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Column Two
News and opinion on all things KM & CM |
James Robertson
Step Two Designs
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Written by James Robertson Step Two Designs |
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Articles by Month: September 2006
The ideal designer & PMScott Berkun has written an article on the ideal designer and project manager. To quote: One question I'm often asked is what is the ideal designer? - I get this from managers or VPs in tech companies, trying to figure out what's wrong with the relationship their managers / leaders have with the design staff. Posted by jamesr at 03:32 PM
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Separate design and the CMSThere are two major elements to most web redevelopment projects: the redesign of the existing site, and the selection of a new (or replacement) content management system (CMS). These two elements reflect the underlying issues that typically drive web projects: the problems with the structure and content of the published site, and issues with the management and publishing of the site. The temptation can be to select a single provider to deliver both the redesign of the site and the underlying CMS. This would, however, be a mistake. Instead, organisations are almost always better served by separating out the design and the CMS, and sourcing these from different providers. Website redesign The primary reason for the website project is that the current site is broken. Typical issues include poor site structure, dated design and out of date content. To address this, organisations should follow a user-centred design process. This involves applying a range of usability and information architecture techniques, such as card sorting and usability testing. [CM Briefing 2006-18, read the full article] Posted by jamesr at 02:50 PM
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The enemy of intranets is apathyMany intranet teams see themselves as battling resistance to change when attempting to grow the intranet or deliver new functionality. The challenge is perceived as overcoming these barriers to a successful intranet. In practice, though, the real enemy of intranets is apathy. While at some level the organisation (and staff) recognise the need for an intranet, it is never an immediate enough issue to warrant significant resources. Without a sense of urgency or a real mandate, intranet teams often limp along, targeting individual needs but never capturing the interest of the organisation as a whole. This briefing identifies the impact of apathy on intranet teams, and proposes some practical approaches for overcoming it. No call to action Most organisations have an intranet, yet the purpose of the site is often far from clear. While there may be an individual (or preferably a team) responsible for managing the intranet, it may still be difficult to get visibility throughout the organisation for the role and importance of the site. When talking to senior management, the response is often: "The intranet is certainly important, but there are other more immediate priorities at present, so it will be difficult to get funding in this budget period." [CM Briefing 2006-17, read the full article] Posted by jamesr at 02:44 PM
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The intranet homepage, protect it with a policyThe intranet homepage can be the most coveted piece of online real estate in your organisation. Everyone will have their own firm view as to how the homepage should be used to drive organisational imperatives. Managing these competing priorities is difficult and intranet managers are often placed in the position of defending the homepage from its own popularity, In doing so they are ensuring that it is able to perform its primary task of directing users to the material that they require to perform their day-to-day jobs. This is often an unpopular stance to take and is often assumed with little support or understanding from within the organisation. Some process is required to ensure that intranet managers do not buckle under the strain. This article puts forward the use of a homepage policy as a support mechanism for those managing intranet homepages to ensure that the homepage delivers value to the organisation. Turning the homepage statistic It is a controversial view that the homepage requires protection from organisational and business unit marketing activity and news items. The majority of homepages utilise 50 to 80% of their real estate for news and marketing activities. The challenge is to turn this statistic around so that 70 to 80% of the homepage real estate relates to navigation, specifically to helping users access the material that they want to access. The intranet is most effective as a news channel when it is used daily by staff, this means focusing on helping staff get their jobs done. [October KM Column written by Cairo Walker, read the full article] Posted by jamesr at 02:37 PM
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Branding the intranetToby Ward has written an article on branding the intranet. To quote: Does this mean though that the intranet home page should look like the Internet home page? No it doesn't. It should not be a replication of the external site -- there should be some distinction. However, there is a fine line between replication and reinvention. If you adhere to corporate branding standards (I'm assuming you, like most organizations, have them) then there will be some consistency with the external website (e.g. colors) but it should be at a glance visually distinctive so employees know that the intranet is just for them. Posted by jamesr at 11:41 AM
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Introducing collaboration technologies to the enterprise is a challengeDennis McDonald has written a piece on the challenge of introducing collaboration technologies in the enterprise. To quote: Successful collaboration tool introduction is based less on the characteristics of the tool itself than on the motivation users have to use the tool, plus a heavy helping of Ease of Use. People who are already open to and involved in collaboration are more likely to adopt technological tools that support collaboration than people who aren't already open to or involved with collaboration. Posted by jamesr at 01:26 PM
