- Set a user scenario for the DoGo map to be created.
- Create a node for each page in the website (or system) that will be used to fulfill the scenario. Repeat this step iteratively until the set of nodes are relatively stable.
- For each node (namely, a page), create an index card for the node with the following information:
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- Name: a descriptive label for the node (page), usually a noun.
- Reference Number: a unique number for reference purpose.
- Input Fields: form fields required to support the actions listed in the "Do" section.
- Do: actions that a user would do on the page (i.e. “Do”), usually a verb-noun statement.
- Go: neighbor pages where a user would go from the page (i.e. “Go”).
- Create a Common card to document common functionalities, so that you do not have to write the same fields and actions on every card.
- Attach all the cards to a whiteboard and draw lines to connect all of the cards referenced in their respective “Go” sections.
- Run through user scenarios to test the overall flow of the system. Rework the cards and flows as problems or new ideas arise.
Figure 1: Example index cards for nodes in a website
Figure 2: A example of the DoGo map
- Subsites/Microsites that are poorly integrated. University websites are a classic example of this.
- Strict hierarchy within a site. Some sites are still very hierarchical and a user has to traverse through the hierarchy to find related information.
- Inconsistent labels and navigation across a site.