SharePoint & The User Experience 31 May 2014

Presenting Today: Scott Jackson & Guy Stuhlmiller

The Problem SharePoint is not always well received by the users This lack of adoption makes users use the software grudgingly, or find ways to circumvent the system The Solution Find out what the users need and deliver it. Treat SharePoint the same way you treat a website or other software project Branding is important. People will judge a system by what they see as well as how it works

To Make a Better Experience Understand the Existing Process Analysis – What is the Best Way? Design the User Experience Measure the Results This is NOT a full software design process. We are focusing on the User Experience.

Roles UX Designer Developer Business Analyst

Understand the Existing Process What are best practices for understanding the “What is”? Interviews Technical analysis The existing environment Documentation

Analysis – What is the Best Way? Users limit their expectations The best question to ask: “In a perfect world, how would you do that?” Present mock ups or similar concepts Understand the technical environment

Design the User Experience Design the flow of the system first Keep documentation minimal – but it has to tell a story Engage the users. Designing in a bubble doesn’t work Limit coding. It makes you defensive when you have to throw away work. Use the right tools – Wireframes / User Stories

SharePoint is a Website Imagine a WordPress or similar out of box website You can use JavaScript, JQuery, and CSS

Go Outside the Box Most things aren’t impossible: they just take time (often too much time) If you are saying “No”, ask yourself why

Measure the Results Measure the results Get feedback – constantly Create a database of user requests and bugs

PANDA – A Case Study A Lotus Notes application needed to be ported to SharePoint 2010 The project initially calls for a direct feature-by-feature move The users were not happy with the existing system, so that would not go in the right direction This case study is used with permission from Bayer CropScience Inc.

To Make a Better Experience Understand the existing process Analysis – What is the Best Way? Design the user experience Measure the results

Understand the Existing Process Through interviews, a list of Likes and Dislikes was created Gaining access to the system let us understand and document the existing process

Analysis – What is the Best Way? Introducing concepts that are common to everyone “Search Works Like Google” Creating user stories

Analysis – What is the Best Way?

Design the User Experience A look and feel that fits their brand No coding yet!

Design the User Experience

Getting into CSS Pixel Perfect Cross Browser Compatibility Heather Solomon’s Website

JavaScript and the SharePoint API Making a better search JavaScript and SharePoint get along very well Technical hurdles

Panda – The Final Main Page

Measure the Results Follow up discussions with users Tracking the usage of the website Bug/Feature tracking system

Questions?

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Special Thanks SharePoint Training Courses

Housekeeping Join us for SharePint Time: 4:15 PM – 6:00 PM Location: TBD