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Melbourne, Sydney, London and RotterdamIt's going to be a busy few weeks in terms of conferences, four in three weeks:
So, I hope to see you at one of these events. Come up and say hi! Posted by jamesr at 08:17 PM
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Press!I have a 50mm macro lens for my camera, and it's a joy to work with. What I love the most is being able to make extraordinary photos out of the most mundane of situations, such as this battered light switch... Posted by jamesr at 11:31 PM
The importance of user experience: the posterFrank Spillers has posted details on the poster presenting the importance of user experience. To quote: Here's a poster that reflects some thoughts about user experience...all of the bottom row items (outcomes of positive user experiences) in the poster are based on empirical research. Let's review some of that research, a brief glimpse at the science behind what the poster is communicating... This is a beautiful piece of design work, and I'll certainly be ordering a copy for our office, to brighten up our walls... Posted by jamesr at 06:58 PM
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The compelling business reason for a global intranetJane McConnell has written a piece on the compelling reason for a global intranet. To quote: I was recently asked to help a company define the compelling reasons they should have a global intranet. In other words, why not just stay with a corporate intranet and individual country and business unit, market or other local intranets. What would you say to the CEO or CO who says "tell me why it's essential". Posted by jamesr at 05:06 PM
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Introduction to the Intranet Leadership ForumAs revealed a few days ago, we've embarked on a brand new initiative, the setting up of the Intranet Leadership Forum. We're still pulling together all the details, but I can provide a sneak peak into the structure of the group: The Intranet Leadership Forum is a professional community for intranet managers and teams within Australia and New Zealand. Supplementing the traditional role of one-off conferences, members have all-year access to an environment where they can directly connect with other organisations tackling the same projects and issues. I'll continue to release more details as they are finalised, but if you are interested email Catherine Grenfell, who will be the Manager of the Intranet Leadership Forum. Posted by jamesr at 08:45 PM
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Why people don't use collaboration toolsShawn Callahan has posted an entry on why people don't use collaboration tools. To quote: David Pollard offered for anyone on the net to join him is a joint collaboration project using Writely. The topic: Why are conversation and collaboration tools so underused? Dave lists 7 reasons and I jumped in with a number of other points answering a set of questions Dave posed. Interestingly only a few people got involved and the discussion hasn't progressed much over the last few weeks. Hmmm, perhaps collaboration requires a strong need to work together. Posted by jamesr at 08:34 PM
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A survey results now availableLou Rosenfeld has published the results of IA surveys conducted over the last few months. To quote: For the new edition of the polar bear book (almost done!), Peter Morville and I conducted five surveys of the information architecture community. All of the results are now available via the IA Institute web site. Posted by jamesr at 08:16 PM
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Innovation survey: results summaryScott Berkun has posted the results of an innovation survey that he conducted. To quote: Last month I ran an open survey on innovation to help with my book in progress. Nearly 100 people from scientists, to programers, to writers to researchers, volunteered their time and answered my questions. The results were amazing and I'm still filtering through the stories and data. Posted by jamesr at 10:19 AM
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Going my way? Don't get taken for a rideRahel Bailie writes about the process for selecting a CMS, using a vehicle metaphor. To quote: To extend this metaphor, let's look at typical pre-purchase exercises. A couple setting out to buy a car responsibly will discuss, first and foremost, what they need the car to do. Ferry three kids to multiple lessons? A mini-van. Lots of camping trips? Four-wheel drive. Taking a boat to the lake? Eight cylinders, big engine, and a tow bar. They'll talk to the sales rep about their needs and see if their preliminary set of requirements can be refined: is there a better model that would suit them? They'll pile the children into the back seat and check whether the seats will work for the family road trips: can the kids see out the windows, or will they spend their time tormenting each other; is there room for kids to store keep-busy activities, and then reach them without taking off their seat belts? They'll check the safety rating and the average annual maintenance cost. They'll definitely take the vehicle for a test drive. I have definitely commented in the past that I've seen more effort spent selecting a $20,000 car than a $500,000 CMS... Posted by jamesr at 09:34 PM
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Sunset at Watsons BayOn Sunday I headed out to South Head to take some photos around sunset. This is one of my favourites, taken at Watsons Bay. Posted by jamesr at 08:31 PM
