
• Beginner developer
• Command-line user

19. User journey:
Sam
Maintains the siteAgency upgraded to D8Learned Drupal on the jobNon-technical
• Administrator
• Project manager
• Beginner Developer

20. User journey:
Sam
Maintains the siteAgency upgraded to D8Learned Drupal on the jobNon-technical
• Administrator
• Project manager
• Beginner Developer
“What development workflow
should I use?”

21. User journey:
Gina
Build the company intranetInstalled DrupalManager picked Drupal
Has a programming
background
• Developer
• IT professional

22. User journey:
Gina
Build the company intranetInstalled DrupalManager picked Drupal
Has a programming
background
“I have no problem installing
Drupal, but what’s the difference
between a block and a View?”
• Developer
• IT professional

23. User journey:
Chris
Installed a Demo siteWent to a Drupal eventEvaluating DrupalMarketing background
• Marketing director
• Content editor

24. User journey:
Chris
Installed a Demo siteWent to a Drupal eventEvaluating DrupalMarketing background
“Can’t figure out what to do next”
• Marketing director
• Content editor

25. Define the Problem
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test

26. • Going to DrupalCon or DrupalCamp
• “Aha!” moments
• Using Drupal Slack to get help
• Helping someone with their problem
• Launching your site
• Contributing for the first time
TYPICAL HIGHLIGHTS

27. • Terminology overload
• Development environments/workflow
• Deployment
• Security updates
• Figuring out the “Drupal way”
TYPICAL LOW MOMENTS / GAPS

28. User experience
gaps = anxiety

29. User journey:
Carolina
Build a non-profit websiteAttended DrupalCampHeard about DrupalLearn web design basics
“How do I put my website online?”
• Site builder
• Beginner developer
• Command-line user

30. User journey:
Sam
Maintains the siteAgency upgraded to D8Learned Drupal on the jobNon-technical
• Administrator
• Project manager
• Beginner Developer
“What development workflow
should I use?”

31. User journey:
Gina
Build the company intranetInstalled DrupalManager picked Drupal
Has a programming
background
“No problem installing a Drupal
site, but unclear when to use
content types, blocks, and Views”.
• Developer
• IT professional

32. User journey:
Chris
Installed a Demo siteWent to a Drupal eventEvaluating DrupalMarketing background
“Can’t figure out what to do next”
• Marketing director
• Content editor

33. So what can we do?
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test

34. I thought there was
already a module for that…
• Out-of-the-box initiative
• Admin UI initiative
• Drupal core updates through the UI
• Plans to make Drupal upgrades easier
• See all strategic initiatives

35. What can I do?

36. • Be up-front about the gaps and pain points in
user journeys
• Address these when we talk to newcomers,
clients, or new colleagues
• Look for solutions and contribute
Be Honest

37. • Provide a warm welcome, mentorship, support,
and advice for new Drupalers
• Stay involved in the local community
• Join the Drupal Slack to get involved
Community Participation

38. • If you’re a content editor, fill in the survey:
bit.ly/drupal-ux-mtl
• If you’re not, help promote the survey or
volunteer to conduct a survey!
Help with the UX Study

39. • Participate in the campaign
• Donate hours to help promotion efforts
• Think outside the box as we try and grow the
market for Drupal
• https://www.drupal.org/promotedrupal
Promote Drupal Campaign

40. Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Design Thinking

41. Upcoming Drupal
Trainings
July 5-6
Advanced Drupal 8 Site Building
Training (Online)
July 9-10
Drupal 8 Theming Training (Online)
July 23-24
Drupal 8 Module Development
Training (Online)
October 1-5
5-Day Drupal 8 Training in Toronto
evolvingweb.ca/training
training@evolvingweb.ca

42. evolvingweb.ca @evolvingweb
Merci!