An idiots guide to site architecture. B

1. •Yes, slides will be online. In
10 minutes. I promise. Yes, I’m
WTF Do I Put On serious. And mostly honest.
Really. Slideshare.net/hzp
My Site? •I really do try not to curse
•No, I really haven’t a clue why
camps continue to allow me to
speak
Info Architecting
•Current dev track: how to
& Site Strategy make plugins
•Of course its mine. Why
would anyone do this to their
hair on purpose?

2. How Websites are Born

3. Developers think like this:

4. Designers think
Like this:

5. Everyone
Is
Selling
Something

6. Step 1
What do you do?

9. What do you do?
To (target market, location), (name of
org) provides (services) by (unique
methods) for (results).

10. What do you do?
“ACAP trains organizations, teaches students and treats individuals
seeking emotional health in Northern New Jersey through non
traditional methods resulting in practical tools and opportunities.

11. Step 2
Define your visitors

13. Mobile users

14. Mobile users

15. Step 3
Define “success points”
on your site

16. Help beacon
Mobile users

17. Step 4
Create a “Path to Buy”

18. The Four Questions
• Why do I want crap?
• Why do I want *your* crap?
• What’s the process to get your crap?
• Give me crap

19. Mobile users
Help beacon

20. Step 5
Revel in Sitemap. Go get ice cream.

21. Actual Step 5
Find the overlaps

23. Step 6
Simplify the wireframe.
• What’s important
• What’s expected

24. Homepage
Marketing message, callouts
Return clients, govt agencies, fellow superheros,
career day organizers, friends & family, competitors
Who Needs Superheroes? Why Superman Services Contact
For citizens Help Services Contact Form
For Gov’t Agencies Corporate Accounts Appt Sched.
For Schools Superman Foundation Press
Blog
Union Screw You Page

25. Determine
• What’s copy
• What’s graphic
• What functions can I use a plugin for?
• What should I relegate to sidebar
(primary vs secondary)

26. What’s Missing
• About me pages
• Testimonials
• Cute Puppies
• Vague, unhelpful titles
• Picture/video pages
• Advertising
• Roadblocks

27. What *is* There
• Fewer pages
• Less copy
• Multiple Entry Points
• Icons, Graphics, visualizations
• Clear Branding
• Calls to Action
• (what does the user do next?)

28. Use Your Tools
• Sidebars
• Footers
• Title/Descriptions
• Author Display
• Dynamic Content Gallery
• Gravity Forms
• Quotations Plugin

29. Step 7
NOW, enter the design process
Marry design to mission statement

31. Consider
• What is the brand imparting?
(not what you like, even if you are
the brand)
• Restaurants
• Preschools
• Clothing

38. Testing is Never Done
testtesttesttesttesttesttesttesttesttesttesttest
testtesttesttesttesttesttesttesttest
testtesttesttesttesttesttest
& Don’t ask dumbass questions

39. Examples of Dumbass Questions
• What do you think of this?
• Do you like this?
• Does this feel ______ to you?
• Does this seem professional?

40. Un – Dumbass, Qualitative,
Objective Questions
• What does this person do?
• What are some words that come to mind
when you see this?
• What should you do first?
• What is the first thing you notice?

41. Measure, then test again
Google Analytics is *AWESOME*

42. Mobile users
Help beacon

43. Homepage
Marketing message, callouts
Return clients, govt agencies, fellow superheros,
career day organizers, friends & family, competitors
Who Needs Superheroes? Why Superman Services Contact
For citizens Help Services Contact Form
For Gov’t Agencies Corporate Accounts Appt Sched.
For Schools Superman Foundation Press
Blog
Union Screw You Page

49. On behalf of myself and
#clementinethedoberman, we thank you
and remind you to be a good canine
citizen
@amandablum amanda@howlingzoe.com slideshare.net/hzp