You know how to use Drupal. You know how to write code, build a theme, and SEO a site. But do you know how to teach others to use Drupal? For every site we create there are clients who must use it, many don't know a node from a block. After this session, you will be able to introduce clients to Drupal without freaking them out.
We'll cover:
* Defining "need to know" and emphasizing main concepts
* Thinking like a user, talking like a mentor
* Using normal words with a sprinkling of Drupalese
* Breaking down tasks keeping each user's personality and background in mind
* Translating "my site's broken" into a useful and respectful response
* How to think like a non-geek (for a few minutes)
2. Teaching Drupal
Developers: People who spend (a lot of) time figuring
out Drupal works, writing code for it, designing
themes for it, reading books about it, and traveling
to Drupalcon to talk about it.
Users: People forced by circumstances to interact
with Drupal and its developers.
DrupalCon Cophenhagen 2010
14. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
15. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
2. You did.
16. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
2. You did.
2a. Or you could have.
17. Before we start: two
assumptions
1. Our “user” did not install and build the website.
2. You did.
2a. Or you could have.
2b. Or you are part of a team who did and/or could
have.
38. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
39. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
* Add a new editor
40. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
* Add a new editor
* Edit the list of tags
41. Users hike paths
* Log in
* Edit the About Us page
* Create a blog post
* Attach a file to a press release
* Add a new editor
* Edit the list of tags
* Effectively report a bug
42. Teaching Drupal Truth #2
we love mountains (concepts), users hike paths (accomplish tasks)
43. Teaching Drupal Truth #2
We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to do
what they need to do, but don’t already know how to
do, with the tool we build for them.
we love mountains (concepts), users hike paths (accomplish tasks)
46. Where do I begin?
1. Ask, “What do you do on the site?”
47. Where do I begin?
1. Ask, “What do you do on the site?”
2. Ask, “Have you used Drupal before? Have you
used any other web applications?”
48. Where do I begin?
1. Ask, “What do you do on the site?”
2. Ask, “Have you used Drupal before? Have you
used any other web applications?”
3. Empathize.
49. Empathy
“the action of understanding, being aware of, being
sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the
feelings, thoughts, and experience of another ...”
IOW, walk in the user’s shoes
50. And remember . . .
The user has no context.
normal Drupal behavior or a bug?
57. Teach.
1. Explain the task you are about to demonstrate.
“Let’s edit the About Us page.” “Let’s create a new
blog post.” “Let’s add a new user.”
58. Teach.
1. Explain the task you are about to demonstrate.
“Let’s edit the About Us page.” “Let’s create a new
blog post.” “Let’s add a new user.”
2. Use normal words (with a sprinkling of Drupalese
when necessary.) “Alan has the role of editor, and
we’re going to give that role permission to edit other
user’s blog posts.”
63. Do.
1. Ask the user to do it.
2. Pay attention to where they falter, is there a way to
make the path more clear?
64. Do.
1. Ask the user to do it.
2. Pay attention to where they falter, is there a way to
make the path more clear?
3. Go at their pace, add more challenge when
necessary, stop and rest when it’s beneficial.
67. Document.
1. Prepare “just enough” documentation ahead of
time.
2. Encourage the user to take notes. This will help
them remember how to do it or at least, know
where to look it up.
68. Document.
1. Prepare “just enough” documentation ahead of
time.
2. Encourage the user to take notes. This will help
them remember how to do it or at least, know
where to look it up.
3. Create a space for communal editing of
documentation and a process for asking questions.
70. Teaching Drupal Truth #3
The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
yes, I made up the word unfrustrate
72. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
73. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
74. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
3. You hate (or love) camelCase.
75. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
3. You hate (or love) camelCase.
4. After work, for fun, you work.
76. Geekitis
1. Going out for a beer is more fun if you discuss
using hook_form_alter vs hook_form_FORM_ID_alter.
2. In conversation, you mention having spoken to
greggles.
3. You hate (or love) camelCase.
4. After work, for fun, you work.
78. Teaching Drupal Truth #4
If you have geekitis, it isn't contagious.
Users don’t have to love the mountains to effectively
hike the path. And they don’t care that you climbed
Everest unless that solves their immediate problem.
81. Leave a map
1. Suggest quality resources (books, website links,
tutorials).
2. Provide documentation and encourage the user to
collaborate.
82. Leave a map
1. Suggest quality resources (books, website links,
tutorials).
2. Provide documentation and encourage the user to
collaborate.
3. Make sure the user knows who to contact when
problems arise.
84. Bring the bug repellent
1. Take the sting out of bug reporting by training
users to give you what you need to solve the
problem. Ask them specific questions and respond
to drama with empathy.
85. Bring the bug repellent
1. Take the sting out of bug reporting by training
users to give you what you need to solve the
problem. Ask them specific questions and respond
to drama with empathy.
2. Have them walk you through the process.
86. Bring the bug repellent
1. Take the sting out of bug reporting by training
users to give you what you need to solve the
problem. Ask them specific questions and respond
to drama with empathy.
2. Have them walk you through the process.
3. Make sure they know how to take a screenshot.
90. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
91. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
92. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
3. The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
93. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
3. The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
4. If you have geekitis, it isn't contagious.
94. Teaching Drupal Truths
1. The user’s learning curve is steep only if you try to
drag them up every mountain.
2. We don’t teach Drupal. We teach the user how to
do what they need to do, but don’t already know how
to do, with the tool we build for them.
3. The less time you spend fixing a broken site while
unfrustrating the user, the more time you will have
to do other the things. Like, code. Win win.
4. If you have geekitis, it isn't contagious.
5. No users; no Drupal. The people who apply our
tools to real-world problems are the reason we are