SUMO
Information Architecture Project – Phase 1
February 2012
Susan Farrell – Nielsen Norman Group�Bram Pitoyo, bram@mozilla.com
Overview
Project Goal
Outfit SUMO with a new design, based on a new Information Architecture / taxonomy that:
We focus on what SUMO users are doing,�in order to optimize their tasks, by making navigation and search result improvements.
Project scope
Analyze Data and Propose IA Structure
This presentation
Remote Test IA Structure
Test Paper Prototypes
Turn Paper Prototypes into Wireframes, Test
Develop Wireframes into Web Pages
Introduce New Website to the Community
Why we analyze data
in-site and across silos
What we’ve done
Analyze data sources in-site and across silos
Interview three SMEs
Identify top user tasks and top support needs
Test existing IA Structure
Deliver Proposed IA Structure
How we identified
top user tasks
Cross reference the tasks we have built from:
To see if there are good correspondences between most-found pages, and most-looked-for information.
How we test
existing IA structure
Project goal & scope
What we’ve done, why we did it this way,�and how we’ve done it
Existing IA/sitemap structure test
The new IA
Findings, insights and recommendations
What now?
What next?
Notable findings
from existing IA
The new IA
KB Articles
Topics and Categories
Tasks
Products
Products
Topics
Controlled
Categories
KB Articles
Old
New
The new IA
The new IA:�Navigation
The new IA:�News
The new IA:�Task-based section
The new IA:�Category-based navigation
The new IA:�product-based section
Project goal & scope
What we’ve done, why we did it this way,�and how we’ve done it
Existing IA/sitemap structure test
The new IA
Findings, insights and recommendations
What now?
What next?
Findings, insights
and recommendations
People were extremely concerned about private browsing and erasing data, contrary to every article you’ve read about how people don’t care.
Peoples lives, freedom, jobs, marriages, and children’s safety all depend on getting this information clearing function right.
This aligns with Mozilla’s mission perfectly.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
Our users run the gamut from prelingual, ESL, low-literacy, etc. Be kind. This fact has to inform our writing level.
We need more scaffolding (examples, tutorials, pictures, screen movies of interactions, etc.) and try to alter the behavior by altering design and messaging.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
People search in the wrong places (Facebook)
Font size turns out to be a giant issue. Can we bring visible controls for zoom back, or make them easy to access? People must be able to read web pages.
When searching, it matters how you�spell “favourites”
Findings, insights
and recommendations
People search for “export bookmarks”,�not “exporting bookmarks”
Articles need to vary verbs they use.
We need to have verb synonyms in the�search engines.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
People search for problems, not solutions.�As a result, MozillaZine articles from 2002 are ranking higher than SUMO KB articles for the same topics.
We need to demote MozillaZine, identify things from MozillaZine that are really valuable, and bring those into SUMO so we can promote and maintain it. Same goes for obsolete contents�on SUMO.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
Users absolutely need to know where to find info and get help before they get frustrated. Every permutation of contact support, email support, get help, unanswered questions, etc. needs to be a fruitful search term.
Most casual software users don’t make the distinction between customization/settings/ preferences/add-on management.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
It’s clear from looking at the Ethnio Survey answers that a lot of people do not separate�the browser from the web. Let’s make sure�that we teach them mental models in the Getting Started area.
Good mental models will help them understand concepts like saved passwords, forms, and knowing when one is logged out. It will also help them when reporting problems.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
User’s tasks frequently cross boundaries:
Accessibility efforts address
many common needs
Findings, insights
and recommendations
Combine search results until search is unified.
Titles, URLs, headings and link text should correspond to each other, be human readable, and indicate something about the IA.
Start tweaking old content right away. Make�a new guideline that applies to new content.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
Do periodic search and data analysis to make and measure improvements.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
WMP plugin, later identified as a malware issue, was getting a lot of visits and searches. This is why support for multiple article tags�is important.
(plugins + malware)
Findings, insights
and recommendations
There is currently a lot of term ambiguity�in product facets. For example:
• Desktop: I thought Desktop refers to *my* computer?
• Mobile: the mobile version of SUMO? Firefox for Mobile? Is my laptop mobile?
• Firefox Home: the top page of any website is a “home”
• SUMO home ≈ Mozilla home ≈ Firefox Home
When naming things, qualify them:�“Mozilla Support Home”, “Firefox Mobile for Android”, “Firefox Home: sync for iOS”
Findings, insights
and recommendations
We need specific and visually identified steps of what new contributors and people who seek help should do to get started:
This applies across SUMO: Superheroes Wanted, registration page, ask a question, etc. The goal is to get more contributors.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
Users in the forum who are looking for info are not finding content that exists.
KB articles don't live anyplace in particular and have no way to browse to it.
Therefore people ask the same questions again and again.
This repetition leads to attrition of contributors.
Findings, insights
and recommendations
Compatibility is a very big deal. It can be disempowering and drive people to other browsers. Whenever installation instructions exist, also provide uninstallation instructions and download links to other versions.
Project goal & scope
What we’ve done, why we did it this way,�and how we’ve done it
Existing IA/sitemap structure test
The new IA
Findings, insights and recommendations
What now?
What next?
What now?
What next?
Phase 2
What next?
Phase 3
Paper prototype development and testing – to determine what goes on which pages and work through some interaction alternatives.
Further Reading
The full presentation:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WF-Kjh8PGYvwNvnbTJbEw0lbojB03rBvAHSSg3nPpdQ
The data analysis document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gUwc9wlRxruNBr7VheGDNN3mIvIPAxXWmSyFds3fhNg