Ruven Gotz
Practical SharePoint Information Architecture
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© 2012 Ruven Gotz
SharePoint can be dangerous to your career!
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Expectations are set very high
Reality: The waters can be rougher than expected…
…but the results can make it worthwhile
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
What is an Information Architect?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/racingmix/274777460/
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
What is a Business Analyst?
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
In the SharePoint world, it’s a bit of a hybrid
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Dealing with humans in tough circumstances
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Soft skills
You have got to get everyone onto the same page
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
The key to shared commitment is Shared Understanding
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Visual tools are a great way to get to shared understanding
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
We will cover visual tools that assist with SharePoint
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Let’s start with Mind Mapping
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Building a simple mind map
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Using a mind map for navigation
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Using a mind map for prioritization
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Discovery workshops
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Using a mind map for taxonomy
What is Metadata?
The BIG Question
Data about data
What is Metadata?
I think I get it
Oh! Now I see(Mostly)
What is Metadata?
I think I get it
The BIG Question
Meta for?
What is
Metaphor
Let’s use a
What does a cow say?
What does a chicken say?
What does a duck say?
The sounds these animals make are attributes that distinguish them
Example from Yoav Lurie
• Prince• Pop/Rock• 1984
Adapted from the “pea soup” story by Serge Tremblay
What is our Base Metaphorfor files?
What if we saw this?
Better…
Solve with folders
Hire an intern
What is metadata?
This is metadata!
Not this!
or this…
What is Taxonomy?
Carl Linnaeus (1751)
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Superclass
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Class
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Order
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Suborder
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Family
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Subfamily
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Genus
Animal Kingdom
Invertebrates Vertebrates
Mammals
Predators Primates Whales Rodents
Squirrels Mice
Mice & Rats Hamsters and Voles
Real Hamsters
Short-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Djungarian dwarf
hampsters
Roborovski Hamster
Long-tailed dwarf
hamsters
Voles Gerbils
Porcupines Guinea Pigs
Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds
Taxonomy
Species
Shared Drive Zoo X:
Production Sales & Marketing
Marketing
Commercial Industrial Government Healthcare
Labs Hospitals
Private Public
Large
Urban
Not Associated University
Rural
Medium Small
Clinics Mobile
Sales Web Design Newsletter Social
Taxonomy
As we’ve already seen: This always works out great
Findability vs. Putability: a basic asymmetry
Shared Drive Zoo X:
Production Sales & Marketing
Marketing
Major Hospitals Commercial Industrial Government Healthcare
Labs Hospitals
Private Public
Large
Urban
Not Associated University
Rural
Medium Small
Clinics Mobile Colleges
Big Small
Sales Web Design Newsletter Social
Moving this mess to SharePoint makes it worse
SharePoint Sux
The #1 rule of SharePoint?
Never use folders
Except when it makes sense
ever
Folders for Security
Permissions assigned per folder
A SharePoint Taxonomy (Navigation)
Customer Type• Lab• Hospital• Clinic• Mobile
Sector• Private• Public
Size• Large• Medium• Small
Location• Urban• Rural
University• Yes• No
A SharePoint Taxonomy (Metadata)
Adding Metadata (when uploading)
A SharePoint Simulation
Document Type Inventory Worksheet
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
What is metadata?
What is Taxonomy?
What are content types?
Name _________Emp. # _________Date _________
Dates Requested:From __________To: __________
Manager ________Approved Y/N
Name _________Emp. # _________Date _________
Dates Requested:From __________To: __________
Manager ________Approved Y/N
Name _________Emp. # _________Date _________
Drug Used:Name __________Cost: $ _________
Manager ________Approved Y/N
Name _________Emp. # _________Date _________
Drug Used:Name __________Cost: $ _________
Manager ________Approved Y/N
Vacation Request
Drug Reimbursement
Both Content Types in One Library
Content Types for:
Workflow,
Policy,Security
Back to the Inventory Worksheet
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Build Mind Map (based on inventory worksheet)
Dealing with Wicked Problems
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Dialogue Mapping
Facilitation & Mapping
Shared Display
Notation (IBIS)
Dialogue Mapping
http://cognexus.org/
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
A very simple example IBIS map
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Real example
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Wireframing with Balsamiq
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Process mapping
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
This stuff is hard
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Social complexity makes every problem ‘wicked’
© 2012 Ruven Gotz
Getting to shared understanding is crucial
Visual tools with shared displays can help
Slideshare.org/ruvengRuven Gotz
@ruveng
spinsiders.com/ruveng
Tools Mentioned:- Mindjet MindManager- Balsamiq Mockups- BizAgi Entry Level- Microsoft Visio
Thanks to our sponsors!
Join our local users groups
Toronto SharePoint Users Grouphttp://www.meetup.com/TorontoSPUG/
Toronto SharePoint Business Users Grouphttp://www.meetup.com/TSPBUG/