Content First – Planning Drupal Content Types

Content First – Planning Content TypesDrupalCamp Maryland

February 10, 2012

Carrie Hane Dennison

#DrupalCampMD#contentfirst@carriehd

I

Balance Interactive Inc. www.BalanceInteractive.com

Drupal

Why Should You Care About Content?


• Better direction

• Less guessing

• Do it right the first time

When You Don’t Think About Content First


• Misdirection

• 11th hour $^*#storm

• Migration headaches

• Late, over-budget projects that don’t meet needs

• No content at all

• Re-dos

• Goals not met

• Unhappy end-users who toss out the site or Drupal

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

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 you’re covering all bases for use of content


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 describe

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 few

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?

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 text

Example Content Type




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 mobile

Communication


• Don’t work in a vacuum

• Demand input

• Ask questions and give options

• Think like an end user and visitor

• Be creative and push your boundaries

Conclusion


• Avoid snowball effect

• Embrace the creativity that Drupal allows

• Everyone is happy – no do overs, time for fun things

QUESTIONS?

Contact me: [email protected]

Follow me: @carriehd

View slides: http://slidesha.re/w4IhtE

mailto:[email protected]

Technology

Content First – Planning Drupal Content Types