tag driven information architecture using moss
DESCRIPTION
This session covered ways in which to utilise the tagging features of MOSS to create an attractive and easy-to-use intranet portal. The presentation was delivered to Melbourne MOSSIG on the 27th of August 2008.TRANSCRIPT
Tag Driven Information Architecture using SharePoint 2007
Case Study: NZ Ministry of Transport
Ari Bakker
Overview• The New Zealand Ministry of Transport (MoT)
is a government agency responsible for creating transport related papers and reports for the NZ government
• They wanted an intranet that would improve the flow of information around the organisation, as well as being engaging and enjoyable to use.
Achievements• Initial phase built in 2006 on MOSS Beta 2• Second phase completed in May 2007• Won Microsoft New Zealand’s Partner Solution
of the Year, and Business Productivity Solution of the Year awards in 2007
• Named in Nielsen Norman Group’s “Top 10 Intranets of 2008”
How we created a winning User Experience
Goals• Improve information flow throughout the organization • Improve information findability to reduce staff time spent
looking for information• Improve access to business-critical information• Support and strengthen the MoT culture and improve staff
morale and job satisfaction by having the intranet be a channel for staff interaction
• Reduce the amount of email communication between staff by creating a functional and attractive communal space
Understand your users• Personas• Task flows• Field research
Making information “findable”
Pathways to information
Pathways to information
Metadata magic
Metadata magic
Metadata magic
Metadata Schema – Tags (Columns)
Metadata Schema – Content Types
Page based tagging
Demo
How metadata makes things findable
Engaging the user
Engaging the user
Survey results
Desktop based alerts
Outcomes• “Observations show that staff are exploring
the new design and features—and as a result discovering information they initially missed.”
• “The redesign results go beyond just general satisfaction—they’re having a positive effect on staff productivity as well.” - Hamish Denston – Intranet Content Manager
Outcomes• Prior to the intranet, employees communicated to
all staff or to a group of staff members using email.
• The email volume was significant, as was the demand on staff time in dealing with it. These emails have been replaced with the intranet’s Alerts and Announcements features, and the notifications are now unobtrusive.
• “This helped to reduce the stress on staff of having a build-up of emails—that may or may not be relevant—cluttering their in-boxes.”
Lessons Learnt• Know your CMS – get people who understand
the technology involved in the design process• Communicate with your users regularly—
before, during, and after the project phase• Have a plan for deployment – initially and for
fixes and future phases
