Juice Based Findability

I recently returned from an e-commerce assessment project in Cape Town. The project went well, and the client was absolutely wonderful - very welcoming and extremely keen to strengthen the asset categorisation of their products and the search and browse support they offer.

My stay was extended somewhat by the antics of an Icelandic volcano - yes me too. While I was on 'volcation' I enjoyed a number of visits to the hotel's 'full breakfast buffet'. Sitting there, sipping my coffee, I received a lesson in 'Juice Based Findability' - bear with me, it will make sense soon.

My hotel had the usual juice section - glasses close to a variety of freshly squeezed juices. I probably sat near this juice area 10 times during my recent stay. Whilst idly watching my fellow breakfasters I noticed at least 5 occasions when the guests could not find the glasses for the juice. The thing was that the glasses were lined up below the juice bar, and the table top on which the juice bar was sitting was wide enough to obscure the glasses to the guests who were standing next to the juices. On a number of occasions, guests approached the juice area intent on getting a drink, and all too often they were unsuccessful - they could just not find the glasses. Some looked around quite determinedly, some spent longer than others trying to track down the errant glasses. Some asked members of staff for help, some just walked away and got a coffee or tea instead.

Some people tried harder than others to solve the problem for themselves and get a glass of juice, but everyone with the problem was unsuccessful in solving it. The same staff were asked to solve the same problem day in day out, and yet they never altered the juice bar area. They never changed the location of the glasses or added any signage explaining the location of the glasses.

This experience is very similar to information finding challenges online. All too often sites do not make information finding tasks as simple and as fast as they should be. Also, when faced with real people having real problems, some sites ignore them, others help individuals via customer services centres, but most don't fix the root of the problem.

Faced with problems, frustrated by confusing navigation, strange search results, or missing information, most web users will go elsewhere with their business. If they do let the site owner know the problem, then please website owners, fix it at the root so other people don't encounter it.

Sometimes information architects and website owners are too close to things - too focused on their issues and their plans. They need to regularly take a step back and watch their customers and users interacting with their websites.

Next time you have a moment, look at the key information tasks your customers or clients have, sit back and ask, "How easy it it to get to the juice?" Analyse search logs, sit with people and watch them use your site, there are lots of ways to do it. Then, act on what you see, focusing on helping most of the people most of the time. I guarantee that valuable lessons will be learned and findability will improve.

Dow Jones Client Solutions offers audits targeted at improving information findability through enhanced asset categorisation, browse navigation and search support. Let me know if you would like to get more value out of your information.

Ian

photo by Leonid Mamchenkov

Accessing Useful Knowledge: musings from a train carriage

Sitting on a train, slowly trundling through Hertfordshire, my thoughts turned to the challenges of knowledge and information sharing.

I was minding my own business, surrounded by other similar people, also minding their own business and I started to think that if I had a need for knowledge and information, what would be my best course of action? What would be the most efficient and effective way to obtain, share and distribute information and knowledge?

Pondering this question produced some interesting thoughts.

If I needed a particular newspaper, document or magazine article, that I'd forgotten to bring along with me, my best bet was to stand up, forget I was English, and ask my fellow travelers whether anyone had a copy. A long shot I know, but a direct request for specific information was my best chance.

On the other hand, if I had a less structured knowledge and information need what would work best?

If I wanted to exchange information and knowledge regarding how to get people to share their knowledge in a work environment, and how to persuade them, "not to panic" and convince them that knowledge sharing, "is a good thing", my best bet is not to ask a specific question out loud, or to call, tweet, or email the people in the carriage. My best bet is to try to get a conversation going between all the people in the train carriage.

Back in the real world, persuading a bunch of strangers to talk to each other on a train is only going to happen if the train grinds to a halt and all the lights go out - otherwise, forget it.

However, the thought emphasised for me that often the best means of communication is face-to-face. The best way to exchange knowledge and information in order to meet a range of needs is to get a group of people to sit in the same physical space, and with a clear idea of the boundaries and objectives of the meeting, to talk to each other in the real world.

Other forms of more distanced communication, email, phone, etc have their place and are very popular and useful, but in this world of technology let's not lose track, let's not forget, that having a discussion with a real person is often the best way to communicate.

Ian

Need to Create Good Work Fast? Simple - Get a New Computer

I have a problem. I have six pieces of work to write in a couple of weeks and I'm under pressure. I need the work to be spot on, of the highest quality and created in the shortest space of time.

The answer to my problem? Buy a new computer.

Does this sound strange to you? Can you see how improved output comes from a new computer?

I was sceptical, but the Sales guy said a new computer was the answer. I asked him to explain and he told me how the time I was wasting messing with my old computer was at the heart of my problem. All those lost minutes fixing crashes, worrying about blue screens, battling with slow performance, scanning for adware, spyware and worse. Forget all that was the message I was getting, move to the promised land of a newer, faster computer and your problems are solved. After a bit more chat I was sold. My new computer would save me time and that extra time would be spent devoted to my key tasks, which in turn would lead to better quality work and faster work at that. Saving time was even money in the bank for me to set against the cost of the computer - so it wasn't even as expensive as I'd thought.

At this point I excused myself, had a coffee, and thought it through one more time. Did it make sense that a new computer was my solution? The light quickly dawned, of course it didn't. A new computer wasn't the solution and time saving was not my key issue. How did the Sales guy know that time saved would be time I'd actually spend on my document tasks? How did he know the processes and tasks I'd been performing with my current computer were not valuable experiences - not to be lightly ignored. Why did he make no attempt to understand me and my circumstances and simply sell me the one size fits all Sales line that so many people still hear today?

I soon realised than I'm better off assessing my goals and objectives. What is it I need to do? For whom? Why? And when? Then I need to ensure I'm prepared and enabled to achieve them. Is my broadband connection operating? Is it fast enough? Is the right software up and running? Can I access the libraries I need?

I would also benefit from improving my time planning and management skills. I need to focus on my key tasks. What is it I need to do? What problems am I having here? I also should not forget my deliverables. What do I need to produce and how do I get there?

All these areas, when addressed in the right way, will enable my tasks and improve my outcomes. Granted, this is a little harder to sell than a new computer equals better work and a wonderful life, but surely I'm worth that extra effort and it's certainly what I need to hear.

Many of us encounter this scenario frequently. How many times have you watched a Sales presentation built around saving time? Usually a calculator is involved and sometimes members of the audience are asked to volunteer key pieces of information - "How much time do you spend searching for information in a day?", "What's your hourly rate?", "How hard do you find tracking down the information you need?" "Could you be more productive if you saved some of this time?" Very often 'time saved' is then calculated and that 'time saved' directly equated to business advantage. Very often there is little or no thought put into the needs or objectives of individual businesses or any injection of common sense into the Sales pitch.

A Dow Jones information assessment looks for the real issues and pain points our clients experience, and works with them to solve their problems and enable improved outcomes. If you have an information management issue you need assistance with, speak to us and let us work with you to get to the heart of your needs. You never know you might even save enough money to afford that new computer you've always wanted!

Ian

This post first appeared at the Synaptica Central blog