Enterprise Web 2.0: barriers and answersRod Boothby has written a blog post that provides answers to Enterprise 2.0 barriers (which were listed by Jerry Bowles). To quote: In the end, the adoption of Enterprise Web 2.0 technology is an issue of both risk and reward. Risk management is about balancing the risks with the business benefits. Enterprise IT is slowing the adoption of Web 2.0 because they are only familiar with the risk side of the equation. Isolated from the profit centers, enterprise IT only thinks about how things could go wrong, and then comes up with the logical answer of NO. I'm not sure I agree with much of these discussions, as they are very technology-centric, and don't reflect a good understanding of staff motivations and work practices. Still, it's good t see the debate happening around where intranets (etc) should be going next... [Thanks to Bill Ives.] Posted by jamesr at 06:57 PM
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Writable intranetIndus Khaitan has written a piece introducing the concept of the writable intranet, as a way of explaining 'enterprise 2.0'. To quote: "Writable Intranet" is the corporate intranet of the future where employees collaborate using Wikis, Blogs and applications interoperate using RSS. The Writable Intranet does not have series of static pages where information is disseminated "top down". It is the place where employees collaborate, exchange thoughts, create plans, capture meeting notes, track projects, create documents (not word documents but documents which are web pages and have version control). The Writable Intranet marks the end of e-mail as the collaboration platform. The Writable Intranet means that enterprise knowledge is "free" and searchable by anybody. The "freedom" implies that knowledge is neither in e-mails and nor in documents but in easily accessible and searchable repositories. The Writable Intranet means information which is a constant source of data to other people who make modifications at will. [Thanks to Bill Ives.] Posted by jamesr at 06:44 PM
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Racing through the Argyle cutting
On Saturday night I headed down to The Rocks to take some night photos. This was one of my favourite shots, of cars "racing" through the Argyle cutting. Posted by jamesr at 10:07 PM
Proposed definition for "expertise management systems"Dennis D. McDonald has written an article providing a possible definition for expertise management systems. To quote: Expertise Management Systems help people identify other people who can be contacted to "... answer a question or solve a problem." The system makes what "experts" know accessible to others so the "expert" can be contacted directly to provide information or support -- as well as access to information that is not yet recorded. Posted by jamesr at 09:56 AM
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What term do you use for 'user experience'?Brandon Schauer has published the initial results from an Adaptive Path survey, looking at the terms used for 'user experience'. To quote: There's a range of vocabulary that can be used to refer to user experience: 'usability', 'interface', 'human centered design', etc. What term we use seems to depend on what sells --- within an organization, you use the terms that connect with the values and the understanding of the people you're working with. Posted by jamesr at 04:31 PM
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Welcome to Catherine!
In the last 8 years she has been dedicated to leading and supporting a wide range of intranet, internet and eBusiness solutions in organisations such as AMP and Blake Dawson Waldron (one of the leading national law firms). Catherine will be the manager and full-time facilitator of the Intranet Leadership Forum (full details of which will be announced shortly). She is also a senior member of the consulting team, with a particular focus on mentoring and supporting intranet teams. A little bit more on the Intranet Leadership Forum: we are currently in the process of establishing this as the first professional community for intranet teams within Australasia. It will provide an environment to support sharing between organisations, built on quarterly face-to-face meetings. If you are interested in learning more about the Forum, feel free to send an email to Catherine. So, welcome to Catherine! And on to a whole new model for us in our continuing work to support intranet teams. Posted by jamesr at 12:59 PM
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Monthly intranet tasksThe intranet is not a one-off project. Instead, it must be supported by an ongoing process that ensures that the site continues to be effective. Beyond this, the intranet must also grow to match the ongoing evolution of the organisation that it serves. In practice, there are a wide range of activities that intranet teams should conduct on a monthly basis. This article explores a good number of these, focusing on tasks that will build and nurture the intranet. Monthly intranet activities There are many month-to-month responsibilities for the intranet team. Some of these relate to maintaining the intranet and others to building support within the organisation. While this list is long (and yet still far from complete), intranet teams should not be discouraged. Even if only half of these are covered in any given month, progress is still being made. The list (in no particular order):
[CM Briefing 2006-16, read the full article] Posted by jamesr at 04:07 PM
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Types of portal: a definitionPortals are not a ‘one size fits’ all solution. Although the term portal is often treated as synonymous with enterprise information portals there are actually many, different types of portals; each one tailored to meet a specific business need. This briefing explores some of the different portal types; providing an at-a-glance definition for a range of portal types. Web searching portals Portals started out on the web. These early web portals, such as Yahoo, provided aggregated content, usually as a series of predefined links along with a search engine. As their survival is dependent on advertising they must drive large numbers to their site. E-commerce portals E-commerce or e-business portals facilitate the sharing of information to external partners, customers and suppliers. They usually have a transactional processing component, provide information on products and services and often include supply chain management features. E-commerce portals aim to increase the value of the relationship whilst lowering the cost. [CMb 2006-15 written by Cairo Walker, read the full article] Posted by jamesr at 03:57 PM
