"We love meeting with you"

Enjoyable content development for site revamps

We love meeting with

you!

Elaine Nelson ★ @epersonae

Elaine NelsonI have deep thoughts about nerdy things.

elainenelson.org@epersonae

I am here.

Why are meetings terrible?


And yet, email is also bad.



Do this instead1.  Get the right people 2.  Focus them on their audience 3.  Engage and listen 4.  Show your notes in real time 5.  Refine as you go


Why?•  Everyone participates. •  The user comes first. •  No one’s wasting time. •  Better voice, tone, and visuals. •  Common frames of reference.



PREPARATION

Reasons to participate



Active listening


Neutral tone & lots of eye contact

Attention to non-verbal cues

Asking from different angles

Listening while they discuss

Repeating key points back


Live typing



BRING IN THE RIGHT PEOPLE

Someone who knows the material


Someone who knows the users


Someone who edits the site


The biggest cheese you can get.

Some teams are brokenIt’s not about you. Most teams are not broken!


A typical team…


THE FIRST MEETING

Building a common frame

of reference


We also have jargon.


We learned it the hard way…•  Is any specific content required by law or

custom? •  Are there URLs in print? •  Are there other marketing or social media

projects in progress?


Scheduling


IT’S ABOUT THE AUDIENCE

The Worksheet•  Primary, Secondary,

Tertiary audiences •  What are their goals? •  What are your goals

for them?

evergreen.edu/webresources/docs/audience-and-goals-worksheet.docx

Up on the big screen


Engage and listen


What do these people have in

common?

Actually Frequently Asked

Questions


Ultimately, what do they want to achieve?

What’s the one question that you get so often that you’re sick of it?


Read & understand the policies


What could the user do that would help them be more successful?

What do you wish they would ask?

…in order to…?


Use more tools

This is a secret weapon.


EXPLAIN IT LIKE I’M…

https://xkcd.com/1364/

One topic at a time


Some examples•  What kinds of jobs could I get with an

MES degree? •  Why do I have to write an academic

statement? •  How do I get an article to read for a class? •  Is Evergreen’s campus safe? •  What can I do at the Rec Center if I’m not

a student?


What would you have someone do if they were just getting started?

How does it work? No, really: how does it actually work?

What do you say when someone comes up to the counter? On the phone? When you’re at a party?

How do people get it wrong? Does that happen a lot? Elaine Nelson ★ @epersonae

Keep engaged & listening


Typos adn stuff

Stop early


REFINE AND REPEAT

Editing & Adding Content


Uncovering IA

Sharing


Rinse & Repeat


LET’S GO FOR IT!

Did we cover the goals?


Is it better than what’s there now?


Are the big cheeses ok?


Go!!!!!!


After the end•  Some examples

Check-out•  What’s not done yet? •  Who will do it? •  Who will be trained? (Reduce the number

of cooks.) •  Sort of an editorial calendar


What I want to do


(someday)

IN CONCLUSION, A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

You too can be…

•  Invite the right mix of people. •  Understand the audience & goals. •  Ask questions & listen actively. •  Write in haste, edit at leisure. •  Be open and flexible.


THANK YOU.Elaine Nelson, The Evergreen State College evergreen.edu ★ elainenelson.org ★ @epersonae

Technology

"We love meeting with you"