2. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for
on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should
link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog
should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving
traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario,
following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important
Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact
points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
3. Inward paths Core content
What keywords do users search for
on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should
link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog
should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving
traffic to this page?
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
6. The Core Model:
Designing for Top tasks
from the inside and out
Are Gjertin Urkegjerde Halland
June 16th
7. About me
• Senior information architect
with 18 years experience
• Developed the Core Model
in 2006
8. Netlife Research
• Norways premiere user experience agency
• User research, strategy, content, design
• Customer Carewords partner
• Uses the Core Model actively in projects
9. Agenda
• Core model thinking and design for top tasks 1400-1420
• Prioritizing Cores by business goals and user tasks 1420-1445
• Inward paths and content navigation 1445-1500
• Forward paths and business goals 1500-1515
• Content based gradual redesigns 1515-1530
• Governance and continuos maintenance 1530-1545
• Summary and questions 1545-1600
30. What NCS does:
• Funds cancer research
• Cancer care
• Cancer prevention
• Advocacy
• Information
• Fights cancer on a global scale
31. Online however...
• 5000 pages of overlapping content with very few links
• Content was accurate, but didn’t address key user needs
• Difficult to navigate and not prioritized
32. How did it happen?
• 40-45 people had access
• Departments were in charge of their own sections
• Limited centralized supervision
• 6 year old website with a rigid information architecture
33. Goals
Business goals
• Reducing the number of
people who develop cancer
• Increasing cancer survival
rates
• Ensuring quality of life for
cancer patients and their
family and close friends
Online objectives
1. Helping patients and their
friends and family
2. Increasing knowledge
about cancer and
prevention
3. Increasing online self-
service
4. Improving our reputation
and position
34.
35. User
research at
the NCS
• Focus groups with patients
and next of kin
• Surveys of The Cancer
Society’s reputation
• Web Analytics
• Interviews with 10
stakeholders and 10
potential users
• Top task survey
36. Top task survey
“If you’re visiting The Cancer Society’s website, which
five tasks are the most important to you?”
1385 participants chose between 79 different tasks.
37. Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Patient rights
Next of kin advice
Waiting times
Dietary prevention
0 % 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
Top 25%
6 out of
79 tasks got
25% of the
votes
38. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
Helping patients and their friends and family Treatment
Lung cancer
Increasing knowledge about cancer Symptoms
Prevention
Research
39. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
Find and apply for a grant
Research grant
Attract the best applications/projects
40. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
Reduce cost by self service Find and apply for kinder garten
Kinder garten
41. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Business goal(s) User task(s)
<The EU commision goals that
can be achieved through this page>
<Top user task(s) or questions that this page
answers>
<Your page>
Let’s try it out
Fill out the part of the core sheet in front of you and apply it to the page you brought.
Use 3 minutes on your own.
If you didn’t bring a page or wireframe - think of a page or task you work with.
If you don’t know your goals and user tasks - try to guess.
If you can not tie a business goal and a user top task to the page - try another page.
50. Telenor got rid of
top and le menus,
and made content
based navigation
51. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for
on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should
link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog
should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving
traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario,
following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important
Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact
points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
Let’s try it
Fill out the part of the core sheet in front of you and
apply it to the page you brought.
Use 3 minutes on your own.
What do people search for?
How can social media help driving traffic to this page?
What other sites and pages should link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog should lead to this
page?
52. Forward paths
How to reach your strategic goals when your users are
not so interested
54. User task:
Calculate interest
rates to compare
mortgage offerings
«Apply for a loan»
«See repayment plan»
Strategic goal:
Increase number
of mortgage
customers
60. Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Patient rights
Next of kin advice
Waiting times
Dietary prevention
0 % 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
Top 25%
Case NCS:
6 out of 79 tasks
got 25% of the
votes
61. Treatment of cancer
Symptoms of cancer
Preventing cancer
Cancer types
Latest research
Choosing a hospital
Patient rights
Next of kin
Waiting times
Dietary prevention
0 % 1 % 2 % 3 % 4 % 5 % 6 %
Top 25%
Cancer
treatment,
symptoms, and
prevention was
most
important
0.4% vote for
“Donate” and
“Volunteer”
62. The challenge
User looked for content that supported goals 1 & 2:
• Helping patients, their friends and family
• Increasing knowledge about cancer and prevention
But none of the user tasks supporting goals 3 & 4 came
up on top:
• Increased self-service
• Increasing donations and members
64. Donate now!Recurring giSponsor a child
Become a
member
Volunteer
Follow us on Facebook Subscribe to newsletter
Order brochure Download app
Join our #Instagram competition
The Paradox of
Choice
65. Donate now!
Recurring giSponsor Member Volunteer
Follow on facebook Subscribe
Order Download app
Join our #instagram competition
The Paradox of
Choice
67. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for
on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should
link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog
should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving
traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario,
following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important
Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact
points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
Let’s try it
Fill out the part of the core sheet in front of you and apply it to the
page you brought.
Use 3 minutes on your own.
Primary, prioritized scenario, following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact points (phone, email, etc)
points (phone, email, etc) points (phone, email, etc)
76. The editors • Signed mandate from
management
• In charge of all content
and development
• Overview of user tasks and
goals
• Editors know their field
and how to write and
• Working collaboratively
and interdisciplinarily
79. Web master Web editor
Cancer research
Discussions
& decisions,
not writing
All
content is
revised at
least every 3
months
80. • Who’s the target
audience?
• Which target audience
need or task does this
content cover?
• Which NCS objective does
the content cover?
• How will this content be
found and used by the
user?
• Why is the website the right
channel for this content?
5 questions
the NCS
asks about
content
85. Inward paths Forward pathsCore contents
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
Basic template
(A3 prints)
86. Inward paths Forward pathsCore contents
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
What’s the
optimal solution,
for the user and
for us?
87. Core model workshop
• Introduction to core model thinking
• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals
with notes on the wall
• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques
• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs
• Prioritize content with mobile first template
• Discuss inward and forward paths
88. Core model workshop
• Introduction to core model thinking
• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business
goals with notes on the wall
• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques
• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs
• Prioritize content with mobile first template
• Discuss inward and forward paths
90. Core model workshop
• Introduction to core model thinking
• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals
with notes on the wall
• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with
6-up or other brainstorming techniques
• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs
• Prioritize content with mobile first template
• Discuss inward and forward paths
92. Core model workshop
• Introduction to core model thinking
• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals with
notes on the wall
• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques
• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/
google docs
• Prioritize content with mobile first template
• Discuss inward and forward paths
94. Core model workshop
• Introduction to core model thinking
• Prioritize core pages based on user tasks and business goals
with notes on the wall
• Brainstorm approaches to solving core problems with 6-up or
other brainstorming techniques
• Detail solution in content driven design with 1-up/google docs
• Prioritize content with mobile first template
• Discuss inward and forward paths
95. Inward paths Forward pathsCore contents
Core page:
Business goals (achieve at least one) User tasks
For prioritizing
elements (mobile
first approach)
106. Inward paths Forward pathsCore content
Core page:
Goal (achieve at least one) User task
What keywords do users search for
on Google to get here?
What other sites and pages should
link to this one?
What other sources, digital or analog
should lead to this page?
How can social media help driving
traffic to this page?
Primary, prioritized scenario,
following the primary Call to action
Secondary scenario, less important
Calls to action
Other digital and analog contact
points (phone, email, etc)
Leave the site
107. How to use it
• Thinking tool
• Prioritization tool
• Communication tool
Design for top tasks from the inside and out
