Content Types – they make Drupal awesome and flexible. But do you put content or development first when planning them? If you aren’t planning the content first, you’re doing the entire project a disservice. Content types are the backbone of a Drupal website and will be the main way end-users interact with Drupal.Start with what content will be on the site and work backwards from there. The content will dictate the fields, the taxonomies, the views, and everything in between. The result may not be an easier development but it will be a more extensible and scalable site. Your UX designer will thank you, your project manager will thank you, your end user will thank you, and your client will thank you.Presenter: Carrie Hane Dennison, Content & Usability Director, Balance Interactive
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1. Content First PlanningContent TypesDrupalCamp
MarylandFebruary 10, 2012Carrie Hane
Dennison#DrupalCampMD#contentfirst@carriehd
2. I DrupalBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
3. Why Should You Care About Content? Better direction Less
guessing Do it right the first time Balance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
4. When You Dont Think About Content First Misdirection 11th
hour $^*#storm Migration headaches Late, over-budget projects that
dont meet needs No content at all Re-dos Goals not met Unhappy
end-users who toss out the site or Drupal Balance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
5. When You Think About Content First Clear list of tasks More
depth to the content Smooth path to launch On-time, on-budget
projects that meet needs now and in future Happy end users &
visitors Balance Interactive Inc. www.BalanceInteractive.com
6. Collaborate Pre-build meeting content and development leads
Pre-define content types based on the actual content of the site
Content strategist leads meeting with lots of input from developer
Go through site map and wireframes to ensure youre covering all
bases for use of contentBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
7. Defining Content Types What needs to be included from the
legacy system? Review site map and wireframes where are possible
distinct content types? Ask the client what they foresee changing
Name them, define the fields and taxonomies Use non-technical,
non-circular words to describeBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
8. When to Divide Content Types Used in different ways across
site? Many unique fields? Used in views? Goal: Just enough not too
many, not too fewBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
9. What to Fields to Include Default - Rename fields? Include
or delete? Custom List fields name and type Taxonomy vs select-list
field Labels? Display fields?Balance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
10. Think About End Users How comfortable are the end users
with technology? Make it easy for them to update site easily with
little instruction When possible, set up fields so they do not have
to format textBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
11. Example Content TypeBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
12. Balance Interactive Inc. www.BalanceInteractive.com
13. Balance Interactive Inc. www.BalanceInteractive.com
14. Futureproofing Today: content being transferred, some
enhancements Tomorrow: add information and relationships, new types
of content, known enhancements Ask the question: What do you see
happening with this content? Make it easy to go from today to
tomorrow Add taxonomy Think modular Think views and taxonomy Moving
to mobileBalance Interactive Inc. www.BalanceInteractive.com
15. Communication Dont work in a vacuum Demand input Ask
questions and give options Think like an end user and visitor Be
creative and push your boundariesBalance Interactive Inc.
www.BalanceInteractive.com
16. Conclusion Avoid snowball effect Embrace the creativity
that Drupal allows Everyone is happy no do overs, time for fun
thingsBalance Interactive Inc. www.BalanceInteractive.com
