Many of the tools we use to get our work done (Groups.Drupal.org, the Issue Queue, IRC, etc.) are ineffective in facilitating the collaborative decision making that Drupal needs to move forward. As a result, discussions and collaboration most often happens at cons, and must then be brought to GDO or the Issue Queue, only to get hashed out again. Progress stalls.

The issues of collaboration and cooperative problem solving are those that designers and UX professionals deal with every day, and as designers, we are uniquely positioned to help. Drupal community leadership has begun to understand the importance of UX design to the continued growth of the project over the last few years. However, very little funding is put towards UX design, and UX activities tend to be focused on singular activities, e.g. the Drupal.org redesign, or issues facing a particular screen or module.

Additionally:

* Our current development processes are poorly set up for UX/research/design, e.g. discussing design within Issue Queues

* When UX issues are worked out, up to 60% of them are never implemented.

* Designers and UX professionals who donate their time to the community find that their contributions aren’t recognized, and sometimes face negative/harsh treatment from community members.

As a result, UX professionals and designers who enter the community tend to burn out within a few years, or they just don’t contribute.

In this presentation, veteran Drupal designer and UX Designer Dani Nordin will share some of the things she’s learned as the UX lead for the Drupal Community Tools team, such as:

* How the community currently collaborates on design and solves tough technical issues
* A vision for how the process can be improved
* Updates on the work that the Community Tools team is doing, and how you can help us move forward.

About Dani Nordin

I'm a UX Researcher and Designer who works with Drupal teams on medium-to-large implementations, usually involving complex relationships of content, stakeholders and technology. Additionally, I have taught UX Design at CDIA, General Assembly, and Harvard Business School. Currently a Research Associate at Bentley User Experience Center, where I'm pursuing a Master's Degree in Human Factors and Information Design.