{"id":396,"date":"2024-05-03T09:00:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T08:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/digital-content-and-development\/?p=396"},"modified":"2024-04-26T10:48:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T09:48:23","slug":"sprint-stories-navigation-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/digital-content-and-development\/2024\/05\/03\/sprint-stories-navigation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Sprint stories: Navigation guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to a variety of reasons, navigating our campus can be tricky. Here\u2019s how we set out to create a guide to help new students and seasoned staff alike get where they need to be.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Preparing to write the navigation guide<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

We\u2019re the first to admit that the <\/span>unique architectural concept of the University of Bath<\/span><\/a> can make for some head-scratching moments, particularly for new students trying to find their way (in more ways than one).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For a start, there\u2019s the way the campus was designed to radiate out from an elevated pedestrian thoroughfare called the Parade. This means that the effective \u2018ground floor\u2019 and entry point to many of our buildings is Level 2, with the actual ground floor on Level 1. And that\u2019s just the beginning of the potential confusion: don\u2019t even get us started on what Level 0 is and why it\u2019s the ground floor for buildings in the south of the campus.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there are our building names. They\u2019re made up of their compass position in relation to the Library, and a number hinting at how far from the Library the building is in that direction (10 West, for example, is further from the Library than 6 West). In addition, the building number also indicates <\/span>whether the building is on the same side of the Parade as the Library or not<\/span>. If the number is odd, it is (3 West, for example); if it\u2019s even, it\u2019s not. Simple!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Add to this a room numbering system that looks for all the world like it\u2019s based on a decimal system (4.16 for example) but <\/span>which isn\u2019t<\/span><\/i>, and it\u2019s easy to see why, in lieu of a large and costly project to rename everything, there was a need for a simple, clear guide to navigating these eccentricities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As with all our projects, good preparation was vital before we wrote a word of the navigation guide. These are the tasks we completed to shape the final guide, to ensure it was accurate and that it spoke to actual user needs.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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User story session<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

First of all, we conducted a user story session. If you\u2019ve not heard of user stories before, here\u2019s a bit of background information:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a user story session, the Content team gathers around a table with a bunch of Post-Its and Sharpies, sets a timer, and writes as many needs an audience for the proposed content might have in relation to it. We do this by completing a trio of phrases:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I need\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So I can\u2026\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Doing this is how we:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n