DrupalCon Denver 2012: TAPPING INTO THE POWER OF USER NARRATIVES
Channel: Drupal Association
Date: 2013-03-28

Although user interfaces can be aided by various visual and structural elements, they are fundamentally driven by words, forming what can be called user narratives. But what restrictions prevent Drupal UX designers from achieving clear and well-targeted user narratives? Drupal does a great job of presenting words in various languages, but truly well-defined user narratives must speak at the level of Idioms -- the subtle nuances of speech and terminology that characterizes distinct groups of users - and functional User Roles. Drupal is virtually incapable of achieving this UX goal. Using a real world example as a reference point, this talk will illustrate how to dramatically boost the effectiveness of user interfaces by harnessing the power of user narratives. Along the way, we'll look at how the user narrative model is based on natural 'field-resolution' patterns such as those found within the neurological system. Transcending Drupal's current limits, we'll explore ways that idiomatic, Role-oriented interfaces have been applied in our case study through the use of our 'User Narratives' module. Through this example, we'll catch a glimpse of the powerful dimension of Role-oriented UX design and the benefits it could potentially bring to all aspects of Drupal's UX.

Questions answered by this session: 
Why is precisely targeted wording important for building effective user interfaces?
Why is it important to give authorship of user narratives to UX designers?
Why does the current method for creation and management of user interface text systematically tend towards usability obstacles?
What alternatives exist for effective design and management of user narratives?
What issues arise from alternative methods?