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Creating an "intranet concept"Intranet teams need to be clear on where they are heading, and what they will deliver. Typically, this involves writing either a bullet-point list of goals or a 20-page intranet strategy. In practice, the list of goals is too short (and too abstract), while the intranet strategy documents are often wordy but unclear. Neither form works well. What is needed is a single sheet of paper that captures where the intranet is at, where it is going, and what this means in the short-term in terms of actual deliverables. This is the basis for the "intranet concept", a succinct yet effective description of the intranet direction, written in a narrative format. This article talks through how to create an intranet concept, and provides examples of two different formats that have been used. A lack of clear direction All too often, intranets have little clear direction, with day-to-day maintenance overcoming any attempts to define a clear roadmap for the future. This leads to communications with the business (and executive sponsors) focusing on the how (the behind-the- scenes work) rather than the what (business benefits being delivered). This is one the contributing factors for the lack of resourcing and support that many intranets receive. It also makes it hard to build enthusiasm with the business when there is no clear future plans (and therefore benefits) for the site. [September KM Column, read the full article] Posted by jamesr at 03:50 PM
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Search analytics survey resultsLou Rosenfeld has published the results of their search analytics survey. To quote: To help us (Lou Rosenfeld and Rich Wiggins) gather information for our forthcoming book on local site search analytics, we invited 206 people to complete a brief survey. The survey ran from June 12 to July 24, 2006, and received 134 responses ... We've summarized each question's responses by listing the most frequent answers below. Posted by jamesr at 11:20 AM
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Presentation: Enhancing the potential of your taxonomy (Sydney)I gave a presentation today at the Enhancing the potential of your taxonomy conference in Sydney. This was on "Understanding and evaluating your taxonomy", covering:
Understanding and evaluating your taxonomy (PDF, 477kb) Posted by jamesr at 06:29 PM
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The process of defining the problemLuke Wroblewski has written an article on the process of defining the problem. To quote: Several years ago, I was called in to help redesign the registration process for a large European e-commerce site. The company had put together two options for a new registration flow. Both were compiled by engineering and product management teams and incorporated "best practices" from competing sites. I was tasked with determining which option would work best and to address any usability issues either of the options might have. [Thanks to Jared Spool.] Posted by jamesr at 12:28 PM
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Improving portal usabilityJanus Boye has written an article on improving portal usability. To quote: In organizations worldwide, the enterprise portal has increasingly become the default interface for employees and business partners to interact digitally with each other. Many useful services -- such as employee directories, management information, and document sharing -- are readily available for access by portals and, as a result, enterprises are investing heavily in this young (and still immature) technology. Posted by jamesr at 11:54 AM
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What's the use of Dublin Core?Adriaan M. Bloem asks the interesting question: what's the use of Dublin Core? To quote: While designing a new CMS implementation we wanted to really get it right. That meant outputting strict xhtml, css formatting, trying to adhere to accessibility guidelines, etcetera. Of course, the issue of metadata came up. What metadata would we render to the web pages? And in what format? Which is what got me looking at Dublin Core. Posted by jamesr at 08:47 PM
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Giving usability methods the critical eyeDan Brown has given usability methods the critical eye, looking specifically at metrics and goals. To quote: What surprised me most about the talk was the lack of emphasis on goals. Lisa Battle, UPA-DC's current president, indicated that many people track the easy metrics for no reason other than they're easy to capture. Working for a hard-core business analyst in my government days, I learned the importance of traceability, of tying metrics to goals to ensure that the data actually tells us something about our objectives. Dr. Chalmers did mention goals, but I don't think she gave them the attention they deserve, especially in a talk about metrics. Posted by jamesr at 11:09 AM
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Learning how to focus on field studiesJared Spool has written an article outlining an exercise to train observers for field studies. To quote: Here's a fun little exercise you can use when training observers before they go out on field visits. I learned this from Tara Scanlon, who used to work for UIE and I miss tremendously. Posted by jamesr at 10:43 AM
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Our team has just grown again, with the addition of Catherine Grenfell, who is a former manager of a successful intranet team, along with other roles in the corporate world.
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