Most platforms nowadays are designed to keep you engaged as long as possible.
ServiceNow should be the opposite: log in, find what you need, log out.
That only works if users can find stuff quickly.
Sarah Toulson shows how to improve the Employee Center user experience by designing better taxonomies in this nullEDGE session.
Key takeaways
The typical mess she encounters involves duplicate topic names across departments, vague labels like “General” or “Other Services”, jargon that confuses end users, and a lack of governance leading to siloed structures.
Strategies
- Get real users involved: UX surveys, card sorting, task-based interviews.
- Control information flow: 5-8 choices per level.
- Highlight strategically: Use analytics and fulfiller feedback. But don’t highlight everything.
Technical tricks
- Use Advanced Portal Navigation to fine-tune your menu (remember to sync it).
- Quick links don’t appear in search out-of-the-box. Add them as a search source.
- Moving connected content is annoying. Pace yourself, don’t try to do it all in one go.
A quick win
- Audit topic names for clarity and uniqueness. Often fixable without restructuring.
Your content quality is irrelevant if users can’t find it!
References
- Sarah Toulson: LinkedIn
- ServiceNow documentation: Unified Taxonomy for Employee Center
- nullEDGE Website
- nullEDGE YouTube channel
- My LinkedIn posts #nullEDGEAdvent (any feedback is welcomed!)
- Intro to my nullEDGE advent calendar adventure
